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Jewish World Review Nov. 6, 2001/ 20 Mar-Cheshvan, 5762

Lawrence Kudlow

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A Roadmap for Recovery

http://www.NewsAndOpinion.com -- MAKE no mistake about it, the 0.4% decline in third-quarter gross domestic product had virtually nothing to do with the September 11 terrorist bombings and virtually everything to do with massive monetary mistakes made by the Federal Reserve over the past two years.

Blame for this downturn must be placed squarely at the doorstep of the central bank. President Bush is right to say that the terrorist attacks "affected our workforce and our business base," and the economic aftershock of 9/11 would by itself have caused a temporary fourth-quarter contraction of about 1% of GDP. But the third-quarter drop -- which probably will be backdated to a recession that began last winter -- could have been avoided were it not for massive monetary mistakes.

In the first place, nobody told the Federal Reserve to ratchet up its basic money supply by 17% in 1999, and then deflate it by 3% in 2000. This was a pillar-to-post policy gyration and it was sheer lunacy. A massive money excess followed by a huge money shortage caused national income to careen upward unsustainably and then spiral downward later. This was the root cause of the recession.

The Fed chairman's reputation was supposedly that of a cautious incrementalist. Instead, Alan Greenspan gave us unprecedented monetary volatility. No wonder the economy spun out of control.

If the central bank had merely paid attention to real-time market price signal -- such as our upside-down interest-rate structure and sinking commodity prices -- they would have seen economic disaster ahead. Instead, the bank kept its blinders on and mercilessly deflated stocks, business profits, and now the rest of the economy.

Is the Fed capable of learning from its mistakes?

Well, the recession-creators have in fact pumped $40 billion of new cash into the economy since the 9/11 terrorist bombings. Year-to-date, the Fed's basic money supply has now grown by 8.5%, a considerable improvement from last year's 3% decline rate. These are moves in the right direction. And if tax policy falls in line, we may soon bury this private-sector recession. But that's if it falls in line.

It is important to understand that at the very heart of this slump is the downturn in business. While class warriors on Capitol Hill attempt to block greatly needed business- and personal-tax relief, the contracting corporate sector is now forcing job layoffs faster than politicians can increase unemployment compensation.

Yes, consumer spending continues to rise, albeit at a slow 1.2% annual rate in the third quarter. But get this: While industrial production has fallen for twelve consecutive months, business capital spending has declined in six of the past seven quarters. From its peak in mid-2000, private domestic investment has dropped $182 billion, or 10%. Technology spending this year alone has declined $75 billion, or 15% at an annual rate.

Senator Daschle's stimulus proposal, however, is nothing more than an ineffectual, government-entitlement spending bill -- not a tax cut - that would merely redistribute income. The Democratic package has no incentive effect that would raise after-tax economic rewards for innovation, investment, and work effort. Hence it could actually block economic growth rather than spur it.

Last week, Bush exhorted the Senate: "get to work and get something passed." He's right. The president supports a 30% bonus for the cash expensing of new equipment purchases, an end to the corporate alternative minimum tax, and an acceleration of the income tax-rate reduction plan from 2006 to 2002. In round numbers, these measures will expand business resources by about $100 billion over the next three years, with another $50 billion or so of relief for individuals. Importantly, about one-third of personal tax filers are actually small businesses, so it is essential that the 40% top marginal tax-rate come down immediately to 33% (aiding unincorporated small firms).

A modest combination of tax cuts and central-bank money creation should provide sufficient new investment and work incentives -- and the liquidity to finance them -- to get economic growth back on a 3% recovery path next year. But again, these would be moves in the right direction, and not the solution. Remember, a normal recovery rate historically runs in the 5% range. This is why comprehensive tax reform and simplification should remain on the policy front burner, and why the Federal Reserve must develop a monetary reform plan that will place real-time financial and commodity-price indicators at the center of its money-creating operations.

Maximizing homeland economic growth is a vital weapon in the war against terrorism. This will not only raise the American spirit at home, but also provide a shining example to the totalitarian-oppressed economies in the Middle East and elsewhere of just how effective the prosperity forces of freedom and democracy can be.


JWR contributor Lawrence Kudlow is chief economist for CNBC. He is the author of American Abundance: The New Economic & Moral Prosperity. Send your comments about his column by clicking here.

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©2001, Lawrence Kudlow