Letter: Bush ignores examples of past policies

Tuesday, April 3, 2001 | 8:55 a.m.

Why is anyone paying attention to tax reduction ideas of a play-time cowboy from Texas? History shows no evidence that a tax reduction for the rich ever kick-started the economy. In fact it shows the opposite. Ronald Reagan's and the elder George Bush's tax cuts resulted in economic slumps and added huge sums to the national debt. The Great Depression in the 1930s was brought on by the nation's wealth being concentrated in the hands of a small number of industrialists, oil people and bankers. There weren't enough people with money in their pockets to furnish a market for the products of big business. Franklin D. Roosevelt had to create huge government programs to put people back to work and kick-start the economy.

Dwight Eisenhower, the only Republican president in our time to balance the budget, stimulated prosperity with a gigantic federal program to build the interstate highway system we enjoy today. It would be nice if the gang of ultraconservatives around Bush would do a little study of the country's economic history for guidance. One thing they should consider:

Clinton was leading the country nicely into the age of technology and communications. Our new leadership doesn't seem to understand it. If we slack off in this race, Asia and Europe will soon leave us behind.

PAUL GWIN