Study indicates benefit of public-sector jobs

The Republican Party understands that runaway debt is ruining our country and that excess government spending has to stop. Only if we put an end to tax-and-spend big government and keep the feds out of our businesses and private lives will we return this country to greatness.

That's why Mitt Romney wants to scale back government jobs in public education and minimize support of police and fire departments. While we're at it, we should definitely get rid of public highway projects, water and sewer systems and all that other government stuff. Then we can take all the taxes we'll save, and go out, each of us, and hire the teachers, police and firefighters we prefer, and build the roads we personally need. Sounds like a great idea.

Romney doesn't like big government (except when it comes to a big military, big subsidies for big businesses, big tax breaks for big shots, big rules about whom you may and may not marry, and big rules about family planning).

There is one small detail that gives me pause. A study by the Economic Policy Institute indicates that if public-sector employment had increased as it did in previous recoveries, “there would be 1.2 million more public-sector jobs in the U.S. economy today” and “these extra public-sector jobs would have helped preserve about 500,000 private-sector jobs.” Isn't that what President Barack Obama has been trying to do?

Evan Fales

Iowa City