Stimulus beneficial but not at cost of deficit

We've been Keynesians since Franklin D. Roosevelt except for a short stint when Ronald Reagan, who preferred Hayek economics, was president.

Keynes economic principle is for government to continually stimulate the economy to precipitate full employment.

Let's look at the last two presidents. Under Bush, the federal government spent over 3 percent of the G.D.P. on anti-poverty programs. Education spending rose 58 percent faster than inflation. Medicare Part D was the largest expansion on entitlements since the great society. Bush enacted Surbanes-Oxley, the Department of Homeland Security and was the originator of the bailouts.

How's that for stimulating? Here's the strange part: In the last four years, government spending has added $6.3 trillion to the national debt; $5 trillion is under President Obama, although he blames Bush.

It doesn't matter. If two plus two still equals four, Keynes economics theory should be found as an utter failure. It's one thing to redistribute the wealth but it's criminal to destroy an economy with a stimulus department.

Mark O'Connell

Cedar Rapids