Letter: Tariffs, layoffs aren’t budget silver bullets
THE TENNESSEAN / USA TODAY NETWORK VIA IMAGN IMAGES
Advocacy group Farmers for Free Trade on March 6 held a panel discussion with Tennessee business leaders and experts to discuss the potential impacts of trade conflict and tariffs on local businesses, farmers, distillers and construction professionals.
The GOP administration has chosen tariffs and furloughs as a prime way of solving most government problems. Tariffs in any amount without strong programs in place cause confusion and unnecessary financial burden on everyone.
Furloughs and firings of good federal employees will do absolutely nothing toward “saving” our government. The federal budget is $7 trillion and employs about 3 million people. You can reduce the workforce by 90%, but without changing the internal structure of government that house of cards will eventually collapse.
In other words, you cannot save a business on the backs of its employees. I learned this in first-year business school, which the president and Elon Musk must have skipped.
James Jones
Hawaii Kai
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