To the editor:

The ideology of free market fundamentalism was introduced in the 1970s. At the same time, conservatives pushed an agenda of limited government, lower taxes, less regulation and less spending on social programs. In 1980, Ronald Reagan sold this to the public. He stated government is the problem, not the solution, and the enemy of individual initiative and free enterprise — that lower taxes would unleash the economy, with trickle-down effects that would benefit everyone.

I bought it lock, stock and barrel, along with most of the public. Reagan made it sound so good. We have lived this program of ever lower taxes and free market fundamentalism for nearly 50 years now. How has it worked out?

The largest and most prosperous middle class in history is rapidly disappearing. One thousand billionaires have as much wealth as the poorest 50% of Americans. Blue collar jobs that used to comfortably support a family now have families struggling. A third of Americans cannot afford a $400 unexpected expense.

Forty-eight percent of Amazon workers receive public assistance, mostly SNAP and Medicaid, while Amazon owner Jeff Bezos can rent out the city of Venice for his wedding, and pay negligible income taxes. Walmart employees receive $6.2 billion in public benefits, meanwhile the Walton family (primary owners of Walmart) is worth about $500 billion and earns $100 million a day. In effect, ordinary taxpayers are subsidizing the ultra-wealthy owners of Amazon and Walmart by providing food assistance and medical care to their workers.

Is this the economy and government that we want? It doesn’t have to be this way.

John Monroe

Saranac Lake