|
Printer-friendly format Email this thread to a friend Bookmark this thread |
This topic is archived. |
Home » Discuss » Editorials & Other Articles |
chill_wind (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Tue Jul-12-11 01:27 AM Original message |
Economists Letter to Obama Sept 2010: Target what drives deficits. Don't fix what isn't broken. |
300 Economists, civic and labor leaders, mainstream America- Letter to Obama and Congress
http://dontkilljobs.org / (reposting as OP at request numerous DUers) In the fall of 2008 the U.S. and other major economies were in a free fall in the wake of a global financial crisis. Emergency stimulus policies here and around the world broke the fall, but brought us only part way to full recovery. Today there is a grave danger that the still-fragile economic recovery will be undercut by austerity economics. A turn by major governments away from the promotion of growth and jobs and to premature focus on deficit reduction could slow growth and increase unemployment – and could push us back into recession. History suggests that a tenuous recovery is no time to practice austerity. In the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt’s New Deal generated growth and reduced the unemployment rate from 25 percent in 1932 to less than 10 percent in 1937. However, the deficit hawks of that era persuaded President Roosevelt to reverse course prematurely and move toward budget balance. The result was a severe recession that caused the economy to contract sharply and sent the unemployment rate soaring. Only the much larger wartime spending of the early 1940s produced a full recovery. Today, the economy is growing only weakly. 7.8 million jobs have been lost in the recession. Consumers, having suffered losses in home values and retirement savings, are tightening their belts. The business sector, uncertain about consumer spending, is reluctant to invest in expansion or job creation, leaving the economy trapped on a path of slow growth or stagnation. Over 20 million American workers are now unemployed, underemployed or simply have given up looking for a job. The President and Congress should redouble efforts to create jobs and send aid to the states whose budget crises threaten recovery by forcing them to lay off school teachers, public safety workers, and other essential workers. It also makes sense to invest in public service jobs – and in infrastructure projects for transportation, water, and energy conservation that will make our economy more productive for years to come. pdf at link: http://ourfuture.org/files/documents/don%27t-kill-growth-and-jobs.pdf Institutional affiliations are provided for identification purposes only. Statement Authors Robert Borosage and Roger Hickey, Institute for America's Future Dean Baker, Center for Economic and Policy Research Robert Kuttner, The American Prospect and Dēmos Endorsers Economists Tanweer Akram | Senior Economist, ING Investment Management Randy Albelda | University of Massachusetts Boston Sylvia Allegretto | University of California, Berkeley Gar Alperovitz | University of Maryland Nancy Altman | Social Security Works Eileen Appelbaum | Rutgers University Diane Archer | Institute for America’s Future Michael Ash | University of Massachusetts Amherst Nahid Aslanbeigui | Monmouth University Marshall Auerback | Roosevelt Institute Reuven Avi-Yonah | University of Michigan Hillel Bachrach | 20/20 HealthCare Partners LLC M. V. Lee Badgett | University of Massachusetts Amherst Ron Baiman | Center for Tax and Budget Accountability Dean Baker | Center for Economic and Policy Research Radhika Balakrishnan | Rutgers University Nesecan Balkan | Hamilton College Nina Banks | Bucknell University William Barclay| Chicago Political Economy Group Chuck Barone| Dickinson College Michael Belzer| Wayne State University Lourdes Beneria| Cornell University Barbara R. Bergmann| American University Alexandra Bernasek| Colorado State University Cihan Bilginsoy| University of Utah Cyrus Bina| University of Minnesota (Morris Campus) Angela Glover Blackwell| PolicyLink Howard Botwinick| State University of New York , Cortland Roger Bove| West Chester University (Retired) Paula Braveman| University of California, San Francisco Clair Brown| University of California Berkeley E. Richard Brown| University of California Los Angeles Robert Buchele| Smith College Cruz Bueno| University of Massachusetts–Amherst Jim Campen| University of Massachusetts Boston (emeritus) Colin S. Cavell, Ph.D.