Dear Editor:

In response to Scott T. Sleeman’s letter:

How in good conscious could I vote for someone who in 19 years of public service is a strong supporter of raising taxes; voted to raise gas prices as much as $.75 per gallon; wants to create 10 million jobs in four years while his family business employs most of its workforce overseas; or one day is proud to own several SUVs and then the next day claim that they are owned by members of his family and not him.

Easy – by realizing that: 1) If we actually collected taxes from millionaires, billionaires and corporations, we wouldn’t have gone from a historic surplus to historic deficits as far as the eye can see under Bush’s regime. 2) Gas has gone up at least $.75 recently and we’re all still driving, but luckily Bush is colluding with a foreign government (Saudi Arabia) to lower prices before the next election. 3) The people that Bush currently employs overseas are possibly torturing locals, and getting killed at the rate of about 58 per month. 4) Owning SUVs certainly must pale in comparison to intergenerational involvement in multi-million dollar bank failures like (according to http://www.campaignwatch.org/more1.htm) grandfather Prescott, father George H.W., George W. himself, brothers Neil and Jeb and, last but not least, uncle Jonathan Bush – an executive director at Riggs Bank (“Federal regulators fined the Riggs National Corporation, the parent company of Riggs Bank, $25 million on 05/13/2004 for ‘failing to report suspicious activity, the largest penalty ever assessed against a domestic bank in connection with money laundering.’ The fine stems from Riggs’s failure over at least the last two years to actively monitor suspect financial transfers through Saudi Arabian accounts held by the bank.”)

How in good conscious could I vote for someone who fell to peer pressure and threw his ribbons or his medals (which after 14 years of military service I did not know that they were interchangeable) over a wall in protest of the Vietnam War; or voted against every major weapons system that are currently being used to protect our soldiers all over the world.

Easy – by realizing that: 1) History has proved that Vietnam was a mistake; John Kerry simply realized it earlier, and acted honorably to end it as quickly as possible. 2) According to Project on Government Oversight (www.pogo.org) many (most?) of the weapons systems “include billions of wasted taxpayer dollars, the deaths of military personnel, and the production of weapons that do not work.” (Star Wars, V-22 Osprey, B-1 Bomber, B-2 Bomber, Comanche Helicopter, etc.)

How could I vote for someone who stated that Saddam Hussein must be removed from power then retracts his position when it happened. How could I vote for someone who voted against the 87 billion dollar spending bill, but only after he voted for it.

Easy – by realizing that: Things change – there wouldn’t be more than one vote if things hadn’t changed in the meantime. Maynard Keynes, (Keynesian economics) once replied to a questioner, “When I get new information, I adjust my position accordingly. What, sir, do you do with new information?”

“I am amazed how narrow minded and selfish people can be when they vote for elected officials based only on ‘what’s in it for me?’ I was raised to think of how my vote and my actions might affect all of those around me. There are so many issues that are important to me and so far, only one candidate stands up for those that which I think are the most important.”

I agree almost completely! But, only one candidate stands against everything I believe is important – George W. Bush.

This year I am not only voting against relegation to second class status through an amendment to the constitution (AKA homophobia).

This year I am not only voting against an assault on woman’s right to choose.

This year I am not only voting against environmental degradation.

This year I am not only voting against erosion of our civil rights.

This year I am not only voting against “balancing” the budget on the backs of the poor and disabled while cutting taxes for millionaires and increasing corporate welfare.

This year I am not only voting against George W. Bush, but in good conscience I am voting for John Kerry.

Clark Burnett