DEAR EDITOR:
Although I now live in New York City, I am proud to have been born and raised in Warren. I recently saw a Tribune editorial titled, "Romney-Ryan provides real substance" that I must comment on.
First, the title of the piece is the opposite of the truth. If anything stands out about Romney and Ryan, it is that they are short on substance. Case in point is the $4.8 trillion tax cut they propose. They say it will not add to the deficit because it will be paid for by eliminating tax deductions and loopholes, yet a mere three weeks before the election they haven't named even one. And independent analysts have determined that even if all deductions and loopholes were eliminated, the tax cut would still add to the deficit they claim they want to reduce.
The piece itself is full of mistruths that the Republican ticket has repeated ad infinitum hoping that, if it repeats a lie long enough, people will believe it. The best example is the assertion that "President Obama's plan takes $700 billion over 10 years from Medicare." By using the word "takes," the editorial implies, like Romney and Ryan do, that the president is cutting the program and reducing benefits, which is not the case according to all fact-checkers. The truth is that this $716 billion is saved from stopping fraud and waste. Does the Tribune editorial board oppose saving money by reducing fraud and waste?
I expect politicians to exaggerate the truth, but not a respected newspaper. Northeastern Ohio is full of hard working, patriotic Americans, which is why they vote overwhelming for the party that cares about them and our country, the Democrats. The Tribune editorial board should serve the needs of its readers and not serve as a mouthpiece for the Republican Party. After all, the meaning of the word "tribune" is "one who looks out for the interests of the people."
Rick Theis
Brooklyn