Letter to the editor: Substance must replace rhetoric at the polls

It was particularly slick, in the 2008 presidential race, to extol the greatness of the word “change” to the public at large. It sounded positive, hopeful, and to the financially desperate, a means to a better place. We were led to believe that change was possible by merely saying the word. And we knew the newly elected President was serious because he told us, “If I don’t have this done in three years, then this is going to be a one-term proposition.” I guess that changed.

How many times do we recall being told government was to become transparent under Obama’s leadership? That we’d end all the closed-door sessions when creating policy and law? How the president would bring both parties together to create real solutions to the nation’s challenges? Or more specifically, that Obama would impose windfall taxes on excessive oil company profits to provide energy rebates to American families? That he promised 10 percent of all U.S. electricity needs would come from renewable sources by 2012? None of these was accomplished.

A huge change in government’s direction is required at the local, state, and federal levels in order to have any hope of correcting this mess. We can’t rely on the rhetoric of fanciful words, we must become better informed and involved. The lack of progress in the current administration’s course is sending us down a deeper hole, one that will become progressively more detrimental to our children’s future. Are we really better off now than four years ago? I think not. Change was a vibrant word in the 2008 election, it’s time to send a message to government that change is needed now – but let’s make it change with substance this time around.

Chip English - Woodbury

Tags: letters to the editor, opinion, updates, elections