Reagan and Roosevelt
The attempt by Barone to compare F.D.R. and Ronald Reagan does not deal with reality. He does not compare accomplishments, good or bad, but talks of surface appearances.
The legislation of Roosevelt’s time is still bearing fruit. Witness Social Security, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Rural Electrification Administration, the Fair Labor Standards Act, etc.
Under Reagan we have now achieved a public debt of more than 2 trillion dollars (despite his campaign promise to balance the budget), a whittling away of civil rights, an attempt to put prayers in schools, union-busting, etc.
Not one single piece of legislation during his term compares in impact and good as Roosevelt’s.
Frankly, Barone does not know what he is talking about.
NATHANIEL SLATER
Los Angeles
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