OP/ED: Romney, Lamontagne, and Bass Deserve Your Votes

By Tom Thomson

I believe this election, Nov. 6, will be the most important election of my lifetime. We as a nation are clearly at a crossroads and our vote will determine the fate of ourselves but more importantly for our children and grandchildren. 

My pick for president is Gov. Mitt Romney; I like many have not been impressed with President Barack Obama’s “Hope and Change” over the past four years.

Whether you voted for Obama four years ago or not, please consider a few facts that in my opinion are destroying the hopes and dreams of our hard working Americans. 

1. Even after trillions of dollars that Obama spent to supposedly improve the economy, unemployment under his watch has increased to 8.3 percent and has remained above 8 percent for over 43 consecutive months.

2. When Obama took office gas prices were $1.85 per gallon and today they have more than doubled at $4 per gallon. While gas, diesel, heating oil and electricity have increased, Obama has stood in the way of our increasing domestic production. For example: killing construction of the Keystone pipeline and increasing his war of regulations on this nation’s coal production.

3. All of Obama’s policies have had a negative impact on American workers who have seen over a four thousand dollar loss in their median income.

4. During Obama’s nearly four years as president he has increased the national debt from $10.6 trillion to over $16 trillion dollars. It was reported today that each share per household is now $137,000 for our national debt. This debt is being piled onto the backs of our children and grandchildren which we all know is wrong and is unsustainable.

Romney is a proven businessman who has the skills to lead this nation back to prosperity by providing the right conditions and eliminating the uncertainty for small businesses to create and expand jobs. His energy plan will unleash domestic production which will reduce prices at the pump and will create good paying jobs while keeping our energy dollars here at home rather than depending on foreign oil and sending hundreds of billions of dollars to foreign countries that don’t like us. When it comes to our foreign policy, Romney will lead through strength and not go around the world apologizing. And last but not least, Romney signed “The Thomson Presidential Pledge” and Obama did not.

My pick for New Hampshire governor is as clear and important to me as the presidential election. Our state is also at a crossroads; under Democrat Maggie Hassan we would see increased taxes, fees and regulations and a very good chance of a sales and or income tax despite what she says. Republican Ovide Lamontagne not only promises to veto a sales or income tax but he was the first candidate to publicly sign the pledge, and Maggie Hassan has refused to do so. 

In 2008, Hassan as Senate Majority Leader supported and voted for the LLC (Limited Liability Company) Tax which was a 5 percent income tax on our small businesses, the same businesses that are the job creators. New Hampshire small businesses were outraged at this 5 percent income tax and pushed back so hard that the LLC law was repealed the following year. So when Maggie Hassan says she will veto a sales or income tax you’ll know that it is nothing more than smoke and mirrors. Don’t let Hassan fool you again. My pick for governor is Lamontagne.

My pick for the 2nd District Congressional race is incumbent Charlie Bass over challenger Ann McLane Kuster. We cannot afford to lose this hard working congressman whose seniority and experience in the US House confers substantial advantages to our state and nation. 

My pick for the 1st District Congressional race between incumbent Frank Guinta and Carol Shea-Porter is Guinta (I don’t vote in District 1, but if I did I would certainly vote for this hard working conservative, Frank Guinta). 

I remember my father, Gov. Mel Thomson, encouraging voters nearly 40 years ago to “Protect Your Pocketbook” by getting out and voting.  You may want to consider this the next time you fill up at the pump. 

On Nov. 6, please exercise the greatest freedom we have, the right to vote.