But, in an annual budget that he said was devoted to maintaining fiscal prudence, he also increased taxes on expensive homes, wine, beer and cigarettes, drawing criticism from opposition Conservatives that any gains would be offset by increases in the overall tax burden.
"While maintaining appropriate prudence, lenders should do all they can to meet the needs of legitimate, creditworthy borrowers," Mr. Bernanke said at a meeting at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago's branch in Detroit.
A balance is needed between financing desirable public spending, reasonable and fair taxation, growth and maintaining fiscal prudence.
To maintain fiscal prudence, Smith offsets those increases with big cuts in two programs.
Financial prudence, in fact, is another Whitman hallmark.
Americans are still straining their credit cards, after a brief flirtation with prudence in December.
And Mr Steinmeier, her foreign minister, called for prudence in the choice of words.
That said, we call for prudence in making hasty judgments about a pending court case.
The government will require far more fiscal prudence in the future.
Finally, in normal times modesty and prudence in policy goals are good things.
