When on the stump in 2008, then-Senator Obama couldn’t fathom a debt upward of $10 trillion. He decried the spending, voted against raising the debt ceiling, and publicly questioned President Bush’s patriotism on the issue.

Today, our national debt is higher than ever at $16 trillion. In just 40 months, Obama not only outpaced his predecessor’s spending, but also dwarfed the amount of debt the federal government accumulated in the first 219 years of the Republic.

In 2008, then-Senator Obama declared, “America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better.” I agree. After increasing the debt for every person in America by more than $6,000, President Obama needs to be held accountable for his words and his actions.

What’s more, under President Obama’s leadership, a budget has not been passed since April 2009. President Obama’s most recent budget was unanimously rejected by both the House of Representatives (414-0) and the Senate (99-0). The fact that President Obama can’t get members of his own party to approve his budget priorities speaks volumes about his ineffectiveness. Extending short-term continuing resolutions is not a serious way of tackling our nation’s major fiscal woes.

Fortunately, this November, voters will have an opportunity to examine President Obama’s record, form a judgment, and replace him with a candidate who offers an impressive resume in business and wealth creation. Governor Mitt Romney did not spend his life in Washington, DC or even in the public sector. He has a track record of creating jobs in Boston as a CEO and of turning around failing organizations, as he did when he set the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics on solid financial footing.

It’s time for a President who doesn’t redistribute wealth, but promotes the creation of it. It’s time for a President who doesn’t suppress economic opportunity, but fosters it. It’s time for a President who doesn’t demagogue success, but rewards it.

James Hutchison

Honesdale, PA