I am writing in response to the guest column “President Obama has earned re-election” by Trenton Garza on March 22. Mr. Garza’s arguments seem to be very focused on what Obama has done for college students, rather than asking what impact will his policies have on the future of our country.
Garza’s pitch is that college students should vote for Obama because he provides more goodies for them. I would hope Baylor students would vote for enlightened self interest rather than the crass “what have you given me lately” that Garza is advocating.
Garza applauds Obama for increasing grants for college students and enhancing loan forgiveness programs. But he fails to mention that Obama’s administration and the Democratic congress give-away programs to many different constituent groups have created $5 trillion in new debt in the past three years, which is more than $20,000/person. If Garza was a senior, he would have noticed that the terrible job market Obama has helped to create with his terrible economic policies. Instead of sustaining lower gasoline prices, Obama has treated us to electric cars that can be energized by solar energy, both made possible at twice the price by his crony capitalism.
Garza is thrilled that Obamacare has allowed 2.5 million young Americans to stay on their parents’ medical insurance until age 26. But does he realize that once these young people are off their parents’ insurance, Obamacare will force young people to pay the same medical premiums as older adults? This will force young people with little money to subsidize older adults who generally have a much higher income and higher medical expenses as well.
Hopefully Baylor students are too smart to “sell” their future for a bowl of porridge like Esau did and Garza commends.
— Walter L. Bradley
Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering