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The Houston Chronicle story, Metro touts job boost: but rail work's 'multiplier effect is disputed by local economist, (page B1), is a perfect example of the quest for "balance" in journalism leading away from truth. It is in indisputable fact that public spending by governments, local and far away, boosts the economy, and the benefits of such keynesian spending have been demonstrated repeatedly since the 1930s. This is <i>not</i> "trickle down" economics which have consistently failed since their application began to heard of in the 1980s. It seems that in economic hard times the rich prefer to hang on to their wealth rather spend it, unlike the working class which <i>has</i> to spend its wealth in order to live, thereby boosting the economy in hard times. Rather than trickle <i>down</i>, providing income to the working class clearly has the effect of causing wealth to ripple <i>out</i> through the economy.<div><br></div><div>Therefore Metro's hiring of rail construction workers will, in addition to the direct positive effect on unemployment of hiring 1000 workers, have the effect of boosting the local economy generally as those workers spend their incomes for the well being of themselves and their families. But it remains to be seen if this hiring by Metro will offset the lay offs of employees and cut backs of services implemented by by the Houston City Council in the last year. Just as keynesian spending has been proven to boost economies, such austerity measures as those implemented recently by local and not-so-local government have consistently been shown to further shut down flat or slumping economies.</div><div><br></div><div>Don Cook, Houston city council candidate, At Large 1</div><div>7954 Glenheath</div><div>Houston, TX 77061</div><div>713-705-5594</div> </div></body>
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