Editor, Gazette-Journal:

The voter in this year’s national election should not have a difficult time in pulling the right lever. This year, the voter only needs to ask oneself "Are you better off today than four years ago?" Are you working, drawing unemployment, retired, in poverty or on food stamps? Of all of the above, were they voluntary or driven by the cost of government or your employer?

One of the most critical elements to consider is the cost of government at all levels. What was the impact on your net income, did it exceed the cost of living over the past four years? Alternatively, did you continue to lose your net income as the government continued to raise taxes and diminish benefits over the past four years?

If employed, your employer cannot tell you who to vote for, but he can explain the impact of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and the impact it will have on your hours of work. It has already been written that the workweek will go to 30 hours. This will reduce your gross income by one full week a month, every month, for your employer to meet the government’s health care mandate.

Ask yourself can I then pay the rent, make a car payment, and buy food, or which one will I have to do without. The choice is yours to make as you pull the lever this year. It will affect your lifestyle for decades, along with that of your children.

Howard Mowry

Gloucester Point, Va.