Jonathan Bastian ’89 and Todd Seavey ’91 have formed their opinions of government based on erroneous data, I believe (“The Economics of Blyth,” Mail Room, January/February).

Having worked for most of my life with people who have little money, I know that there is very little of the “intergenerational reliance” on welfare. Almost every mom or dad who is on welfare wants to work and will if he or she can make enough money to survive. Poor people are not the caricatured people enjoying an easy life while sucking on government programs. Rather, it takes a good deal of energy and organizational skill to get help when your children are hungry or ill and you don’t have the advantage of good educational resources.

I find this casual dismissal of government astounding. Do these men want to live in Somalia? I hear there is very little government in that country.

Frances Murphy Araujo ’61
Providence
franny02909@yahoo.com

It was with great amusement that I read the profile of Professor Mark Blyth in which he claims that austerity has never worked based on his case study of fifteen countries. After reading the article at my breakfast table, I couldn’t stop laughing as I read the December 14 Associated Press article in the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled, “Victory After Bailout, Ireland’s Austerity Paying Dividends.” Oops.

J. Andrew Solis ’77, ’80 MD
Holland, Pa.