Fixing the economy - a spreading meme

You may have seen Lance Tapley's story in this week's Portland Phoenix - with four ideas on how Maine can fix its economic problems by increasing government spending - and by funding those increases with tax policies that will make Maine a fairer place to live, work, and do business.

And while he cites nationally renowned and award-winning economists (some of whom are also referred to in this story with a similar bent, published by the Seattle Weekly),  the idea that any federal stimulus package could be hamstrung (at least in part) by state budget-slashing is gaining momentum. In fact, on Monday, Paul Krugman at the New York Times announced his support for fixing the economy through government investment - not slashing spending, as Maine and many other states are poised to do (or are already doing).

We need to make Maine and America better - not worse. We need to invest in our communities, our schools, our economy. And we can take important steps - not all of them, but major ones - while still balancing our state budgets. But only if we make our tax policies fairer.