Romney makes a move
Friday, 27 January 2012 16:31
NewsBy Juan Jaimez
Former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is one of the five Republicans running for the 2012 Grand Old Party presidential candidacy.
Romney, now 64 years old, grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University and masters and doctorate degrees from Harvard's law and business school, he became CEO of Bain and Company, bringing the company out of a financial crisis.
Romney founded one of the nation's largest investment firms, Bain Capital, and helped many businesses become household names, such as Domino's and Staples.
"I respect Romney's success in business," said Elissa Lombardi, science teacher at Granite Hills.
While being governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, he was able to eliminate the state debt of $3 billion and put in effect an almost-universal health care plan, the first of its kind in the nation.
After much uncertainty and doubt clouded the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Romney was able to organize and turn the Games into a financial success.
Romney has several new ideas for our economy. If elected, he would maintain taxes how they are, eliminate the death tax, eliminate taxes for taxpayers with Adjusted Gross Income below $200,000, and reduce taxes on corporations from 35% to 25%. He has plans to invest in and research nuclear energy and to discover untapped American oil wells. In order to eliminate the national debt, Romney plans to reduce federal workforce by 10%, cap federal spending at 20% of Gross Domestic Product, and reform Medicaid.
For healthcare, Romney plans to immediately repeal Obamacare if he is elected and urge American citizens to buy their own insurance. He wants the states, not the federal government like in Obamacare, to drive a new healthcare system where the states have more power. Romney wants to treat the healthcare system as a market, driving down costs of insurance and creating more informed consumers.
"I like the way he talks, he's clear, and he always has an answer," said Melanie Kelly, arithmetic teacher at Granite.
Romney's foreign policy objectives are to increase military presence in the Pacific; not trying to invite conflict, but guarantee open trade routes with East Asia. He wants to defend human rights in China, urging the Chinese for a more democratic government and helping groups within China that strive for democracy. If elected, the Romney administration would support groups wanting to instill a democratic government in non-democracies in the Middle-East. He wishes to increase trade with Latin America and will lend support to democratic allies that are fighting against high crime levels and drug cartels.
"Mitt is not conservative enough," said Lombardi. "I think he is a very good business man; he did a great job with the Winter Olympics, but I don't think he has what it takes."
(Photo courtesy of Andy Jacobsohn/MCT Campus: Presidential Candidate, Mitt Romney speaks to a crowd at a spaghetti dinner in New Hampshire.)To learn more
Official Romney campaign website
C-SPAN coverage of Campaign 2012
CNNMoney: Overview of candidates' taxes
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