Letter: Bush tenure has been an unmitigated disaster

Saturday, Nov. 10, 2007 | 7:59 a.m.

I found letter writer Fred Herr ("Bush has economic, foreign policy successes," Nov. 7) to be a perfect example of someone who simply refuses to see the world as it truly is.

Despite what Mr. Herr claims, George W. Bush has been a disaster as our president. His "my way or the highway" attitude has taken this country down the wrong road. GWB's stubborn refusal to be a president who truly represents all the people has resulted in the polarization of our society and made compromise a thing of the past.

Mr. Herr claims GWB's policies at home have brought about almost unprecedented prosperity for everyone, and that his policies abroad have made the world a great deal safer. Nothing could be further from the truth on both counts.

Yes, homeownership is up but home foreclosures are near an all-time high. The American middle class is taking a beating economically and our borders are still broken, with illegal immigrants entering the country daily. The influx of cheap labor from south of the border and the outsourcing of American jobs overseas, particularly to China, have contributed to an America that is quickly developing into a "have and have not" society.

We are still locked into an unneeded war in the Middle East that has cost us the lives of almost 4,000 of our nation's best. The price tag for the war thus far has exceeded $650 billion, which is quickly moving us toward bankruptcy. GWB's tax cuts are mainly for the rich, and the war in Iraq has us borrowing billions weekly in order to pay our monthly bills.

We have 47 million Americans with no health care coverage and a national infrastructure badly in need of repair. The recent bridge collapse in Minnesota may, unfortunately, be a harbinger.

Larry Burgess, Henderson