To the Editor:

Very few people would disagree with the idea that a tax credit in the low-income brackets, offset by tax increases at the top, would increase American buying power. But is putting cash into the hands of the American consumer really what we should be doing right now?

The cheap consumer goods that pour out of factories in China and elsewhere foul the atmosphere at their point of origin and then clog our own landfills. Walk down any supermarket or big-box aisle and tell me why America needs 30 or more brands of shampoo. Our frenetic lifestyles and short attention spans have made us into aimless consumer addicts who are continually looking for the next big fix.

Even the poorest of us often have more stuff than we know what to do with, and nobody seems to be the happier for it.

This twisted version of the American dream requires that we just work harder to earn more money to buy more.

America has the clout to lead the rest of the world in stopping this meaningless cycle of manufacture, consumption and environmental degradation. If, as Mr. Reich suggests, the treadmill is slowing down, then instead of speeding it up again, let’s all step off.

Carol Haskill
San Francisco, Feb. 13, 2008