This Republican isn't so upbeat

The Sept. 25 letter, “Don't blame Republicans,” reminded me of the Hindu fable of the six blind men and the elephant, each describing only what they could touch. The writer of that letter sees a booming economy. I'm a Republican, and I see real wages for most Americans are down as benefit costs skyrocket. More Americans are in poverty and without health insurance. Saving rates for our citizens are at record lows, and our budget and trade deficits are at record highs. We have mortgaged our future, while failing to have the political will to do anything about the looming Social Security and Medicare crises. Low unemployment? Tell that to an auto worker. Low interest rates? Tell that to someone worried about the easy money they borrowed at a variable rate in a declining housing market. Fledgling democracies in the Middle East? Tell that to someone from Iraq, where violence, torture, murder rates and the number of terrorists are all on the rise. Also, tell it to the U.S. soldier and his family who has been told he's going back or has to stay in Iraq. Tell that to an American who has now spent, for this war of choice, the equivalent of $100,000 per Iraqi household with no end in sight, while at home we have no energy policy, environmental protection and weak homeland security. As with the six blind men, it depends which part of the elephant you're touching. For Bush's friends and the wealthiest top 2 percent, things may look good, but for most of us on the other end of the elephant, something stinks. Paul Utts, Northfiels - Published in the Atlantic City Press, October 3, 2006