Letter: Economic recovery will not occur without government-funded job creation

Contrary to what reactionary memes might say, publicly funded infrastructure repair/modernization, education and job training are the only real ways to spearhead faster recovery from Bush’s 2008 economic collapse and create the living-wage jobs essential to American prosperity and wealth redistribution.

Republicans may proclaim that new private-sector small businesses are the key to jump-starting the economy and creating more equitable distribution of the nation’s wealth, but that ignores reality. First, most new small businesses fail within their first 18 months. Next, they are unlikely to be the kind of businesses that pay living wages to their employees. Also, new small businesses are not generally created in depressed areas where they are most needed. No need to even talk about covert discrimination.

The Tri-Cities is a classic example of a publicly funded community. It’s clear that every Hanford cleanup job generates other jobs in retail and service functions. Call it “socialist” or whatever you choose, but most, probably all, depressed mining and manufacturing communities, as well as inner cities, will not come back without significant government-funded job creation. Funding the programs needed for widespread recovery will require major tax reform, and even tax increases, and our local government-funded paradise should be the last to complain.

This story was originally published October 16, 2016 at 4:05 AM with the headline "Letter: Economic recovery will not occur without government-funded job creation."