| University of Bahrain American Studies Center John Chasse| Association for Evolutionary Economics Howard Chernick| Hunter College CUNY Paul Christensen| Hofstra University Steve Clemons| New America Foundation Anne Cobb| Empire State College Lizabeth Cohen| Harvard University James Crotty| University of Massachusetts Amherst James Cypher| California State University Fresno Diana Da| Diana Dai Communications Inc. Peter Damiano| The University of Iowa Anita Dancs| Western New England College Jane D’Arista| PERI/SAFER Paul A David| Stanford University Paul Davidson| University of Tennessee Susan M. Davis| Buffalo State College Charles Davis| Indiana University John Davis| Marquette University Anthony D’Costa| Asia Research Centre Amy B. Dean| Author, “A New New Deal” Gregory DeFreitas| Hofstra University James Devine| Loyola Marymount University Ranjit Dighe| SUNY College at Oswego David Doane| Oakland University Karen Dolan| Institute for Policy Studies G. William Domhoff| University of California, Santa Cruz Peter Dorman| Evergreen State College Amitava Dutt| University of Notre Dame Gary Dymski| University of California Riverside Todd Easton| University of Portland Gary Edelman| Edelman & Associates Barbara Ehrenreich| Author, “Nickeled and Dimed” Justin Elardo| Portland Community College Zohreh Emami| Alverno College Brian England| University of Utah Gerald Epstein| University of Massachusetts at Amherst Jeff Faux| Economic Policy Institute Steven Fazzari| Washington University Rashi Fein| Harvard University Susan Feiner| University of Southern Maine Thomas Ferguson| University of Massachusetts, Boston and Roosevelt Institute Rudy Fichtenbaum| Wright State University David Fields| University of Utah Catherine Finnoff| University of Massachusetts at Amherst Richard Flacks| University of California, Santa Barbara Nancy Folbre| University of Massachusetts at Amherst Robert Francis| Shoreline Community College Robert Frank| Cornell University Gerald Friedman| University of Massachusetts at Amherst James K. Galbraith| University of Texas, Economists for Peace and Security John Gallup| Portland State University William Ganley| Department of Economics & Finance, Buffalo State College Angel Garcia Banchs| Universidad Central de Venezuela David George| La Salle University Christophre Georges| Hamilton College Arthur Gerds| Unaffilliated Teresa Ghilarducci| New School for Social Research Helen Ginsburg| Brooklyn College and National Jobs for All Coalition Lonnie Golden| Penn State Abington Stephen Gorin| Plymouth State University Ulla Grapard| Colgate University Carole Green| University of South Florida Daphne Greenwood| University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Karl D. Gregory| Oakland University and KDG & Associates Lawrence Grossberg| University of North Carolina Robert Guttmann| Hofstra University Jacob Hacker| Yale University Robin Hahnel| Portland State University John Battaile Hall| Portland State University Lori Hansen| Former Member, Senate Democrats Social Security Advisory Board Martin Hart-Landsberg| Lewis and Clark College Heidi Hartmann| Institute for Women’s Policy Research John Harvey| Texas Christian University Carol Heim| University of Massachusetts, Amherst James Heintz| University of Massachusetts Susan Helper| Case Western Reserve University John Henry| University of Missouri–Kansas City Conrad Herold| Hofstra University Adam Hersh| University of Massachusetts Gillian Hewitson| University of Sydney Joan Hoffman| John Jay College of Criminal Justice Michael Intriligator| University of California Los Angeles Dorene Isenberg| University of Redlands Ken Jacobs| University of California Berkeley Peter Jacobson| University of Michigan Robert Johnson| Roosevelt Institute Helene Jorgensen| Author, Sick and Tired Arne Kalleberg| University of North Carolina J. K. Kapler| University of Massachusetts Boston Victor Kasper Jr.| Buffalo State College Jeffrey Keefe| Rutgers University Mary King| Portland State University Eric Kingson| Syracuse University Andrew Kohen| James Madison University (emeritus) Ben Kohl| Temple University Gerald F. Kominski| University of California Los Angeles Brent Kramer| City University of New York Peter Karl Kresl| Bucknell University (emeritus) Robert Kuttner| The American Prospect Supriya Lahiri| University of Massachusetts Lowell Thomas Lambert| Indiana University Southeast Dr. Tom Larson| California State University, Los Angeles Keith Leitich| Central & East Asian Affairs Analyst Margaret Levenstein| University of Michigan Charles Levenstein| University of Massachusetts Lowell Henry Levin| Columbia University Marc Levine| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Mark Levinson | Service Employees International Union Victor Lippit| University of California, Riverside Robert Lynch| Washington College Catherine Lynde| University of Massachusetts Boston Arthur