POLITICS
Democrats have driven economy off of a bridge
I had to laugh at Mike Luckovich’s cartoon, but only because of the irony involved (Opinion, Aug. 11).
He is obviously parroting President Barack Obama’s talk about the GOP driving the economy in the ditch, but is hypocritically rewriting history in the process.
When the Democrats took over Congress, unemployment was at around 5 percent, and the deficit was decreasing.
While a wheel or two might have come loose with the GOP driving, the Democrats took the wheel, and have drunkenly swerved toward disaster.
A far more accurate cartoon would have Obama sitting in the driver’s seat, with the car careening off a bridge on Chappaquiddick.
Patrick Belden, Atlanta
ECONOMY
‘Living wage’ concept virtually meaningless
In “Without a decent wage, standard of living suffers” (“Readers write”, Opinion, Aug. 10), Mr. Poirier states, “We have had a zombie economy for decades,” and “My question is, how is the economy ever to get better until we start making a living wage again — so we can really afford stuff?”
Nonsense.
Zombies are, or appear to be, lifeless, apathetic or totally lacking in independent judgment.
Unlike our economy, this sounds like virtually any communist state last century.
While our economy may not be booming right now, it certainly can’t be compared with the killing fields of Cambodia or the deathly gulags of the Soviet Union.
The concept of “a living wage” is virtually meaningless, since every person desires different amounts and kinds of compensation to most enjoy the blessings of life.
More importantly, it is not higher wages which produce economic growth (simply inflating the money supply would make us all better off).
The best way to allow individuals to “really afford stuff” is to drastically reduce burdensome regulations on business and taxes on individuals.
Benjamin Stafford, Sandy Springs
EMPLOYMENT
Instead of ‘woe is me,’ get out and find a job
Regarding “Still out of work and still no place to go” (Opinion, Aug. 10): Ron Bouchard needs to spend more time pounding the pavement and looking for a job than writing “poor me” essays.
Jack Franklin, Conyers
ECONOMY
Be thankful you have a roof over your head
On a recent TV news report, I saw long lines of people waiting to get an application for public housing.
The TV reporter said some of the people who wanted public housing said it was because they were living with relatives.
Is living with relatives that bad?
Give me a break!
That’s what we did during the Great Depression. We took care of our own.
Jim Warner, Atlanta