Bush’s Proposal for Home Buyers

Virginia Postrel in her “Column Right” article “Buying a Home For All the Wrong Reasons” (Commentary, Feb. 3) demonstrates once again the narrow vision of the practitioners of George Bush’s “voodoo economics,” also skeptically known as “trickle down.” Those on the bottom of the ladder, and many half-way up, have wondered for years just what was trickling down. Precious few thought it was money.

What Postrel fails to note is that for every new home that is bought, a new refrigerator or stove will also be purchased, along with carpets, paint, landscaping, hardware and all the other thousands of items that go into a new residence. And given the location of most new houses “way out in the boonies,” a second car can’t be too far down the road.

Postrel preaches supply-side economics on the one hand, but signs the mortgage application on the other, which is nothing if not a classic case of flight from principle. But can we blame her? We all need a good roof for protection from what’s been trickling on us since 1980.

DON COULSON

Orange