(For Sen. Obama)
I have had my eye on you since you were a keynote speaker in the 2004 Democratic Convention. I saw then that you would be bursting on the scene; however, I was wrong about just when that would be. I thought it might take you a few years but have been surprised that it has transpired much sooner than that. Not many persons accomplish becoming a presidential nominee after only serving less than three short years in the Senate. In fact. Your rise on the national scene in such a short time has scarcely given Americans time to get to know who you are and what you represent. Come to think about it, there is quite a lot that merits questions, answers, and pondering.
- Both Occidental College and Columbia College records are not released.
- Your Columbia Thesis paper is "not available."
- Your Harvard College records are not released.
- Your Selective Service Registration is not released.
- Your medical records are not released.
- Your Illinois State Senate schedule is not available.
- Your Illinois State Senate records are not available.
- Your law practice client list is not released.
- You published articles as editor of the Harvard Law Review and as a professor at the University of Chicago, but they cannot be found. Allowing access to these types of records would certainly give accountability to your candidacy, wouldn't it?
Americans are aware that you intend to raise the capital gains tax to 28% of profit from ALL home sales. Explained, this means if we sell our home and make a profit, we will pay 28% of our gain on taxes. If we are heading toward retirement and would like to down size our home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money we might make from that sale will go to taxes. This proposal adversely affects any elderly who are counting on the income from the sale of their homes as part of their retirement income.
John McCain will have 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). He does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax.
Americans have been advised that you will raise the dividend tax to 39.6%. Explained, this means that if we have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, we would be paying nearly 40% of that money earned on taxes. John McCain will have no change and the dividend tax will remain at 15%.
You have told Americans that you would restore the inheritance tax. Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Many wishing to will their assets to loved ones will only lose them to your proposed tax. John McCain has no inheritance tax.
We know that you have also proposed many new taxes. Among those are
- New government taxes on homes that are more than 2400 sq. feet
- New gasoline taxes
- New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)
- New taxes on retirement accounts
- New taxes to pay for socialized medicine
You state that 95% of Americans would receive tax cuts but fail to explain that over 40 million of those same Americans do not pay ANY income taxes at all; simplified, this results in a brand new creatively thought out welfare program.
Americans have been made aware of your association with your former pastor of over 20 years, Jeremiah Wright, but, perhaps, not many have visited the church website. Black Liberation Theology is the main thrust rather than the Christian Doctrine you profess. Wright turned toward African-centered thinking in the late 80s and early 90s, and you, being attracted to it, became a church member.
Americans know quite a bit about ACORN too, Senator Obama. They know that you were a community organizer for them as well as serving as an attorney for them. Americans also know that you trained community organizers to intimidate bank boards into approving loans to persons who could not afford them ?helping to bring down Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. We know that in spite of this that in the original rescue package ACORN was scheduled to receive over 20 BILLION of those dollars. Today's news indicates that ACORN is involved in major voter registration fraud in several key states. Why did your campaign give this organization over $800,000? Will you distance yourself from this organization like you did your pastor now that it is becoming politically expedient to do so?
Regarding Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, John McCain signed a letter along with 18 other senators raising questions regarding them in 2005 and in 2006. You, along with Barney Frank and Christopher Dodd and others not only disregarded this warning but dismissed it.
While you dismiss your association with Bill Ayers saying that you were only eight years old when he bombed several United States buildings, including the Pentagon, you were not only eight years old when you began your political career in his living room. And we know that you were associated with him even after 911 when he stated that he wished that "he could have done more." We wonder why, Senator Obama, so many of your associations appear to be less than honorable.
I just reread my written thoughts and have decided that I DO know more than I don't know about you, sir.
Margaret O'Brien,
Rice Lake, WI
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