Thread: Population Growth Isn't The Answer

News-Leader.com
Springfield, Missouri

Readers' Letters
Population growth isn't the answer
January 9, 2009

Unbelievable! Ruth Hunter on Sunday's "Not enough people ..." suggests the U.S. population is not growing fast enough to grow our economy. Wow! She asks, "How can the economy grow if our population doesn't?"

Well, the GDP growth rate in 2005 was 4.4 percent and has declined since while our population continues to grow, so more people sure hasn't worked.

How about balancing our massive trade imbalance? How about living within our individual means rather than paying for today with future earnings? Why not enjoy our current space and quality of life and sell to those outside the U.S. rather than relocating them here?

Hunter suggests we increase immigration. No problem, she says, the world's population can fit shoulder-to-shoulder in a space the size of Texas. Wouldn't that be fun? Ever drive through the DFW area, Houston or San Antonio at rush hour? Ugh! The 1990s saw the biggest U.S. population boom in U.S. history, which is still accelerating. No wonder Americans have become increasingly alarmed at their deteriorating quality of life due to sprawl, congestion, overcrowded schools, lost open spaces and increasing restrictions on their individual liberty in order to handle the new population explosion!

And what about the jobless rate increasing? The answer is to add more people? Is this rational? At least the ending comments of slowing down and experiencing more quality than quantity and cutting back makes some sense. Shoulder-to-shoulder in the Ozarks? Say no to increased immigration!

John Vreeland Hollister

http://www.news-leader.com/article/2009 ... 6/OPINIONS

What kind of kool-aid are these people on?