“Larry Mishel is a nationally renowned economist who specializes in how government policies affect low and middle income families,” said MECEP Executive Director Christopher “Kit” St. John. “At MECEP’s January conference and now in this essay, he expertly traces how changes in public policy over the last 30 years have left American workers and their families with stagnant incomes and diminished economic security. Dr. Mishel makes a powerful case for federal action to follow up on the success of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. To fuel the recovery and create new jobs, he calls for extended benefits for the unemployed, additional fiscal relief to state and local governments, increased public investment in infrastructure, direct job creation through municipal governments and a tax credit for businesses that create jobs.”
MECEP is Maine’s leading non-profit research and policy development organization working toward “a prosperous, fair, and sustainable economy; vital communities; rich civic engagement; and a healthy environment.” MECEP has worked with legislators in Congress and in Augusta to protect services and jobs threatened by proposed budget cuts. In February, MECEP released an analysis of proposed state budget cuts to education and health care services that projected a resulting loss of 7,000 to 10,000 Maine jobs.
“The Great Recession: Getting Back to Work” is available online at MECEP’s website.
