This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
In the Oct. 4 2nd District's congressional debate, Rep. Chris Stewart showed a profound misunderstanding of why the deficit has fallen so dramatically during the Obama administration.
Stewart correctly noted the deficit was about $1.4 trillion in 2009, which was President Obama's first year. He further noted that federal deficits are in the vicinity of $400 billion today. He attributed this dramatic decline of the deficits during the Obama administration to having more Republicans in Congress after the 2010 elections.
Of course the real reason the deficit was so enormous in 2009 was the extremely expensive Great Recession. In 2009, by some estimates, almost 28 million were jobless or underemployed. These millions paid no taxes but they received food stamps and other forms of government assistance. This meant that government receipts dropped through the floor while government expenditures went through the ceiling.
It doesn't take an advanced degree in economics to see that's why the deficit was huge in 2009 but declined in the years after, as millions found jobs and started paying taxes while lessening their reliance on governmental assistance. The recovery lessened the deficits.
Those who ignore the enormous impact of the Great Recession on our budget deficits display an abysmal ignorance of economics and the facts.
Rick E. Jones
West Haven