Former Labor Secretary Tells New Hampshire Audience Spending Will Help Economy.

Byline: Brad Leighton

Sep. 22--MANCHESTER, N.H.--Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich said the economy will likely slip into a recession first, but the bipartisan spending increase sparked by national tragedy will likely be enough to "prime the pump" and get the economy going again.

"I'm not saying that war is good for the economy," Reich said. "But spending, any spending, will help."

Reich was in New Hampshire to speak at a conference of teachers and business people involved in the state's School-to-Work program.

He advocated a tax cut for the poor and middle class, both as a way to reduce the income gap and because it is economically more …