Thankful to Republicans

Once the Republicans told us’Ķ’ÄùIt’Äôs morning again in America.’Äù

It is morning again in America, but can we Americans continue to survive the type of leadership Republicans have given us?

Will we have another morning in America filled with the promise of hope for the future, for home, family, health, peace and prosperity’Ķ? For a good life for our children, grandchildren, and those yet to come?

Or will we continue to live in fear, waiting for the next failure of Republican leadership that threatens our future?

Here are just a few things I’Äôm going to give thanks for in November:

Thank you Montana Republicans for Energy deregulation in Montana (1997) and my higher electric rates as a result. ’ÄúMontana once had the least expensive electric rates in the West’Ķ the state produced twice as much power as it used, and produced that power at a very low cost. Montana was sheltered from high prices by two things: a wealth of power generation and a regulated world that required that the juice be sold to Montana customers at a relatively low cost. Rates were among the lowest in the nation ’Äú…but that changed with energy deregulation.

http://missoulian.com/specials/power/power4.html

Nov. 2007 electric rates’Ķ

http://www.neo.ne.gov/statshtml/115.htm

http://neaap.ncat.org/news/mtnews2.htm

Thank you Montana Republicans for blocking efforts to provide for and ensure adequate public school funding; your four-day school weeks cut truancy by 20 percent. There is a hidden joke here, but we can see it.

I should also thank you the Republican leadership for presiding over the largest corporate bankruptcy fraud in U.S. History, Enron (2001); but you’Äôve just exceeded that with the financial system bailout of 2008,

I will be sure not to forget to thank you for the worst security failure in U.S. history ’Äî 9/11;

And a big thank you for the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (2002), the largest bureaucracy in the history of the United States government;

But I will not thank you for the cost of the war in Iraq: the cost in U.S. lives ’Äî 4,177 US troops dead, 30,680 wounded (as of 10/05/2008), with a total estimated taxpayer cost of around $3 trillion, $12 billion monthly for our occupation of a foreign country;

And how about a very Special Thanks to the Republican Administration for the highest gasoline prices in U.S. history, the cost of gasoline: 8yrs ago, about $1.50 gal and today $3.35+ gal, with diesel prices over $4 gal, while oil companies like Exxon continue making record profits ($10+ Billion every 90 days);

Thanks for the record setting number of bankruptcies;

The looming recession, the housing market crash, and an estimated 2 million foreclosures in 2008, for rewarding bad decisions and bailing out financial speculators at the taxpayers expense ’Äî $850 Billion plus;

And for the annual budget deficit: ’ÄúThe budget resolutions recently approved envisage an increase in the deficit next year. The Senate predicts $366 billion, the House $340 billion. (These numbers will change with the financial system bailout.) Meanwhile, over the next five years, independent estimates are that the national debt, already $9 trillion, will grow by $2 trillion more. Almost half the government debt owed to banks or individuals is held by foreign creditors, notably China, Japan and the OPEC nations, up from 13 percent five years ago’Äù’Ķ

http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_8592137

While Republicans were driving the bus the national debt has been steadily climbing: ’Äú$9+ trillion and increasing (at about $9.4 trillion now and the debt ceiling is currently set at $9.8 trillion, debt is rising by an average of $1.36 billion per day)’Äù’Ķ

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/20068.html

The list of things I can thank Republicans for could go on and on. What I am really thankful for is that I can express my appreciation for this type of leadership and vote my Thanks! on November 4th this year.

Glenn Ferren

Superior