If only we paid attention to history. Where would you be if during the past 96 months, our American economy grew steadily, month after month? Where would our unemployment be if we had grown like that? What would your personal finances look like?

From 1982-1990 we created 20 million good paying jobs. We lived through the longest continuous non-wartime expansion. We were led by a retired film star and prior governor who became president.

For the poorest fifth of our citizens, income grew almost 12 percent. Families earning more than $50,000 (1990 dollars) grew from 25 percent to 31 percent in size and 65 percent of the poorest of us jumped two income brackets. The black middle class grew from 2.6 million to 3.9 million ($25,000 or more). People under the poverty line decreased 3.8 million.

The top 1 percent of ta payers paid a 40 percent increase in their taxes by 1990, paying 25 percent of all taxes. The bottom 60 percent earners had taxes reduced by 20 percent in 1990. The poor grew in 1978 to 1982 by 2 million, and between l982-1990 had dropped by 400,000. Charitable giving rose significantly. Reduction of taxes freed up capital.

Everyone benefited from common sense government.

Why do we ignore the historical record?

Norbert (Bud) Fay

Waterford