Bush Increasing Jobs, but for What Country?

Re “Bush Promises Boost for Job-Training Program,” April 5: President Bush promises to generate $300 million for job training, which I am sure will go to private contractors who have demonstrated their ability to do the training by contributing to his reelection. Bad idea: $300 million of taxpayers’ money at this time to corporate welfare. Good idea: Corporations that move production offshore or outsource jobs should be responsible for retraining adversely affected employees and providing them subsistence during their training period.

Al Lerner

Placentia

While this country is obligated to help people who have lost jobs to outsourcing get new ones, the debate ignores the big picture: By helping build the middle class in places like India, outsourcing is doing what the U.S. should have been doing all along with a decent foreign aid program, instead of the pittance that has been appropriated for many years (compared with other advanced countries). Outsourcing is a Republican (free-market) version of foreign aid.

Curtis Horton

Pasadena