From Ron Paul to Romney, Ames GOP Chair Shows Full Support

When Mitt Romney appears at a private fundraiser at in West Des Moines Tuesday, Cory Adams, 35, of Ames, who campaigned for Ron Paul through the caucus season, said he hopes to be there.

“I'll continue to support Republicans up and down the ballot and I will vote and work on behalf of Romney. He is the clear better alternative to what we have,” Adams said.

Romney's potential impact on the economy is foremost on Adams' mind.

Adams has seen his hourly wage increase since he worked for retail in the 1990s but his $10 an hour retail paycheck seemed to stretch a lot farther than his earnings from the multiple jobs he has today.

Adams, also Story County Republican chair, works for a local print shop that relies on the economic health of other businesses. His hours were reduced in 2008 and 2009 as businesses cut back on spending. His employer was able to avoid a round of layoffs recently, but Adams said they have yet to see a full recovery. Adams continues to work odd part time jobs to make ends meet and said he has little discretionary income.

“The economy is where (Romney) is strongest and where the country needs the most help,” Adams said.

Looking back at history, Adams said it seems as though cutting taxes and spending cuts pushed the economy through its cyclical downturns much faster than spending programs have. Presidents Warren Harding's and Calvin Coolidge's tax cuts and budget cuts during a depression in which unemployment was as high as 20 percent, lead to the prosperity of the 1920s.

While Romney has also proposed tax cuts, a Tax Policy Center analysis of Romney's tax cut plan stated it would raise taxes on people who earn less than $200,000 annually, because Romney won't be able to keep all his promises.

Coolidge's and Harding's cuts reduced the burden on all incomes the middle class included. But Adams said the discussions of Romney's proposal leave out what Romney plans to cut from the federal budget.

“Romney has been a CEO of a company. He knows how taxes and regulations affect business' ability to hire and grow,” Adams said.

Beyond the economy, Adams said he would like to see Republicans return to a strict interpretation of the Constitution. That approach would have probably avoided the problems the country has today such as its national debt and the undeclared wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Adams said.

“Romney talks a lot about his admiration of the Founding Fathers so hopefully he will follow through,” he said.