Synopsis on the Economy - Not Much Going On.

The synopsis on the economy is bleak. Report after report rattle off depressing statistics of severely diminished economic activity, growing jobless rates, and worse statistics to follow into the year. It's a vicious cycle that only can only be broken by renewed confidence in the stability of our economy, most notably jobs.

In the waning days of George W. Bush's presidency there are now murmurs of attempts to disperse the second half of the nearly 3/4 trillion dollar TARP funds before President-elect, Barack Obama is sworn in. http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/10/news/economy/bush_request_restoftarp/index.htm?postversion=2009011012

In my opinion, the key component of the President-elect's economic stimulus plan are the jobs components. Jobs are what is needed to rebuild confidence and get people confident enough to resume their lives. The stimulus funds are not unlimited. Any further dispersing of the TARP funds needs to be specifically targeted and carefully monitored to ensure that our tax dollars are not being squandered by their recipients.

Right now too many Americans, even those gainfully employed, are severely afraid to do anything. The hemorrhaging of job losses needs to be cauterized. There has been a great deal of blood lost and the reserve supplies are low. Let's not deplete the blood bank on cosmetic celebrity surgeries while new patients are flooding the ER!

Clueless in Washington, D.C.

I have now lost complete faith in our president. His statements the other day that the rebate checks are starting to stimulate our economy is insulting to the majority of Americans who watch the daily price increases in gasoline, heating oil, and food quickly eroding anything they possibly gained since President Bush took office nearly eight years ago. Add to that the pummeling that Americans have experienced in their 401k, 403b, personal stock accounts, Certificate of Deposits, personal savings, the housing and financial crisis, and the severe reduction in the value of what their dollar buys and the president's comments are down right insensitive.

Instead of sitting around talking about how resilient we are in handling the higher prices, how great it is that the inflation rate hasn't transferred to higher wages (you know to actually be able to keep up with the real rapidly-rising costs of food, energy, education, and health care), and how we are setting the example of free world markets (as our prosperity freely moves out of the country and is reallocated in the Middle East and Asia), OPEN YOUR EYES AND DO SOMETHING FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, the ones that elected you and the others to make decisions in the best interest of AMERICANS!