Frank Gaffney Jr.

Deseret News

In response to Christopher S. Rugaber’s article, “U.S. economy added 69,000 jobs in May, fewest in a year,” (June 1):

With our economy sliding dangerously backwards, leaders in Washington are promising left and right to create jobs. But Congress and the Obama administration have put into effect automatic “sequestration” budget cuts that experts in the Congressional Budget Office say will push the country off a “fiscal cliff” into a second recession.

Particularly bad for our economy are the defense cuts, which total an unprecedented $1 trillion. The Center for Security Policy says that would slash $2.23 billion from Utah’s economy, while experts at George Mason University predict the state could lose more than 7,500 jobs.

Defense experts say these cuts will cripple our national security, ending virtually every military modernization program and leaving us with the smallest Air Force, Navy and Army since World War II. We won’t have the advanced fighter jets to counter a more aggressive China or the combat ships to defend shipping in the Middle East against Iranian threats.

The U.S. economy is trying to hobble its way out of the global economic downturn; budget sequestration would break its good leg.

Frank Gaffney Jr.

Washington, DC

This article can be read here: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765585904/Budget-cuts-are-a-bad-idea-if-economy-is-to-recover.html