Dear Mr. Romney,

I have been listening to you since you announced your candidacy for President of the United States.  I was concerned during the primary because of your conservative positions.  Now, as you move towards the center, I worry even more.  I understand the shift because no one has won the Presidency while holding extreme right or left-wing positions.  What concerns me is how comfortable you are with changing positions then have those who work with you define your position later.  I would like to hear where you truly stand on some key positions, specifically education, women's issues and the economy.

Education is dearly important to me.  My husband is a high school history teacher.  I hold a teaching certificate but do not teach.  I know that the public school system is crucial to our society.  It is where immigrants have learned to become American.  It has prepared generations of people to work.  There was a time when graduating from high school was enough to get a decent job and prepare you for work.  Now, teachers are seen as free-loading loafers who count the hours until they can collect their paycheck.  Although that description might be true of some people in education, the majority of teachers are trying to do their best to encourage students to rise to their full potential.  Inherently, they understand that their students will be competing with students from all over the world.  Many of the rising countries place a strong emphasis on education and we are undermining our education system with budget cuts and glaring stereotyping of teachers.  You have mentioned that you would cut education funding but you have also mentioned that you will support education for people to find work.  Where is it you truly stand?  Are you willing to make the bold choice to make education, public education, a viable institution which promotes the necessary skills to achieve success in this world?

Education for me is a national issue; women's rights is a personal issue.  I was too young before Roe v. Wade to remember what life was like for women.  I have heard stories from my elders about women who sought back alley abortions and were irreparably harmed.  I have heard stories about women who went on vacation only to return nine months later to whispers behind their backs.  I know that making abortions illegal will not stop them, it will only force women to make even more painful choices than the choices they face now.  I hear you and other pro-life people when they say they are protecting people who have no voice but what about the women carrying the babies?  Are they just walking incubators who do not deserve a voice?  If you want to cut the size of government regulations, why impose a new one on women?  And why does the American government think it has a right to legislate something so personal as a woman's pregnancy?  When I think of this, I am reminded of the Chinese government regulating the number of children a couple can have.  I do not live in China Mr. Romney. Please define your position on this important issue.

Finally, where exactly do you stand on the economy?  I have heard you say loopholes need to be closed; I agree.  But which ones?  Depending on to whom you are speaking, I have heard various answers.  I have heard you say taxes need to be cut.  Historically, the period of highest taxation, right after WWII, Americans recorded the greatest satisfaction in their country.   Taxes also help to pay for essential services like education, emergency responders, and infrastructure.  If we cut them much further, some communities will not have access to necessary services.   Also, anyone who has to work within their means to make a household budget work knows that when the going gets tough you have to cut back expenses AND increase revenue.  By cutting taxes, you might make it easier to make ends meet for the middle class, but you risk bankrupting the government, which in the long run is a disaster in the making.  So where exactly do you stand on the economy?  Will you get serious about working in a be-partisan way with the Congress to solve our economic problems not just for today but for future generations?  Or is this another selling point to the people in Ohio?

I could continue.  I am also concerned about the size of the military, green energy, what it takes to be a true world leader in this new global reality, Israel and immigration.  And I would welcome a conversation about those topics, but I doubt you will respond to my invitation to a discussion.  I know you are busy trying to win an election.  But please remember, for me, this is not about you adding the position "President of the United States" to your resume.  This is about my children's future and my grandchildren's future.  If I understood better what your positions were, I would be in a better position to make the best choice I possibly could.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Romanski