Economy, policies fail people

This is so sad that the economy is causing such hardship and hopelessness for so many people (“Economy spurs rise in suicide line calls,” Dec. 24).

I work as a case manager for people with major mental illness. I have been following the articles chronicling the budget cuts and layoffs of county workers in Los Angeles and Orange counties.

You would think more people need county assistance and other services, but we are cutting those services. What are people supposed to do?

Our country is so backward, rewarding chief executives with golden parachutes, giving the Los Angeles school superintendent half a million dollars in severance, letting Wall Street get a bailout with no accountability. I am in disbelief. How can we fail the people like this?

Stephanie Steese

Redondo Beach