The document discusses the impacts of the economic crisis and the federal stimulus package. It summarizes that big banks caused the crisis through risky lending practices. The stimulus package helped stop job losses, support state budgets, and fund projects that helped the economic recovery. However, stimulus money for states is ending and large deficits face states in 2011, which could undermine the recovery without further federal aid. The document argues for organizing support to request more federal funding.

1. INSTITUTE FOR WISCONSIN’S FUTURE www.wisconsinsfuture.org Fighting for Wisconsin Families Summer 2010

2. Big Banks Crashed the Economy Big banks brought down the economy by inflating the housing market, making risky loans and betting against their own investments – with our pension money Investors bundled thousands of risky mortgages, then divided them into loan ‘slices’ claiming they were a mix of strong and risky mortgages. These financial tricks put the whole economy in jeopardy. Federal regulators failed to intervene. The mortgage bubble burst and the recession ‘officially’ began in December 2007.

3. The Great Recession spread like an oil slick $15 trillion in personal wealth was gone Pension funds and other investments lost $50,000 for every man, woman and child in America $6 trillion in housing value disappeared Equal to the value of every house in every state on the Atlantic coast from Maine to Florida Unemployment topped 10% (15 million people) As if every man in America aged 50-59 lost his job 40 million people in poverty—the most since 1960 Equivalent to the total population in the thirty largest US cities Sources: US Census Bureau, US Bureau of Labor Statistics; US Bureau of Economic Analysis

4. State and local budgets collapseddue to lost revenues and increased needs Property taxes fell, as property values declined Sales taxes dropped, with fewer items purchased Income taxes plunged, with job losses and wage cuts Corporate taxes slumped, as business contracted The fiscal crisis in state and local governments is the worst in US history

7. Recovery Act helped end job loss Recovery Act funds kept job losses from getting worse. Federal aid helped keep state and local governments from collapsing. But job growth and economic recovery are still fragile.

8. The Recovery Act prevented a full-fledged depression in America, using millions of economic sandbags to hold communities together More Unemployment Insurance Business Loans Road Repair Buses and Trains $$ for Police Tax Cuts River Clean Up Improve Airports Energy Savings Rehab Health Care Aid for Elderly Funds for Teachers Housing for Disabled School Loans Food Stamps Farm Aid Medical Research School Rehab Cash for Clunkers Veteran Aid Child Protection Funds for DAs

10. Soaring unemployment

11. Rising demand for state and local social servicesFederal dollars helped patch the budget, create jobs and preserve critical services Wisconsin’s unemployment rate is slowly coming down

12. Wisconsin Recovery Act Funding 2009-2010:$11 billion Energy 5% Transportation 6% Medical care 7% Schools 9% Sources: www.recovery.gov; projects.propublica.org/recovery/; www.recovery.wisconsin.gov/

13. The Recovery Act helped Wisconsin families Gave almost every employee a $500 tax break in 2009 and 2010 Saved 59,000 jobs Supported health care for 1.3 million elderly, disabled and low-income families Provided $153 million in support for laid off workers

14. Huge state deficits will plague US for several years More federal aid needed to keep states functioning Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

15. The stimulus money for states is almost gone and communities are heading for a funding cliff in 2011-2013 Wisconsin faces a $5 billion deficit for 2011-2013, which means reduced investments in cities, counties and schools. The state has almost no added revenue sources for the next budget cycle. This could short circuit recent economic growth.

16. Some people don’t think we should invest in public structures—Be careful what you wish for

17. Public structures will disappear …unless we fight for them In Colorado Springs, every third streetlight is dark. Buses no longer run at night or on weekends. The police helicopters are for sale on the Internet. The city is dumping firefighting jobs, a vice team, burglary investigators, beat cops—dozens of police and fire positions will go unfilled. Parks workers removed trash cans, replacing them with signs urging users to pack out their own litter. Neighbors are encouraged to bring their own lawn mowers to local green spaces…Water cutbacks mean most parks will be brown turf by July; the flower and fertilizer budget is zero. City recreation centers, indoor and outdoor pools, and a handful of museums closed March 31. The city won't pay for any street paving …. Sources: Denver Post, CNN, CBS News, 5280 Denver’s Magazine

18. What’s in it for private sector workers? $700 million for road building and construction, boosting production of materials and equipment Airport Improvement Program $23,637,434 Broadband Infrastructure Build-out $22,978,367 Build America Bonds $97,367,700 University of Wisconsin System $5,106,373 State Broadband Development Grant Program $1,717,684 State Highway, Local Road and Bridge Program $519,226,021 Transit Capital Assistance $20,130,095 WI Army National Guard $6,370,000 Total: $696,533,674

19. Why should public sector workers care? Clearing the roads of snow, providing health care or ensuring public safety, public sector union members provide vital services to make communities work. BUT states are facing an estimated $260 billion shortfall in 2011-2012, which would mean the loss of nearly a million public and private sector jobs.

20. Why is this important for senior citizens ?

21. Why does this matter to our families? Without more federal aid, Wisconsin schools will lose over 2,000 teachers and staff Federal funds are needed to maintain school programs for children with disabilities Federal funds are vital to keep day care programs operating

22. Those opposed to more federal stimulus aid claim the US can’t afford a bigger deficit US debt is the same percentage of the national economy as it was in 1950. It is large, but it is sustainable until the economy fully recovers. US debt tripled under Reagan Debt critics forget recent history; Conservative hero ran budget deficits Source: www.usgovernmentspending.com

23. Recovery Act spending accounts for a small portion of the deficit Most of the long-term deficit comes from wars, Bush-era tax cuts and the economic slump Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

24. We can’t afford a double-dip recession Too many economic indicators are weak Borrowing now, to support state and local governments and stimulate the economy, is the best way to prevent another recession and its destructive effects. We don’t want the fragile economic recovery… …to collapse back into another recession. 2011

25. Campaign for 2011 Federal Aid ORGANIZING to Press members of Congress Community meetings Talk about how the stimulus has helped and what will happen in 2011 without more aid Meetings with Senators Feingold and Kohl Meetings with regional Congressional reps Telephone, email and letters to Congress

26. WI Recovers Popular Website