Renée Loth was exactly right when she wrote that “public workers pump money into the economy the same as anyone” (“The value of public-sector jobs,” Op-ed, Sept. 1). I am one of the owners of a small music store that derives a significant portion of its business from public school music programs, which have been severely reduced over the past 10 years. And, as Loth suggests, police officers, firefighters, teachers, and other civil servants buy music too — when they have a job and can afford to spend their hard-earned money on recreational activities.
We are an example of the “job creators” so lauded by Republicans, but take exception to their assumption that lower taxes will uniformly help private enterprise. Yes, “we built it” with a lot of hard work, but it will not prosper without customers and restored funding for public school programs.
Comments
Great letter!
The money first has to be be earned by non-government workers who have a revenue stream that is not a tax, but a value added. Taxes are a necessary evil if we want to keep law and order but must not overwhelm the real economy.