President Barack Obama's stimulus bill has failed, and it cost us more than $850 million.

The unemployment rate is 8.5 percent, per government numbers.

Remember, Obama is running for re-election. The actual number is much higher, taking into consideration the number of people dropping off the unemployment roles.

The average price of gas when Obama took office was $1.79; it is now $3.26. On a 20-gallon fill up, that is $29.40 out of our pockets.

When Obama took office the national debt was $9.5 trillion, and it's now $15 trillion and climbing.

So somebody thinks his economic policies have really put this country back on its feet?

His only success has been to enlarge the food-stamp program to record levels and entitlements. Socialism is alive.


Money's not speech

It doesn't surprise me that Congress' approval rating is 13 percent. Its vision is not that of the majority, and its loyalties don't lie with its constituents. Members of Congress are loyal to the ones who got them there and keep them there, their corporate benefactors.

As much as we hate this, we can't really hate people who take advantage of laws that allow them to get unlimited corporate funding for elections. It is human nature, though not the best side of it, to want to stay in power once you get there. And it is human nature to be greedy. Let's be honest, human nature doesn't always result in thoughtful people wanting to do what's right. This can be stopped. Don't allow big money in government. Change the Constitution to say that money is not speech and corporations are not people. Otherwise, we all lose.


Corporate taxes

Supporting Senate Bill 9 seems like a no-brainer to me. This bill calls for all corporations doing business in New Mexico to pay the same rate of tax. At present, corporations that only work in New Mexico pay tax but those corporations that also do work in other states can avoid New Mexico taxes. New Mexico needs the additional tax money to fund education, health care, public safety and community services.

New Mexico is the only Western state not to have combined reporting of money earned in the state. We need to close this tax loophole and put all corporations doing business in New Mexico on a level playing field. All New Mexicans are expected to pay their fair share in taxes. Out-of-state corporations that do business in New Mexico need to pay their fair share, too. Sen. Peter Wirth needs our support.