Editor:

While in Israel, Mitt Romney praised their health care system that covers everyone and costs only eight percent of their GDP, as opposed to our system that costs 18 percent and covers fewer of our citizens every day. That’s what we have been trying to tell you, Mitt. It’s a single payer system like all industrialized nations enjoy, much superior to your Massachusetts system and infinitely superior to our current system, which is insurance companies draining money from the health care system for huge profits.

We have to believe that Mitt is an intelligent man, unlike Dubya, but his entire European tour was a demonstration in smug condescension, prejudice and ignorance. He has no foreign policy except to attack Iran or support an Israeli attack. He would demand that China support a more equitable trade balance, even though his Bain company helped create the unfavorable balance by closing companies Bain purchased and shipping the jobs to China. His tax policy is the Ryan plan. Decrease taxes on corporations and the rich while increasing taxes on the working class. He will increase defense spending to $2.1 trillion. He would pay for it by cutting all safety net programs that have been established over the past 60 years to ensure the working class has at least a minimum standard of living.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid stated that he heard from a trusted source that Romney has paid no taxes for the past 10 years. In a flaming rage, Romney called Reid a liar. Prove it, Mr. Romney, show us your past tax returns like every other candidate has. The only conceivable reason for refusing is it would prove that you have not paid your share. Taxes are how a country pays the cost of governance. With your hundreds of millions in personal fortune, you have benefited hugely from your American citizenship, Mr. Romney. You are not a welfare queen, you need to pay your share of the cost of running America.

Barrie Johnson, Exeland