The retreat in car sales when cash-for-clunkers ended was a jarring reminder of the withdrawal symptoms that await when other stimulus measures, such as the homebuyer’s credit, are allowed to expire. But extending them would boost a soaring deficit that is estimated to have hit $1.4 billion in the fiscal year that ended on September 30th. Voters are nervous about red ink stretching away into the future, and even Mr Obama’s liberal supporters are turning up the heat. This week Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, said a value-added tax should be “on the table”. It may yet come to that, though introducing such a tax too early would risk choking off the recovery and creating a brand new tax that would give the president’s enemies a field-day. No one said his job was easy.
“旧车换现金”计划结束所带来的汽车销量下降预示了在诸如购房贷款等刺激措施期满结束后经济所将经历的退缩症状。但是,如果继续实行此类措施,那将会为9月30日截止的本财政年带来预计高达14亿美元的财政赤字。选民们对未来源源不断的财政赤字忧心忡忡,甚至是奥巴马先生的自由派支持者都在火上浇油。本周,众议院议长南希•佩洛西表示,征收增值税应该 “提上日程”。增值税迟早会付诸实施。然而,过早的出台此类税收将有可能阻碍经济恢复,同时,征收新税将会为总统的劲敌们提供反击机会。大家都知道,奥巴马先生过得不容易。
Signs of economic cheer
经济振奋之征兆
The sun also rises
太阳照常升起
Aug 6th 2009 | WASHINGTON, DC
From The Economist print edition
The economy may be pulling out of recession but unemployment is still surprisingly high. Celebrations should be delayed
虽然美国经济可能正从衰退中抽身而出,但是失业率仍然居高不下,庆祝理应押后。