Palmer Events Center
Look No Further Than the 24 Counties Around Austin for Economic Growth
RECEIVED Tue., Aug. 16, 2011
Dear Editor,
Why is it Jim Hightower thinks that using money borrowed from China to create temporary jobs for Americans so they can spend it on Asian products is going to provide the solid solution to our economic woes that Americans crave? He has to look no further than the 24 counties that surround Austin to see what real economic development means. These are the Texas counties fortunate enough to contain Eagle Ford shale oil and gas. Sure “elite CEOs and big investors” [“The Hightower Report,” News, Aug. 12] are grabbing some gains. But so are lots of landowners, small-town businesses, blue- and white-collar employees, and all those local governments. Jobs are being provided by Americans to Americans to create American products – including petroleum as well as associated machinery. The profits realized will buy better lives with enough left over for the kids’ college tuition. OK – so someone might be getting rich as they give jobs to others: that is just is traditional American way. It’s called capitalism. Is there some other better legacy we might want to bequeath to our future generations?
America’s real job creators aren’t broke. They just need more respect and freedom for enterprise. And they need Washington to embrace a proven economic policy recognizing that production not spending produces wealth (commonsense Austrian economic policy vs. ivory tower Keynesian claptrap) so we all can prosper.
I often drive through some of the aforementioned counties. The improvement in economic well being is readily visible. On the other hand, hard as I might look, I cannot discern any effect from the $1 trillion in funny money that Washington in its progressively paternalistic wisdom has rained down from on high except that we are now drowning in debt and the recession shows no signs of abatement.
Why is it Jim Hightower thinks that using money borrowed from China to create temporary jobs for Americans so they can spend it on Asian products is going to provide the solid solution to our economic woes that Americans crave? He has to look no further than the 24 counties that surround Austin to see what real economic development means. These are the Texas counties fortunate enough to contain Eagle Ford shale oil and gas. Sure “elite CEOs and big investors” [“The Hightower Report,” News, Aug. 12] are grabbing some gains. But so are lots of landowners, small-town businesses, blue- and white-collar employees, and all those local governments. Jobs are being provided by Americans to Americans to create American products – including petroleum as well as associated machinery. The profits realized will buy better lives with enough left over for the kids’ college tuition. OK – so someone might be getting rich as they give jobs to others: that is just is traditional American way. It’s called capitalism. Is there some other better legacy we might want to bequeath to our future generations?
America’s real job creators aren’t broke. They just need more respect and freedom for enterprise. And they need Washington to embrace a proven economic policy recognizing that production not spending produces wealth (commonsense Austrian economic policy vs. ivory tower Keynesian claptrap) so we all can prosper.
I often drive through some of the aforementioned counties. The improvement in economic well being is readily visible. On the other hand, hard as I might look, I cannot discern any effect from the $1 trillion in funny money that Washington in its progressively paternalistic wisdom has rained down from on high except that we are now drowning in debt and the recession shows no signs of abatement.
Janet F. Rice