Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

Congress needs to help people find work again

This is in response to recent letters about the federal deficit. Readers know the George W. Bush administration started with a budget surplus. During that time there was a tax cut for the rich with no offsetting revenue increases. Also, two wars were started with no increase in taxes. The cost of the wars was not included in the budget until the Obama administration.

I do not understand why the same people who caused the deficit did not complain about it during the Bush administration. Republicans may talk of reducing the deficit but they don’t really want to. Former President Ronald Reagan’s budget director talked about “starving the beast.” If the federal government is running a deficit, it gives them a reason to cut social programs.

Deficits can be cut if Congress has the will. It was done in the Clinton administration. Unfortunately, this time Republicans in Congress voted against a debt commission.

Deficits increase during recessions because revenues decrease when unemployed workers severely cut back spending and pay less in taxes. The way out of a recession is to have a stimulus plan, so people go back to work and spend more and pay more taxes. And the people they buy from do the same, then revenues go up.

The time to be concerned about a deficit is when there is full employment.

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