Dear Editor:
I am writing in rebuttal of Ms. Demma’s letter to the editor on Feb. 26 (“Don’t Blame Clinton and laud Congress”).
First, I would like to ask Ms. Demma: from where do you get your information?
I have heard the feel-good stories of our fabulous “Clinton economy” and “lowest unemployment” numbers for years – from the media and politicians.
However, a close look at the “facts,” as you call them, reveal a different story. According to information taken directly from the Bureau of Labor, here is the real story of the “success” Clinton and both Democratic and GOP-controlled legislatures claim:
1. In 1996, 5,697 companies had mass layoffs. 1998? 5,851 (a 3 percent increase)
2. Since 1992, 16.5 million retail jobs were created (average 2000 salary: $9.64)
3. Since 1992, 218,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost (average 2000 salary: $14.69)
4. In 1982, the average American worker earned $7.68 per hour. The same worker in 2000, in 1982 dollars, earned $7.93. That’s a 3 percent wage increase in 18 years.
5. How does that compare to cost increases in those same 18 years? Housing has increased 70 percent, transportation 53 percent, food 25 percent and medical costs 160 percent.
Since it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to interpret those numbers, I will let them speak for themselves. To address the next part of your letter, you specifically stated “the president can’t override one part of the government.”
Really? I wonder what the founding fathers were thinking of when they created the veto.
Now, let’s see: could Clinton have vetoed NAFTA if he were truly for the working men and women of America that would watch their jobs move overseas?
A quick check of the Congressional Record (another set of “facts” that are untainted by the politicians or the media) should give us some insight: In 1993, the House voted 234-200 to approve NAFTA. The Senate followed with a 61-38 vote.
The last time I checked, a two-thirds majority was required to override a veto. That would require 287 House representatives and 66 senators. Obviously, the numbers aren’t there.
It’s also interesting to take note of how some of our friendly neighborhood congressmen voted on NAFTA. Joe Lieberman, Ted Kennedy and Tom Daschle, those stalwarts of liberalism, votes “yes.”
Included in the “no” category are the likes of Strom Thurmond, Jesse Helms, Al D’Amato and Lauch Faircloth – hard core conservatives. Lieberman also found time to vote “yea” for the Welfare Reform Act in 1996.
Oh, what we missed out on by Al and Joe not becoming our national leaders (not that we gained anything by putting George and Dick in there).
My point of this entire letter is not to belittle you, Ms. Demma, but to show you that the facts paint a much different story.
Sure, the media and the politicians have been telling us that the economy has been booming for the past eight years. What should they tell us – the truth?
If people started absorbing the reality of what’s happening in America there might be full-scale revolution. Sure, the stock market was on a tear throughout the 1990s. There would be something wrong if it wasn’t. Stockholders love seeing costs continually cut, and what better way to cut costs than to ax half of your employees every year?
And, pray tell, what do these companies do with all that extra money they save by downsizing? They give out large bonuses to the stockholders and the CEOs.
They certainly aren’t reinvesting in our country. Witness the news this week that Bush Hog will be relocation in the Tri-Cities, creating 475 jobs.
Great news? Not to the more than 1,000 workers in Kansas who are losing their jobs as a result. Lest we gloat, rest assured that one day Spartanburg, Boone, or their ilk will be rejoicing the relocation of Bush Hog to their community and the creation of 250 jobs at the expense of our 475.
I conclude with this observation: if Clinton is a hero to the people, give me a villain any day. He was certainly not worse than Reagan or Bush Sr., but he definitely wasn’t better.
They all are different sides to the same coin. Corporate money ruled them all.
I don’t blame Clinton and laud Congress – with a few exceptions, they have all sold out to the American aristocracy.
Incidentally, kudos to Joe Taylor for his “lottery ban” article (“Referendum allowed on lottery ban,” Feb. 26). It was very well-written and examined, in-depth, both sides of the issue. I look forward to more articles like this.
Joseph Martin
Unicoi

Author