Pennsylvania Party Leaders React to Romney's Choice of Paul Ryan
GOP's Rob Gleason praises presidential candidate Mitt Romney's choice of Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his would-be vice president. Democrat Jim Burn of Allegheny County derides their 'wrong agenda.'
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News broke early Saturday morning that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney selected Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan as his Vice Presidential running mate, according to a Fox News report.
Ryan, best known for his proposed budget that calls for an overhaul of Medicare, is considered a rising star in the GOP.
Romney made the official announcement at a campaign stop in Norfolk, Va., calling Ryan "an intellectual leader of the Republican Party."
Pennsylvania Republican leaders praised Romney's choice of running mate.
"I congratulate Paul Ryan on being selected to join Mitt Romney on the Republican Presidential ticket," said Rob Gleason, chairman of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, in a statement released following the announcement. "Pennsylvanians will be well served by a Romney-Ryan team in a White House that can finally shut the door on President Obama’s four years of high unemployment, out-of-control spending, and usher in a new era of American prosperity.
" Pennsylvania will be first in line to send Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan to the White House when we deliver our 20 electoral votes this November."
“Quite simply, President Obama has failed," continued Gleason. "The unemployment rate has now been above 8 percent for 42 straight months. Friday’s jobs report illustrates how Obama has failed to fix the economy and meet his own standards: He promised his massive $831 billion stimulus would create millions of jobs and bring unemployment down to around 5.5 percent by today.
"Most staggering of all, the real unemployment rate is 15 percent," Gleason added. "That means that 15 percent of Americans either can’t find a job, full-time work or have given up even trying to find a job. That is this President’s legacy and the reason Pennsylvanians are going to vote for the Romney-Ryan ticket."
Pennsylvania Democrats also issued a statement on Romney's choice.
"Mitt Romney's selection of Paul Ryan proves once again that he has the wrong agenda for middle-class Pennsylvanians," said state Democratic Party Chairman Jim Burn in the statement.
"Paul Ryan shares Mitt Romney's commitment to helping the wealthy at the expense of the middle class," said Burn, of Allegheny County and a former president of Allegheny County Council.
"Ryan is the author of a budget plan that will increase taxes for the middle class and end Medicare as we know it, all to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans," he said. "The Romney-Ryan agenda will cut investments in education, clean energy and innovation that will help our economy grow while returning to the same failed trickle-down economic policies of the past. The Romney-Ryan budget plan will cost America over 1 million jobs while cutting key investments in middle class programs like Head Start and veterans health care.
"Mitt Romney's choice of Paul Ryan has made it clear that he will abandon the middle class and seniors and take us back to the same failed policies of the past that hurt middle-class Pennsylvanians."
Helen
9:18 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
What the democrats won't tell you and you won't hear on mainstream news is there are 21 new or higher taxes in Obamacare starting in 2013. Got to ATR.org to read the whole listing. The middle class "are" the ones taking the brunt of it who earn $120,000 and less a year. (12 of them) The democrats also won't tell you is that Obama cut $400 billion from Medicare and is using $80 billion in a slush fund to cover it up until after the election. Paul Ryan's plan preserves the status quo for people 55 and up. And for people younger will pay through a health savings plan. Also under Obamacare, kids with special needs will have a tax hike of $13 billion starting in 2013. Home health care and nursing homes have also been cut under Obamacare. Plan on selling your house? You will have 3.8% of more taxes to pay under Obamacare. Obama still does not have a budget plan. When a democrat talks about a republican cutting investment in schools, they mean the unions will have to pay more out of pocket and the taxpayers will pay less. When a democrat says they Romney-Ryan budget plan cuts investment in innovation. I say look to Obamacare. Starting in 2013, a $20 billion Obamacare Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers begin. Obama is bad news for our country in every way imaginable. He's a failure and not a success story. Years of liberal Democrat controlled cities, counties and states and in D.C. are the problems that we see here today in Pennsylvania that hurt middle class people.
bd
10:25 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Helen - you are correct. The healthcare act signed by Obama is a tax monstrosity on the Middle Class. Not only does it cut Medicare for Senior Citizens as you say but many Americans will be subjected to a 40% excise tax (directly or indirectly) on so-called "Cadillac" employer-sponsored or private health plans. Many Union contracts that were negotiated so that the company picks up all or most of the cost for healthcare will probably qualify as "Cadillacs." Assuming this tax will be imposed upon the companies offering these plans or required by contracts with the unions, employees will pay more because the tax will get passed along to them. In other cases, businesses will trim benefits to bring plans under the tax cutoff. Economists predict that many affected workers will get higher pay as a trade-off (if you believe that, I have a bridge to sell which might interest you) -- but those raises would be subject to income tax. Also, the tax will affect more workers as time goes by. It includes an inflation index, but rising health care prices will probably continue to outpace inflation. New taxes and fees built into the healthcare act target healthcare business (insurance companies, drug companies, medical equipment manufacturers and suppliers, etc.). These businesses are allowed under the healthcare law to pass along these expenses as higher prices. So guess who pays that as well? We do. This law definitely needs to be repealed.
cc
6:11 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Helen and bd I totally agree with you. These kool-aide drinkers think obama is the best thing since slice bread. They will be the first one crying every year also when their obamacare is costing them more and more money.
Helen
11:41 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
Yes, I agree. The law does need repealed. I wish the small business owners and corporations would sit down and explain to all of their employees and customers that under Obamacare, they will have no choice but to take more money out of their paychecks and increase the costs of their goods so that they can keep their doors open. We are going to see so many businesses who close if this Act is not repealed because they will be taxed right out of the economy. Consumers won't be able to afford alot of extra's and even the things that we need, will have to be cut from on our family budgets. The economomist that you mention must be from MSNBC. The burden and the grind of business owners to keep up with everything may not be worth it to them after awhile and they were the ones who took a chance, created jobs and provide goods and services to so many of us. I believe their will be shortages everywhere eventually if Obama is re-elected, hence Obamacare remains. The public union workers don't realize that in 2018 that they will also join Obamacare and not be shielded from it. Wow, yes there will be that 40% excise tax waiting for them. Some of my older siblings are planning on retiring early because of the new taxes will take so much of their paycheck, it will be cheaper to stay at home early than anticipated. That is so upside down to me. Thank you for explaining and pointing out so much that we are, and will be facing if Obamacare stands and Obama wins a 2nd term.
cc
6:15 pm on Sunday, August 12, 2012
obamacare is going to put many small companies out of business if they don't drop their employment to under 50 people so they don't fall under obamacare. It will be cheaper for them to to pay the tax then to offer healthcare. It is a shame how many jobs will be lost because of obamacare.
cc
5:09 pm on Monday, August 13, 2012
ml thinks she is the tax expert on everything. People can't afford to purchase insurance now isn't going to be able to pay the premiums under obamacare. Insurance companies are going to have to pass the buck to someone and the people are going to pay for it. So it will be just like before only worse, pay for your healthcare feed your family or pay for your mortgage. Doctors have already begun to drop taking Access so where are these people going to be treated at, plus the ones that get free obamacare??? But ML is rich she got 2500 a month to blow for just one person so money is no object for her and she will be getting free obamacare but won't have a dr to take it.