Trickle down Obamanomics

Trickle down Obamanomics

EDITOR:

Here is what will happen when all the Delphi and GM salaried retirees as well as the IUE-CWA retirees lose their health care, and earned pensions. Note that pensions are earned and are not benefits.

The above retirees will have considerably less income and therefore less disposable income. That means they will spend considerable less money in their communities on entertainment, food (groceries and restaurants), gasoline, vacations, home improvements, new housing, automobiles (whether they are GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, etc.), medical care, charities, social programs — you get the idea.

They will pay less taxes (federal, state, county and city). Some of them will have their earnings reduced to the point that some of them will be eligible for welfare, food stamps, etc. Some will have to walk away from their mortgages. These are all drains on an already strained and nearly bankrupt government programs. And don’t forget the emotional strains on the families and friends.

Schools will have even a more difficult time getting their levies renewed and new levies passed. Throughout the communities, there will be layoffs in government, hospitals, school systems, and every other type of large and small businesses.

I think you might now understand how trickle down economics can work in a very unfavorable fashion. I call this Trickle Down Obamanomics.

All this because the Obama administration has not cared about these employees of GM. The Treasury Department has said it is too costly to restore the earned pensions and benefits for these people and would unnecessarily burden the “New GM” and make them non-competitive with the other auto makers. The Obama administration understands this and the trickle down effect but doesn’t seem to care or wants this to happen so that eventually all Americans will be totally dependent on the government for everything, just like socialist governments across the world.

Where is the outrage from the AFL-CIO, the NEO, health care lobbyists, federal, state and local representatives, newspaper editors and other citizens who are not immediately affected?

JOHN SANDBERG

Warren

Stimulus isn’t working

EDITOR:

The last stimulus bill has created more problems than it has corrected. Some of the projects won’t be completed for 10 years. There is one thing for sure, there has been no stimulus.

If the present administration wants to pass a stimulus bill, they should send money back to the people who are paying the bill — the taxpayers. Otherwise, all they are doing is diluting the dollar.

They could make a provision that the money be spent within a 60-day period.

Americans know how to make adjustments. Like now, they have finally begun to save more and are much more prudent about spending than in the past.

Maybe it’s time to start thinking about a new Congress.

THOMAS P. GILMARTIN Sr.

Youngstown