Alan Khazei on Budget & Economy

End recession by creating jobs and consumer spending

Guiding Principles:
• The only way out of our current recession is to create jobs and empower Americans to start spending again. Consumer spending historically contributes nearly 60% to real GDP within the first year of economic recoveries.
• We need to do more to put more money in the hands of our strongest consumers: working families. Doing so means ensuring good wages to support a family.
• The last three years have taught us that we must strengthen the oversight of our financial system to protect consumers from reckless investments and investors.
• The government must ensure that credit is really moving, that families and small businesses can get the loans they need to sustain commerce in our towns and cities, and revive investment in our housing market.
• The US must continue to focus on long-term fiscal stability, and develop a plan to reduce the deficit and avoid leaving trillions of dollars of debt to our children and grandchildren.