Watching the nation’s news commentators, you would think that the bailout proposal created by the Bush administration, adjusted by the Congressional leaders and then rejected by the House of Representatives was the only possible answer to the nation’s financial problems. Fortunately, many observers from the Left, Right and Middle have presented alternative solutions. Here are a few of these ideas. Some are comprehensive and some deal with individual issues, but they are all worth a look.
Where to Find $900 billion for Recovery (by Anderson, Collins, Muhammad and Pizzigati, Institute for Policy Studies
Tweak the Bailout Plan (by Stuart M. Butler and Edwin Meese, III, Heritage Foundation)
Fix the Bailout Plan (by Dominique Strauss-Kahn, International Monetary Fund)
Increase Transparency, Liquidity and Supervision (by Martin Neil Naily and Robert E. Litan, Brookings Institution)
Home Owners Loan Corp. and Federal Revenue Sharing (by James K. Galbraith, Washington Post)
Cut Defense Spending, now at $612 billion for 2009 (by Chalmers Johnson, TomDispatch.com)
Renegotiate Mortgages, Repeal Alternative Minimum tax and More (Change to Win, Coalition of Unions)
Homeowners Emergency Loan Program (National Community Reinvestment Coalition)
Keep Borrowers in Their Homes (by Andrew Jakabovics, Center for American Progress)
Super-Bonds (by John P. Hussman, Hussman Funds)