... Despite what ideologues on the left believe, government cannot tax and spend its way back to prosperity, especially when that spending is driven by pork barrel politics. ...
despite what ideologues on the right believe, government should not stand aside and wait for the business cycle to run its natural course. ...
we need our federal and state governments to chart a middle way – between a government that would wash its hands of the problem and one that seeks to supplant the private sector; between a government that would stand on the sidelines and one that would take over the game. ...
The current barriers standing in the way of innovation and job creation are much more political than economic. ...
Last month, voters turned against Democrats in Washington for the same reason they turned against Republicans in 2006. Democrats now, and Republicans then, spent more time and energy conducting partisan warfare than forging centrist solutions to our toughest economic problems. This abdication of responsibility has many causes, including party primaries that take place in gerrymandered districts where moderates are out-numbered and independents are often excluded. Bloggers and partisan pundits feed a 24-hour news cycle that values conflict over consensus, rewarding people at the extremes who scream the loudest.
The result? Both parties follow the mood of the moment – instead of leading from the front. They incite anger instead of addressing it ...
Especially in these tough times, we need our leaders to inspire the whole country – not criticize half of it. ...
We need those in government to stop demagoguing and start delivering. ...
Cutting taxes is easy enough – cutting the deficit is another story. The Deficit Reduction Commission offered a good start, but it’s disappointing that Congress is choosing not to debate its recommendations. We can’t afford to keep pushing these tough decisions off. We need more than a commission, and more than lip service. We need results. And not next year or the year after – but now. ...
We need strategies for putting people in all industries back to work, doing jobs they have the skills to do – or that they can learn. And that means the federal government must do more – right now – to create the conditions, and pursue the strategies, that will lead to more private sector investment.
The good news, I believe, is that these engines for growth are not liberal or conservative – left or right. They are made-up of centrist, fiscally-responsible measures that majorities in both parties should support ...