The Final Days of the Fall Presidential Campaign

I keep hearing people say that they don’t really like Bush. But they’re thinking of voting for him because Republicans are good for the economy. My question is how?

My husband and I both work--he is a banker, I am a registered nurse. Over these last eight years we have seen hiring freezes, wage freezes, layoffs, medical benefit cuts, insurance increases, child-care cuts and maternity leaves slashed. Housing costs in our area have doubled in the last year. I am spending more at the market and we eat out less. Apparently taxes have been cut for someone but it wasn’t us. Last year we paid more than ever. And everything I’ve read tells me that because the deficit is so sky high, whoever is elected will be forced to raise taxes. I can safely speculate that when a Republican is forced to raise taxes it will be mine (the middle class) he will raise rather than those of the wealthy or large corporations.

With more people below the poverty line than ever before, more starving, more homeless and a middle class struggling to make ends meet, again I ask, how have Republicans helped the economy?

MELINDA WRIGHT

San Pedro