To the editor:

Congress’ $700 billion taxpayer-funded Wall Street gamble has me thinking about odds and how our money might be better spent. Clearly our economy needs help, but shouldn’t we be looking for the biggest bang for our buck?

Since 2001, the Dow Jones average has climbed just 2 percent. By comparison, the wind industry has grown 339 percent and the solar industry a whopping 579 percent, and both cut global warming pollution and our addiction to oil. What’s more, a recent report estimates that investing just $100 billion in the green economy would create 2 million new jobs, while the same amount would generate just 1.1 million jobs in the financial services sector.

This November the smart voter will bet on the candidate with the judgment to spend our money on solutions that help the economy, create jobs, and protect the environment.

Lily Siebert,
Lawrence