MacEwan| University of Massachusetts Boston (emeritus) Christopher Mackin| Ownership Associates, Inc. Yahya Madra| Gettysburg College Jeff Madrick| Roosevelt Institute; Schwartz Center, The New School Mark Maier| Glendale Community College Jean Maier| US Society for Ecological Economics Julianne Malveaux| Bennett College for Women Arindam Mandal | Siena College John Mannah| New School for Social Research Theodore Marmor| Yale University Julie Matthae| Wellesley College Peter Matthews| Middlebury College Daniel McFadden| University of California, Berkeley Hannah McKinney| Kalamazoo College Walter W. McMahon| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Joseph Medley| University of Southern Maine Michael Meeropol| Western New England College (emeritus) Martin Melkonian| Hofstra University John Messier| University of Maine Farmington Peter Meyer| The E.P. Systems Group, Inc. Thomas Michl| Colgate University Marcelo Milan| University of Wisconsin Parkside William Milberg| New School for Social Research Lawrence Mishel| Economic Policy Institute Vernon Mogensen| Kingsborough Community College, CUNY Michael Morrill| Keystone Progress Philip Moss| University of Massachusetts Lowell Tracy Mott| University of Denver Jamee Moudud| Sarah Lawrence College Dedrick Muhammad| Institute for Policy Studies Kevin Murphy| Oakland University Michael Murray| Bates College Michele Naples| The College of New Jersey Julie Nelson| University of Massachusetts Boston Immanuel Ness| Brooklyn College/CUNY Katherine Newman| Princeton University Eric Nilsson| California State University–San Bernardino Laurie Nisonoff| Hampshire College Jack Norman| Institute for Wisconsin’s Future Michael Nuwer| State University of New York Potsdam Paulette Olson| Wright State University Mary Orisich| Holyoke Community College Pierre Ostiguy| Bard College Christine Owens| National Employment Law Project Aaron Pacitti| Siena College Spencer Pack| Connecticut College Thomas Palley| New America Foundation Robert Pandolfo| DBA/Analyst, self-employed Dimitri Papadimitriou| Levy Economics Institute Richard Parker| Harvard University James Parrott| Fiscal Policy Institute M. Stephen Pendleton| Buffalo State College Michael Perelman| California State Universty–Chico Tova Perlmutter| Sugar Law Center for Economic & Social Justice Rick Perlstein| Author, "Nixonland: The Rise of a President and the Fracturing of America" Joseph Persky| University of Illinois at Chicago Mark Peterson| University of California Los Angeles Karl Petrick| Western New England College John Philo| Sugar Law Center for Economic and Social Justice Paul Pieper| University of Illinois at Chicago Bruce Pietrykowski| University of Michigan–Dearborn Karen Rosel Polenske| Massachusetts Institute of Technology Robert Pollin| University of Massachussets Amherst Marilyn Power| Sarah Lawrence College Thomas M. Power| University of Montana Mark Price| Keystone Research Center Edith Rasell| United Church of Christ Justice & Witness Ministries Michael Reich| University of California Berkeley Robert B. Reich| University of California Berkeley; former Secretary of Labor Cordelia Reimer| Hunter College - CUNY Joseph Ricciardi| Babson College Malcolm Robinson| Thomas More College John Roche| St. John Fisher College James Rock| University of Utah Charles Rock| Rollins College John Roemer| Yale University Sergio Romero| Boise State University Jaime Ros| University of Notre Dame Batt Rosemar| Cornell University Michael Rosen| Milwaukee Area Technical College Sam Rosenberg| Roosevelt University Joshua Rosenbloom| University of Kansas David Rosnick| Center for Economic and Policy Research Lynda Rush| California State Polytechnic University Hector Saez| Beyond Growth Anandi Sahu| Oakland University John Sarich| Institute of Global Communications Lisa Saunders| University of Massachusetts–Amherst Harwood Schaffer| University of Tennessee Helen Scharber| University of Massachusetts–Amherst Ted Schmidt| Buffalo State College John Schmitt| Center for Economic and Policy Research Victor Schoenbach| University of North Carolina Sanford Schram| Bryn Mawr College Sherle R. Schwenninger| New America Foundation Elliott Sclar| Columbia University Stephanie Seguino| University of Vermont Jean Shackelford| Bucknell University Sumitra Shah| St. John’s University Derek Shearer| Occidental College Kristen Sheeran| Economics for Equity and Environment Network Heidi Shierholz| Economic Policy Institute Richard Shirey| Siena College Laurence Shute| California State Polytechnic University, Pomona Alexandra Sidiropoulos| Miskin & Tsui-Yip LLP Mark Silverman| Steptoe & Johnson LLP Peter Skott| University of Massachusetts Amherst Lewis Smith| Economist, retired