Cal gets points for gall

Cal gets points for gall

EDITOR:

I have to admire Cal Thomas’s nerve. Even after Wall Street, the banks, and the Republican right wing have caused the greatest economic crisis since the Depression, he still manages to repeat the same old lies, excuses, and unsupported allegations. According to Cal, it’s all the fault of Democrats in government for over-spending. Hogwash.

Forty-three states and thousands of cities, counties, and other local governments are in fiscal emergency. Whether they are governed by Democrats or Republicans, these local governments are in this mess for reasons beyond their control. The crisis was not caused by government spending, but by the collapse of the national economy. Remember, here in Ohio, we just recently ended 16 years of Republican absolute control of state government. During that period the Republican controlled legislature and governors spent the rainy day fund — not on new programs, but on tax cuts. Now, millions of people have lost their jobs within the last few months and interest rates are at an all-time low. Those conditions have slashed local government revenue. At the same time, government costs have skyrocketed. States, in particular, have to pay unemployment benefits to all these unemployed workers and provide basic services to all the newly poor.

Cal derides these basic services as “entitlements” and claims the Bush administration tried to make these programs solvent — another outright lie. In fact, the Bush administration increased Medicare costs and tried to allow Social Security funds to be invested on Wall Street. We have seen what Wall Street speculators’ greed has done to our 401(k)s and private pension funds. Imagine the state Social Security would be in if they had gotten their hands on those funds too.

Cal’s biggest lie of all is to tout the Heritage Foundation, the National Taxpayers Union, and Citizens Against Government Waste as thoughtful and nonpartisan. These are the very radical right wing organizations who helped Cal promote the policies that have created the current mess. These so-called “conservative think tanks” were created by wealthy corporate and private sponsors. For decades, they have pushed for deregulation, the repeal of the laws passed during the Depression to prevent its reoccurrence, extreme free trade treaties, anti-union policies, and tax cuts for the wealthy — all policies which have led us to where we are today.

The free enterprise system is a great mechanism for creating wealth. When left unregulated, however, the greed of the few manages to destroy the wealth of the rest of us. It did it in the 1920s and it looks as if it will again. When that happens, the rich rarely suffer; they continue to receive the government subsidies they always have enjoyed. Cal didn’t cry “socialism” or claim bankers were “pigs” when they lined up for their bailout. It is only the middle class and working people who get to experience the down side of the free market.

JOHN J. FILAK

Youngstown

X The writer is regional director of AFSCME Ohio Council 8.