Scott Horn got several things wrong in his Oct. 27 column “(President Barack) Obama exerts executive power, moves forward.”
Horn asserts that the Republican Party is one of obstruction while totally missing the fact the Democrats, who control the Senate, refuse to take up any bills passed in the GOP-controlled House, and failed to mention that as of Oct. 27 it has been 911 days since the Democrats have allowed a budget to pass.
Horn also asserts that since the GOP is the party of small government they are engaging in some sort of Machiavellian power play to make people hate the government by making them hate their representatives. This assertion idiotic on its face, no representative wants voters to hate them.
Further, I would argue that since the Democrats are the party of Big Government, the only reason they pass new programs is to buy the votes of gullible people.
Horn then goes on to praise the president’s recent use of executive power to push his agenda without dealing with Congress, though I wonder if he would feel the same if the president were a Republican using executive power to push a conservative agenda — for some reason I doubt it.
Concerning the programs themselves, Horn fails to mention that the foreclosure program is a replacement for the president’s previous failed foreclosure program.
Concerning the president’s plan for student loans, Horn fails to recognize the inherent problems with the program. As the borrower, the program seems attractive, until one actually thinks about the consequences. The loans are secured by the government, meaning that the government is responsible for the value of the loan forgiven.
That means that even though we might not have to pay the full amount of the loan, we or our future children will end up paying higher taxes to pay for the education we are receiving now.
Horn acknowledges that the president’s actions are motivated due to electoral concerns, though he praises the actions as bold and decisive leadership. I, too, believe the president’s actions are designed to bolster his fading hope of re-election.
However, instead of his actions being bold and decisive, I believe his actions represent reckless pandering. My hope is that voters will reject the president’s attempt to buy their votes and will instead look for and vote for someone with real bold and decisive leadership.
— Jarrett Edwards, second-year public relations student