Bush and the economy: A response to John Lovejoy’s article of January 31.

In a Wall Street Journal poll, 55 percent of Americans opposed Social Security privatization. I couldn’t verify Lovejoy’s source for his assertions that “the plan is wildly popular,” or that the “claim that the unemployment rate has nearly doubled makes no sense.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that since President Bush took office, short-term unemployment increased by 43 percent and long-term unemployment increased by 186 percent.

On the Bush stimulus package, he said, “Households making less than $100,000 a year earn almost 40 percent of dividend income.” According to the Census Bureau only 14 percent of American households earn more than $100,000 a year. A Brookings Institution study concludes that 70 percent of the stimulus goes to the top five percent of wage earners.

Lovejoy doesn’t support his assertion that Democratic leaders made “more racist and anti-Semitic statements…than…[Republicans].” I am offended as a Jewish Democrat.

Name-calling is inappropriate in a civilized discussion. I hope that now Lovejoy will join me in calmly considering issues facing our nation.