Reply #9: I'll try # 2 for $500, please ...

[hippiechick]

1. Jobs = it's the holiday season. Seasonal jobs always give the numbers a boost. But they're low wage, no benefits, and not permanent.

2. Economic Growth = 'strong economic growth' following a 3 year period of economic fall-off still equals out to an overall negative.

3. Low inflation = that one I can't speak to.

4. Strong Productivity = people are putting in more hours, but getting less long term benefit out of it, which means they're not earning additional wages to spend on those products we're all spending more hours to make.

5. Lower Gas Prices = Lower than September, but still higher by an average of about 20 cents a gallon than this time last year.

6. Strong Housing Market = credit. Mortgages that people may not be able to pay back when they lose their jobs over the next year or so.
Market go splat. Empty, foreclosed-on houses. Banks with bad debt. People with bad credit.

7. Consumer confidence = Huh? That's just a plain old lie, George.

8. Business Investment = Big business is investing in gobbling up small businesses. Big businesses limit the market by eliminating competition, outsource their jobs overseas, discourage unions, and manage to dodge taxes most of the time. Nobody wins in big business except the shareholders and the Execs.

Do I get a cookie ? :hi: