EDITOR:
I have just a few thoughts and reminders on elections and administrations since I began voting in 1973.
I've been a registered Non-Partisan since 1977.
Reganomics, 1980-1988, left us with the largest debt and deficit in history at the time. Ronald Regan was a great president but fared poorly with the budget and the economy in general.
The next GOP mantra was "Read my lips, no new taxes!" 1988, courtesy of H.W. Bush and left us in an even greater hole to dig out of.
The "Contract with America" GOP gang of 1994 promised more of the same and we believed and put the GOP in Congressional power. We received more of the same bleak economic trends from that bunch and not much else aside.
The only fiscally responsible adminstration during the '80s or the '90s was that of Bill Clinton, and he had to utilize the "line item veto" to get the job done because the GOP powers in place were no better than their predecessors, and equally uncooperative.
The G.W. Bush administration and majority GOP congress of that time gave us a "Blueprint for America" which presented us two wars, over 5,500 American lives lost and the base 1.5 trillion or so deficit that has our current administration and congress trying everything in the world to get us back on some kind of economic responsible track.
Since the Obama adminstration and the 2008 Congress took office, the GOP has done nothing but say "No" and generally refuse to work with the president or congress in a reasonable way to aid America's plight.
Today's Tea Party/New Republican party (and yes, they are the same lot) are taunting the "Pledge to America."
For over three decades I've been paying into social security, medicade and have served my country during the Vietnam era when my countrymen deserted me and my military brothers and sisters of the time.
I'm not buying anymore GOP garbage and I'll be damned if I'm willing to vote for a woman that wants to take those things from this American, because I've damned well earned it. Particularly while she benefits from the same tax dollars that we regular Americans don't enjoy.
We have to pay our taxes. Freedom isn't free and we should all be paying to ensure our veterans are taken care of. (No, I've never used VA benefits because others need it worse than I).
Harry Reid could be far better, but common sense tells me giving his seat to such a disloyal American extremist is just stupid. Particularly when Harry is the most powerful senator in the country.
I'll be voting for Harry Reid, Brian Sandoval and anyone but Dean Heller.
It would be in our best interest to apply some common sense in the elections as opposed buying into the same old lies and song and dance.
Michael C. Ivie
Gardnerville
