Bring federal budget into better balance

Comments from executive Robert Sturgell (“Exec says cuts could be ‘devastating'”, Nov. 1) about the prospects of job losses at Rockwell Collins due to proposed federal spending cuts help to clarify the connection between government spending and jobs.

He says, “the cutbacks … would leave many Americans out of work and slow the economic recovery … .”

Conservatives often argue that government spending doesn't lead to “real” jobs. Only the private sector can create real jobs, they say. It would stand to reason that if government spending doesn't create real jobs, then cuts wouldn't take jobs away. I doubt that anyone who loses a job at Rockwell Collins would buy into this conservative argument.

The connection between government spending and jobs goes well beyond military spending. Real jobs, dependent on government spending, exist in our hospitals, schools, police forces, social service agencies and in hundreds of thousands of companies that provide services and supplies to government-funded operations. Most cuts to government spending directly or indirectly lead to job losses.

Over the long term, work needs to be done to bring the federal budget into better balance. But it needs to be understood that in the present economic environment, spending cuts will worsen the jobs picture. Folks who argue that we can cut our way to full recovery are spouting fairy tale economics.

Terry Moran

Cedar Rapids