Democrats now control economy

On Jan. 21, 2009, President Obama's inauguration day, the Dow Jones industrial average closed at 8,228.10. On March 5, 2009, about six weeks later, the Dow closed at 6,594.44. Unemployment rises as fast as the Dow falls. Meanwhile, Obama insists that his unprecedented government spending will heal the economy.

Intuitively, it doesn't make sense that massive government debt will heal a financial crisis brought on by massive private debt. Nor does it add up that our sickly economy can carry the additional burden of higher taxes to fund government spending. Obama's plan sounds like economic bloodletting.

Medieval physicians, medical experts in their day, routinely drained blood from their patients thinking that the source of illness was bad humors. On the contrary, we now know that blood carries disease fighting blood cells and that draining the body of blood only weakens its healing mechanisms.

Americans nervously watch the bloodletting of our economy and wonder how long their jobs, savings, retirement or college funds will last. Even worse, the most vulnerable among us will be thoroughly devastated by a failing economy. Obama wants to redistribute wealth, I understand, but if our diseased economy dies there will be no wealth to distribute.

I know the economy was sick before Dr. Obama took over its treatment. The Bush administration and every member of congress, Democrat and Republican, who indulged in wasteful spending and who ignored the incubating economic illness are all complicit. Regardless of how this mess got started, the Democrats are now in control and they need to understand that voters will hold them accountable for economic malpractice if the patient dies under their care.

Sometimes our common sense instincts are right, and the experts are wrong. I think it's time we contact our representatives and respectfully request a second opinion.

Judy Allen

Palatine