Letters

Follow up

This letter is written as a follow-up to the article in the Feb. 12, 2015, Gazette by Don C. Brunell entitled “Failing Businesses a Sign of Weak Economy”. The low percentage of people gainfully employed is also a sign of a weak economy.

The great depression in the 1930s was prolonged for over ten years by increased taxes, increased government regulations, and by government interference and control of the economy. It took the Second World War, sending millions of our men overseas and employing many people for wartime production, to finally end the depression.

The current recession is being prolonged by the same government policies, increased taxes, increased government regulations, and government interference and control of the economy. Less than 70% of the people in the U. S. are gainfully employed, the lowest percentage since the early 1970s following the government’s “Great Society” policies. The percentage would be even lower if part time employees were not counted as gainfully employed.

Let’s hope another world war is not necessary to create jobs, end the recession and revive our economy. Changing current government policies would be a far better solution.

Stanley Pratt,

Yakima