Goldman's Responsibility: Stimulate the Economy

As the crisis intensifies and Americans face hard times, Goldman Sachs should be held responsible for its impact on Main Street as well as Wall Street. Regulators should demand that Goldman and other bailout recipients stimulate the economy through their lending practices and their employment practices. Goldman should commit to the following for all direct employees and those in the companies they own:

1. Living wages
2. Affordable health benefits
3. Freedom for workers to choose to form unions and collectively bargain (Employee Free Choice)
4. Stronger health and safety protections for consumers and workers
5. Stronger protections against sexual harassment and other worker exploitation

Goldman Sachs and Burger King can play an important role in economic recovery. The bonuses Goldman awarded in 2008 could alone could provide an $18,000 pay increase for each of Burger King's 360,000 corporate and franchise employees and put discretionary income in the hands of hundreds of thousands of American families.