An open letter to Mitt Romney

Dear Gov. Mitt Romney,

Please forgive my boldness in addressing you directly in this public fashion. We’ve never met. I’ve never held or run for public office, and my only political activity has been to contribute to campaigns and vote. We share, however, some basic convictions centered around the value of individual freedoms and limited government and also the feeling that this coming election may very well determine the kind of country we shall live in, perhaps permanently.

That’s why I become concerned when I hear you focus so much on the economy. We know it’s lousy and not getting better and that you are well equipped to lead us to more prosperous times. But there’s much more we know as well, and it’s important for people to hear, with one exception. You said something a while ago to the effect that President Barack Obama is a nice guy, but he doesn’t know what he’s doing. I believe he’s an angry, far-left “progressive,” and he knows exactly what he’s doing.

His formative years were spent with many who hold a Marxist view of our history, capitalism, our Constitution and the role of America in a turbulent world. We consume too much of the world’s resources, and we need to downsize and be more like the socialist countries he admires. A just society, in his view, should redistribute wealth throughout the country and the world.

There are several subjects on which every American needs to hear more of your views, in addition to the present economic woes and your proposed solutions:

One is deficits and the national debt. The former is more than $1 trillion yearly, and debt now surpasses $16 trillion — equal to the entire gross domestic product. This could bankrupt the country when our debt can no longer be financed. The dollar is headed for a crash and the end of its status as the international reserve currency. Printing money — even more than presently — and steep taxation will be inevitable. Hyperinflation can’t happen here? No country is immune from such folly and eventual financial collapse.

And what has the Obama administration done to address this? Nothing, except to double our annual deficits. His Simpson-Bowles commission report on ways to reduce the deficit is ignored. The last Obama budget was voted down by the Senate unanimously. Is there no seriousness here, or is this deliberate?

Planned energy starvation, Keystone XL pipeline killed, our offshore drilling greatly restricted and our coal industry to be shut down — it’s fortunate that much natural gas is in private land and under state regulation, or that would be killed too (Obama would find a way). Crony capitalism wastes billions of our money on wind and failed solar projects, which can never supply more than a small fraction of our energy needs, while some offshore drilling for oil is supported — but in Brazil and other countries, not here.

The Affordable Care Act — Obamacare — is a monstrosity: 2,700 pages of “as the Secretary shall determine.” It will add billions to the debt, and a majority of Americans don’t want it. It will drain adequate funding from Medicare and drive doctors out of the program. Our health care picture needs improvement, but Dr. Obama’s prescription is toxic. There must be a better answer, and it should feature competition, while maintaining aid for some, in preference to reams of government dictates.

Diminishing American influence around the world seems to be a priority of this administration. Obama insults and antagonizes our longtime allies, such as the U.K., Canada and Israel. Then he pulls the rug out from missile defense agreements with our eastern European allies. He does nothing to encourage Iranian dissidents, while dealing ineffectually with Iran’s nuclear ambitions. NASA’s manned space exploration program is scrapped to concentrate on reaching out to the Muslim world. How has that worked out?

So please hammer away, Gov. Romney. This Pied Piper is leading our children and grandchildren into a sorry future. Millions of my fellow ordinary Americans who care deeply about our country are cheering for your victory.

Best wishes,

Alan Boone

Alan Boone, of Bangor, is a retired medical oncologist.