I know Speaker of the House John Boehner has his hands full with many new and ambitious Republican legislators who are eager to deal the president a stinging political setback. Maybe they will do just that. But then what?

Few believe our economy will be better as a result. On the contrary, many believe that our economy, already sputtering like a gasping asthmatic, will expire for the lack of oxygen.

Is that a price worth paying so that a group of ideologically committed first-term legislators can highlight their anti-government credentials? I don’t think so. Does Boehner?

Congress should do the right things, at least these two:

* Let the tax cuts for the rich expire. That is hardly a compromise since they should never have been given these tax cuts to begin with.

Tax cuts don’t boost employment and therefore make no economic sense in a country that is desperate for job growth.

* Raise the debt ceiling. Again, an economy that is teetering on the brink of a double-dip recession, in which anemic growth would be a considerable improvement, needs to increase government spending to put people back to work.

Now is the time for the government to spend on things like modernizing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure. That would spur job growth and increase the purchasing power of millions who endure chronic underconsumption.

Consumers who can actually purchase commodities will stimulate production and put people back to work. Our tax base will increase and then we can service the debt.

Many other issues also need to be addressed to revive our broken economy, but without these two basic steps we are unlikely to see improvement. After recovery, we can restructure our economy.

Christopher McKinnon

Augusta

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