Finger pointing doesn’t help anyone

I can’t help but respond to the two letters to the editor I read in the paper March 19 from Thomas Mehnert and Charles Salembier. While they’re entitled to their opinions, I think they must be misinformed. First, Mr. Mehnert placed the blame for our economy firmly in the lap of President Barack Obama, citing the fall of Wall Street’s markets and his (and everyone else’s) retirement accounts on Mr. Obama’s watch.

First, as of this letter, Mr. Obama has been in office a total of 59 days. Even the most dense economists have agreed that we had a recession beginning in early 2008, if not in late-2007. Also, as of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, the Dow had already dropped 6359.3 points or 44.5 percent from its all-time high on Oct. 11, 2007. Let me repeat: that was PRIOR to the Obama presidency. The Dow has continued its slide, dropping 1480.6 since Jan. 20 (or another 10.4 percent from its all-time high) on the basis of a number of economic factors, too numerous to list here. Can you REALLY blame the fall of your retirement account (and mine) on President Obama? I’m not pointing my finger at the previous administration, because that’s not useful here. I just think we need to get real.

Secondly, Mr. Salembier’s letter placed the blame of the AIG bonuses on the “liberals” in Congress, stating that they knew about these bonuses when they approved the bailout package. Really?!? Where’s the source of this allegation? In responsible journalism, I don’t read that report anywhere. Even the ultra-conservative Wall Street Journal makes no mention of it anywhere. Besides, Congress and/or the Obama administration didn’t grant these contracts between AIG employees and management. Again, we need to get realistic, and again, finger-pointing doesn’t serve anyone well.

I agree that we need to hold our president and our Congress accountable, but trying to slap the blame anywhere you think it’ll stick isn’t the way to get things done – in Waynesboro or in Washington. Let’s be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Tim Harrison

Fishersville