Put everything on the table
Republican primary candidates are attacking President Obama on the economy as if he were responsible for its failure in the first place.
George W. Bush inherited a sound economy and several balanced budgets from Bill Clinton, but turned a normal cyclical economic downturn into a crisis with his lopsided tax cuts for the wealthy and his ill-conceived (and unfunded!) misadventure into Iraq.
The last time Republican laissez-faire economics run riot got us into a similar crisis it took us 10 years and a war to recover. Why would one think Obama could work a miracle in 2 1/2 years?
In our flight from reality and disinclination to face complex, painful issues, particularly those in which we all share blame, we seek painless, simplistic answers. Dearly beloved, there are none.
To get us out of this mess everything must be put on the table, including entitlements, pork-barrel spending, military budgets, tax loopholes and (shut my dirty mouth!) tax hikes. We all bear responsibility and we all must pay.
Blame Obama? What president other than George W. has ever declared war and cut taxes in the same year? There’s an old Anglo-Saxon word of German derivation for this, it’s called “dumb.”
GEORGE B. REED JR., Rossville, Ga.
Plan long-term for transportation
The need for a long-term highway reauthorization bill before the end of the current extension of the law on Sept. 30 cannot be understated. According to Federal Highway Administration data, every $1 billion in federal highway investment created 30,000 jobs.
Currently, nearly two of every 10 unemployed workers are from the construction industry – 2 million construction-related jobs have been lost since the recession began. The people of Tennessee have been greatly impacted by this loss.
Congress and the administration need to commit to long-term funding. The series of short-term extensions since September 2009 has made it impossible for American businesses to plan for the future. We are continuing to lose jobs and put our economy at risk.
Adequate transportation infrastructure capacity and reliable and cost-effective transportation services are essential to economic growth. By creating jobs across construction, engineering, resources and manufacturing sectors, transportation investment serves as an important economic driver in and of itself.
Continuing with short-term extensions is not a viable option. Congress must make long-term transportation planning and investing a priority.
MARK C. BROWN
Check the facts about liberals
A rant Sunday, July 17, stated: “Progressives and liberals live in a fact-based world”… laughable but true, depending on one’s view of the facts.
To clarify the point, liberals can be characterized as socialists who promote class warfare, likely never wrote a business plan, endured capital risk, created jobs or worked long hard hours to build a profitable business – liberals are anti-individual, anti-private sector, punish the producer, and live by a complete, tooth fairy reliance on government to manage their lives and spend their money.
As a point of reference, look no further than the cesspool that is the city of Detroit to see the caustic effects of socialism in our own country.
Now those are facts you can count on!
WARREN DANIEL