In 1994 in an interview with the Boston Globe Ann Romney described her time at Brigham Young University. She said they were rough years:
“They were not easy years…Neither one of us had a job, because Mitt had enough of an investment from stock that we could sell off a little at a time.”
“The stock came from Mitt’s father. When he took over American Motors, the stock was worth nothing. But he invested Mitt’s birthday money year to year — it wasn’t much, a few thousand, but he put it into American Motors because he believed in himself. Five years later, stock that had been $6 a share was $96 and Mitt cashed it so we could live and pay for education.”
Ann Romney describing her “not easy years” may ring out of touch with many in the middle class. In the late 1960’s Ann and Mitt used inherited stock in order to pay for college. Just last year, the class of 2011 graduated on average $25,250 in debt.
She later goes on to describe Mitt’s time at Harvard and how they were “living on the edge.”
“Another son came along 18 months later, although we waited four years to have the third, because Mitt was still in school and we had no income except the stock we were chipping away at. We were living on the edge, not entertaining. No, I did not work. Mitt thought it was important for me to stay home with the children, and I was delighted.
As Governor, Mitt Romney advocated to make welfare recipients work even if they had children so they could know the “dignity of work.” Her account explains Mitt wanted his wife to stay home even when were “living on the edge,” and had no income.
Mitt and Ann may have some work to do to appeal to middle class voters. Mitt has said Ann owns a couple of Cadillacs, the plans of their La Jolla mansion complete with car elevators and saying Mitt’s just not concerned with the very poor. He thinks they’re doing just fine.
It just seems like they haven’t the slightest idea. Ann Romney, after all ‘doesn’t even consider herself wealthy.’
Michael Orr