Editor,

I just read the three letters in the Oct. 18 South Whidbey Record extolling the virtues of Island County commissioner candidate Rick Hannold. Wow, where to start?

David Hiestand wrote, “Our economy is in shambles, our national debt is ($17 trillion dollars); 90-plus million Americans who once had a job and contributed to the economy have been kept out of the workforce by Democrat policies.”

This is quite a claim coming from a Republican partisan, and it isn’t true.

First, two facts. From 1978 through 2005, under Democratic administrations, the Federal debt was increased by 4.2 percent compared to the same time period; under Republican administrations, the Federal debt was increased by 36 percent. Republicans good on debt? Not so much.

As for the old saw that, “Republicans are good for jobs,” let’s look at that claim. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, since 1961, starting with Kennedy and ending with Obama in 2012, Republican economic policies have created 23.9 million jobs in America. During this same period the economic policies of the Democrats have created 42 million jobs. Almost double the job growth with Democratic policies. Republicans good on job growth? Again, nope.

According to Sig Hanson, retired naval officer Rick Hannold “understands that we need to work together for everyone’s benefit instead of allowing well-financed special interest groups to get special treatment at the expense of hard-working ordinary citizens.” I guess in his mind the people who have a real concern for the citizens in the face of the real health hazards of noise and air pollution posed by the unbridled military buildup at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island are to be swept aside in the face of the “well financed special treatment” that the Navy expects.

As for Mac McDowell, I suggest he read “The U. S. Employment Effects of Military and Domestic Spending Priorities: 2011 Update.” This is available through the Political Economy Research Institute, University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

Needless to say the argument that Whidbey Island and its economy without the Navy would die is far from fact.

Vote Republican? Not hardly.

Dan Freeman

Clinton