Lekachman Will Be Missed

I would like to express my sadness over the death Jan. 14 of Robert Lekachman, a longtime member of the Times Board of Economists. I had met Lekachman many years ago in New York and became interested in his views. When I later moved to this area, I was pleased to read his contributions in The Times.

Lekachman was an unusual economist in that he was also something of a sociologist, political scientist, social psychologist and historian. This scholarly breadth helped make his criticisms of Reaganomics and the Reagan regime more effective, as shown in his columns and his books--”Greed Is Not Enough: Reaganomics” and “Visions and Nightmares: America After Reagan.”

He was adept in countering over-optimistic claims of Reagan prosperity. For example, he presented evidence of downward mobility among skilled workers and the middle class and showed that two family incomes in the 1980s often bring in less than one did a generation ago. He deplored the deleterious effects of our extravagant military spending despite short-term gains for some contractors, workers, researchers and local communities.

Lekachman’s realistic analysis of national trends may seem pessimistic, but it highlights many important danger spots and suggests needed redirections. I believe that his contribution is of lasting value.

S. SANSFELD SARGENT

Santa Monica