Government can be powerful, effective

The current recession began in January 2008, and deepened during the last year of the Bush and a Republican Party administration. Republicans addressed the recession using a tired conservative ideological approach: cut taxes. Because no one spent the tax savings, there was no economic recovery.

The Democratic administration took a balanced, pragmatic and economically intelligent approach to stimulating the economy and has succeeded in a few months in turning the corner of the worse economic downturn since 1981.

President Obama's economic actions have stabilized the banking system, prevented the collapse of the auto industry, revitalized home construction and saved millions of jobs. And the run up in stock prices is pointing, as it always has, to better times ahead. Hearty and warm congratulations are due the Obama administration.

President Obama has shown that when we as a people use the power of the government for the benefit of the people and stop falsely knocking it, its actions are powerful, efficient and effective.

Tom Teune

Wheaton