When things get tough the tough get going - out of town that is. When the economy slows down business stops spending. They cut costs, cut jobs. Government should do the opposite. When the economy goes soft government has to step in.
Government spends when the private sector saves.
Government should fill the void. It's what we should expect. In California deregulation and privatization have brought electrical chaos. The biggest concern for people is whether or not they will hold their jobs. That will make them shy about buying anything which will quickly deflate the consumer-driven bubble of prosperity.