(Letter to the Editor - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

This is contrary to Trump’s and the media’s claims. It will take three to four letters to present the necessary facts to support my opinions. I took two elective courses in economics.

Let’s get to the facts. There is no denying that eggs and gasoline were cheaper in Trump’s 2016 term than with Biden. My contention is direct comparison cannot be made. It is like comparing apples and oranges. They are two different economic cycles separated by Trump’s inept handling of COVID-19. This will be a separate subject. A fair comparison could be made only by projecting a Biden economy in 2016 and a Trump economy in 2021. Biden’s economic policies will be better when comparing their policies over both economic cycles. I will show how Trump’s plans for the economy, if elected in 2024, will hurt the middle and lower class while helping him and his wealthy friends.

Let’s start by examining Trump’s economy in 2016. Trump inherited a low inflation economy from Obama because of the slow recovery from the 2008 recession. Trump wanted his economic policies to be remembered for boosting GDP growth to 5%. He selected Trickle-Down Economics, Laffer Curve, to accomplish this. The simple explanation is give the wealthy massive tax cuts. All the free money they get will be invested in factories to make widgets. Construction workers building the factories and workers making the widgets will earn much more money than before. Resulting taxes on their extra income will exceed the taxes lost on the wealthy tax breaks. Trump’s 2017 tax bill also gave small tax breaks to low and middle income people. It was tried before under Reagan. It did not work. Clinton raised taxes on the wealthy, the economy prospered, and he paid down debt. My definition of a moron is someone who beats his head against a wall figuring if he does it longer and harder than previous, the desired outcome will be achieved. Here is the outcome. The GDP increase was never more than 2%. Trump bragged about getting Foxconn, an Apple widget manufacturer, to build a massive factory in Wisconsin. This turned out to be a giant Trump con job. It was nothing but a big hole in the ground, and Wisconsin state was left to claw back loans they gave to Foxconn.

More fact-checkable information to follow in letters 2-4.

Electing Trump, a moron, will severely damage the economy.

Gregory Cigal

Parkersburg