In 2008, the youth vote propelled President Barack Obama into the White House, swept up by his promises of hope and change. Four years later, far fewer college students remain convinced that Obama is truly capable of delivering his end of the deal.
When the youth wave helped remove the GOP from office in 2008, college students everywhere felt a breath of hope. During George W. Bush's time in office, unemployment never made it above eight percent, yet still every man, woman, and child in the United States of America was straddled with their own share of the national debt, valued at $34,183 per person at the time, according to the National Debt Clock. The young were filled with joy at the prospect of, as President Obama promised, cutting the deficit in half in his first term.
Four years later, many college students have realized that they were dead wrong. During 43 of the 46 months that Obama has served as president, unemployment has soared above eight percent. The national debt has climbed to a staggering $16 trillion, increasing the burden on every American by $17,312 for a new individual debt of $51,495 per person.
If that's was not enough, the current administration has run up over $1 trillion in deficit spending every year, rapidly adding to the debt that you, a struggling college student, are partially responsible for paying off.
But hey, it's not so bad. You've studied hard and earned your diploma. Now you'll be able to get that dream job that you've always wanted, right? WRONG! According to a Rutgers University study, 50 percent of recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, and many of them are already straddled with crushing amounts of student debts. Isn't there some way that we can reverse these economic trends before it is too late?
There is. Just like every other American citizen who has reached the age of 18, we have the opportunity to tell our government that enough is enough. This November, I urge you all to cast your ballots for Mitt Romney for President and Joe Kyrillos for United States Senator.
It is true that Mitt Romney made millions at Bain Capital and that some companies that they invested in went under. However, the current administration and their aligned super PACs seem to forget about the massive economic boosts brought on by Bain Capital, including that of Dunkin Donuts, Staples, Sports Authority, Guitar Center, Domino's Pizza, Burger King, Brookstone, Toys R Us, and Burlington Coat Factory, just to name a few. Staples alone employs 89,000 workers and Sports Authority employs another 14,000.
In a time when businesses are closing their doors and 50 percent of your graduating class is unlikely to find full time work, wouldn't it make sense to elect someone with a history of job creation like that? Many say that Mitt Romney doesn't understand the suffering of those who don't have money and claim that his riches are the cause of this, or that his supposedly low tax rate keeps him richer. Let's do the math for a moment.
According to the "New York Post," Mitt Romney's income was $14 million in 2011, but the government came in and took $1.9 million of that. He then proceeded to donate $4 million of what remained to charity. That is nearly 30 percent of his income! The year before, he paid $3 million in taxes and gave away another $3 million to the less fortunate. Over a two-year period, Romney paid $5 million in taxes, while donating $7 million to charity. As governor of Massachusetts, the first part of the budget he slashed was his own paycheck, taking no salary for four years. Additionally, he took no salary when working for the Olympics and donated his entire inheritance to charity.
With all of this in mind, the current administration has still tried to portray Mitt Romney as greedy and out of touch, claiming that they are the ones trying to help the poor. Yet when the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare kicks in, that $51,420 that you carry as your portion of the national debt will be just a drop in the bucket. The choice for college students this November is clear. For the sake of your future gainful employment, cast your ballots for Mitt Romney.
