An Open Letter to Governor Strickland

Governor Strickland,  

You say that "education is the only long-term solution for the state of Ohio." Unfortunately, you're putting the cart in front of the horse.

We need to bring back manufacturing to re-build the tax base in order to fund education. The U.S. needs to withdraw from the WTO and tear up NAFTA to bring back our industrial base.

And, cutting vital government services and wages of state workers puts us in a race to the bottom. Governor Strickland, Ohioans aren't buying new cars because wages aren't keeping up with the cost of living.

The only way out of the economic collapse is to stimulate demand in the economy and wages are the source of demand.

Again Governor, will you convey to President Obama that we urgently need to withdraw from the WTO and NAFTA and instead negotiate bi-lateral trade deals? There's no reason America can't make it's own shoes, TV's, and most other consumer and industrial goods.

Sure, doing so will increase prices. But fair trade will also put people back to work in good jobs. Re-inflating the credit bubble is sheer madness and not the route to sustained prosperity.