Vince Snowberger| Economist, retired Case Sprenkle| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign James Ron Stanfield| Colorado State University (emeritus) Casey Stanton| Transportation Equity Network Howard Stein| University of Michigan Mary Stevenson| University of Massachusetts Boston James Stewart| Penn State University Jeffrey Stewart| University of Cincinnati Frank Stricker| California State University–Dominguez Hills Peter Temin| Massachusetts Institute of Technology David Terkla| University of Massachusetts Boston Mark Thoma| University of Oregon Frank Thompson| University of Michigan Chris Tilly| University of California Los Angeles Jim Tober| Marlboro College John Tower| Oakland University (Retired) Scott Trees| Siena College Economics Department Dale Tussing| Syracuse University Leanne Ussher| Queens College, City University of New York David Vail| Bowdoin College Marjolein van der Veen| The Nation Bryan Van Name| Economics Blogger Matt Vidal| King’s College London Rudiger von Arnim| University of Utah Valerie Voorheis| Marlboro College Graduate Center Paula Voos| Rutgers University Steven Wallace| University of California Los Angeles Paul Wallace| Retired Joseph Washington| Unaffilliated Lucy Law Webster| Economists for Peace and Security John Weeks| University of London (emeritus) David Weiman| Barnard College, Columbia University Scott A. Weir| Unaffilliated Mark Weisbrot| Center for Economic and Policy Research Charles Weise| Gettysburg College Thomas Weisskopf| University of Michigan Ralph Whitehead| University of Massachusetts–Amherst Jeannette Wicks-Lim| University of Massachusetts Amherst Roger Wilkins| Campaign for America’s Future John Willoughby| American University Martin H. Wolfson| University of Notre Dame Yavuz Yasar| University of Denver June Zaccone| National Jobs for All Coalition Ajit Zacharias| Levy Economics Institute David Zalewski| Providence College James M. Zelenski| Regis University Michael Zimmerman| University of Colorado Frederick Zimmerman| University of California Los Angeles Ben Zipperer| University of Massachusetts–Amherst Civic and Labor Leaders Deepak Bhargava| Center for Community Change Jeff Blum| USAction James Boland| International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Robert Borosage| Campaign for America’s Future Anna Burger| Former Secretary-Treasurer, SEIU Darcy Burner| Progressive Congress Action Fund Nancy Duff Campbell| National Women’s Law Center Rea Carey| National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Action Fund Ashley Carson| Older Women’s League Larry Cohen| Communications Workers of America Darryl Fagin| Americans for Democratic Action, Inc. Rabbi Michael Feinberg| Greater New York Labor-Religion Coalition Mark Friedman| Third Culture Leo Gerard| United Steelworkers of America Robert Greenwald| Brave New Films Mary Kay Henry| Service Employees International Union Roger Hickey | Campaign for America’s Future Michael Huttner| ProgressNow Rev Jesse Jackson| Rainbow-PUSH Coalition Avis Jones-DeWeever| National Council of Negro Women Bob King| United Auto Workers Union Joan Kuriansky| Wider Opportunities for Women Antonio Lodico| Mon Valley Unemployed Committee Meizhu Lui| Closing the Racial Wealth Gap, Insight Center for Community Economic Development Ben Manski| Liberty Tree Foundation Don Mathis| Community Action Partnership Gerald McEntee| American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees Brian Miller| United for a Fair Economy Terry O’Neill| National Organization for Women Robert Patrician| Communications Workers of America Miles Rapoport| Dēmos Charles Rodgers| New Community Fund Justin Ruben| MoveOn.org Steven Schwartz| Ballot Initiative Strategy Center Karen See| Coalition of Labor Union Women Hilary Shelton | NAACP Curtis Skinner| National Center for Children in Poverty Ted Smukler| Interfaith Worker Justice Margery Tabankin| The Streisand Foundation Scott Wallace| Wallace Global Fund Deborah Weinstein| Coalition on Human Needs Michael J. Wilson| Americans for Democratic Action State Civic Leaders Betty Ahrens| Iowa Citizen Action Network Gerard Bradley| New Mexico Voices for Children Linda Brown| Arizona Advocacy Network Bless Burke| Western North Carolina Workers' Center Simone Campbell| NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice Lobby Sarah Chaisson Warner| New Hampshire Citizens Alliance for Action Melba Collins| Arkansas Interfaith Committee for Worker Justice Lynda DeLaforgue| Citizen Action/Illinois Rion Dennis| Progressive Maryland Adrienne Evans| United Action for Idaho Linda Garding| North Dakota People.org Debra Gardner| Public Justice Center Rebekah Gienapp| Workers Interfaith Network (Memphis, Tenn.) Jesse Graham| Maine People's Alliance Jill Harrington| Ocean State Action Alice Hoffman| Pa. Alliance of Retired Americans Nancy Holle| Community, Faith and Labor Coalition Janice "Jay" Johnson| Viginia Organizing Jonathan Klein| Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE-LA) Robert Kraig| Citizen Action of Wisconsin Mary Mancini| Tennessee Citizen Action Craig McMahon| Step Safe Bill Moyer| Backbone Campaign Bill Newton| Florida Citizen Action Group Anne Nolan| Candidate for Minnesota State Representative, District 15A Brian O'Shaughnessy| Labor-Religion Coalition of New York State Will Pittz| Washington Community Action Network Tom Rankin| California Alliance for Retired Americans Brian Rothenberg| ProgressOhio Phyllis Salowe-Kaye| New Jersey Citizen Action Joel Scott| Detroit Federation of Teachers Nicholas Segura Jr.| International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers LU569 Eric Sklar| Vice Mayor, St. Helena, Calif. Marc Stier| Penn Action Tom Swan| Connecticut Citizen Action Group Linda Teeter| Michigan Citizen Action Ron Williams| Oregon Action Gary Zuckett| West Virginia Citizen Action Group Thoughts on a Plan B- James Galbraith and Other Economists http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=560332&mesg_id=560347 |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
lib2DaBone (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Tue Jul-12-11 03:22 AM Response to Original message |
1. Thanks for re-post. I had missed it first time |
This says it all. 300 Economists offer the solution to our economic problems. They present the facts in big day-glo letters to Obama, who then refuses to listen?
Obama, the Tea Party and the entire country then push the throttle forward... sending us 180 degrees in the wrong direction. It's like watching a slow-motion train wreck that you can do nothing about. Sanity, reason and public discussion of "relevant" facts are a faint voice in the wilderness. We give away Billions to foreign military and brutal dictators all over the globe, and then punish the poor, sick and elderly at home. Only Republicans high on Jesus Juice and hearts filled with darkness can approve of this mentality. |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
chill_wind (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Tue Jul-12-11 03:40 AM Response to Reply #1 |
2. Feels like madness all around. |
There's been a whole lot of time for his team to process some of these ideas, if they were ever going to. Very depressing.
Meanwhile, the House just overwhelmingly (336-87) passed a $649 billion defense budget, boosting it by another $17 billion. Austere times, but for war, killing and mayhem-- not so much. |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
fasttense (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Tue Jul-12-11 05:40 AM Response to Original message |
3. I guess Obama and his economic team know better |
than those economic professors and such.
You see the results of what Obama has been doing with his cuts in wealthy taxes and cuts in spending on the poor. Already he got a creep up in unemployment and very dismal job growth. I guess Obama does not do reality and proof very well. And here I thought we were in a recovery and Happy Days were here again. Just wait until that unemployment extension that Obama traded the bush-tax-give-aways for runs out at the end of this year. You all know what has to be done. You have to walk like an Egyptian if you expect Obama to listen to you and NOT listen to the corporate aristocracy. There ar more of us than them. They can only rule us if we let them. |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
SoulSearcher (119 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Tue Jul-12-11 09:47 AM Response to Original message |
4. Missing Paul Krugman ? |
Didn't see him listed - Isn't he on-board ?
Have not read him lately, but has always been behind a more robust Federal monetary move. |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
xchrom (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore | Tue Jul-12-11 10:00 AM Response to Original message |
5. recommend |
Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top |
DU AdBot (1000+ posts) | Sun May 12th 2024, 10:39 AM Response to Original message |
Advertisements [?] |
Top |
Home » Discuss » Editorials & Other Articles |
Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators
Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.
Home | Discussion Forums | Journals | Store | Donate
About DU | Contact Us | Privacy Policy
Got a message for Democratic Underground? Click here to send us a message.
© 2001 - 2011 Democratic Underground, LLC