Stimulus
WaPo on the Drivers of Debt
Jun 15, 2011 by Gary Therkildsen*
Last week, I noted the Washington Post's flawed execution of journalistic "even-handedness" in its editorial on President Obama's draft executive order (EO) on contractor disclosure. It seems the paper is once again leveling partisan disparities with a snazzy new interactive graphic on the drivers of our nation's debt, titled, "Votes that pushed us into the red."
read in fullPutting a Better Face on Economic Stimulus
Sep 13, 2010 by Craig Jennings
The latest economic data on the Recovery Act from the Congressional Budget Office indicate that, by at least two important metrics -- gross domestic product (GDP) and unemployment -- it is in fact working (see here, here, here, and here for more). Yet, only 33 percent of Americans think the Recovery Act "helped the jobs situation."
What's Right with Kent Conrad?
Jul 26, 2010 by Craig Jennings
Despite his misguided suggestion that the Bust Tax Cuts for the wealthy be extended, Senate Budget Committee Chair Kent Conrad (D-ND) also believes that more spending in the short-term should trump policies to begin paring back the national debt.
read in fullAnother Decade Before Job Market Fully Rebounds
Jul 21, 2010 by Craig Jennings
A new report by CEPR details the moribund job market noting that unemployment levels won't return to their pre-Great Recession levels for another decade.
read in fullCorporations Are Loaded
Jul 15, 2010 by Craig Jennings
Yet, somehow they just can't bear to part with their gains and put Americans back to work. And that's pretty much the reason a second round of economic stimulus (and lots of it) makes a lot of sense right now.
read in fullKrugman: Unemployed and the Country at Large Need UI Extension
Jul 6, 2010 by Gary Therkildsen*
Writing in the New York Times over the long weekend, Nobel laureate Paul Krugman continued to make the case for more government stimulus of the economy. He wasn't advocating for the usual stimulus that funds road and bridge projects or shores up state budgets – though that is still needed. He was promoting unemployment insurance (UI), which is helping to hold the economy together by keeping the jobless in their homes and food on their tables as they slog through "the worst job market since the Great Depression."
read in fullCBO Report Evaluates Employment Policy Options
Jan 15, 2010 by Craig Jennings
A new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) that examines "the potential role and efficacy of fiscal policy options in increasing economic growth and employment...over the next two years."
read in fullHouse Finishes Year in a Blaze of Controversial Legislation
Dec 17, 2009 by Sam Rosen-Amy
Yesterday, in what most news organizations are calling a "flurry" of legislative action, the House passed a relatively large package of contentious bills, including the Defense appropriations bill, an increase to the debt limit, and a jobs bill. The Defense bill, originally thought to be the most difficult of the four bills, easily sailed through the House, 395 to 34, and the Senate immediately began its debate on the bill. The other two bills, however, proved to be much closer, and foreshadow legislative confrontations in the beginning of 2010.
On the Deficit, Pelosi Gets It
Dec 1, 2009 by Gary Therkildsen*
Just before the Thanksgiving break, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), during a conference call with reporters, trumpeted the need for more job-creating legislation in spite of the growing deficit, and, thereby, continued to throw cold water on some congressional members' aspirations to begin tackling the country's debt.
read in fullCBPP Report Brings Clarity to Recovery Act Debate
Nov 20, 2009 by Craig Jennings
A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities makes five key points about the Recovery Act that should be repeated over and over, as opponents of federal aid to victims of the Great Recession dig trenches in preparation for combating future relief.
