Who here believes the economy is on the right track and who does not?

[coloradodem2005]

People who believe we are on the right track say it is because the economy is improving. I personally don't believe that. So, what do you think about the economy and why?


I also saw a poll Bush 45%, Kerry 44%, and Nader 4%. I cannot believe that Bush would be above Kerry even by 1 point in any poll other than Fox!

[jokerman93]

1. What economy?

All I hear is fairy tales.

[lovedems]

2. Just because Team Bush and his merry media men keep *telling*

me the economy is getting better, doesn't mean that it is.

They have told me alot of things that aren't true.

In short, I don't feel the booming recovery.

[Stew225]

4. If you're a Nieman-Marcus shopper

the economy's good, I guess. To me, it sucks!

[Beaverhausen]

3. These people obviously haven't heard about the huge deficit * is building

[theoceansnerves]

5. it is improving for corporations

but wages are extremely stagnant. it's not better for you and me.

[JayS]

6. It does look like the down cycle is ending and the economy...

...is starting to turn around. I doubt you will see anything spectacular anytime soon though.

[amazona]

7. not

My stocks are not even close to what they were...I'm at the point where I wonder if they are faking the DOW.

[Rassah]

8. Depends on who you ask

I think the economy is, in general, improving, however, 1) it's improving very slowly (it's still improving, so Fox News can still spin it any way they want), and 2) saying the economy is improving doesn't, by itself, say anything about the actual economy. For all we know, it may be REALLY improving simply because the corporations that happen to be residing here are now using cheaper labor abroad to make their products that they are selling to someone else overseas. I.E. the stock market is going up for corps that are here, but the creation of new jobs and the actual exchange of goods isn't necessarily happening in this country. Also it doesn't actually say for WHOM the economy is improving. For investors with large amounts of money in the market, and for those working in Haliburton and similar corps, yeah, it's improving. But from what I heard, for the middle and lower class, who are now forced to work for smaller wages and have to now deal with increasing debt interest rates and the oncoming inflation, it's not.

[Nite Owl]

9. As measured by the stock market it

isn't too bad but the way that profits are being wrought will come back and bite them in the butt. Rates are going to go up which isn't good for the housing market and that has been fueling everything thus far.

[Don_G]

10. Corporate Profits Are Up

Wages paid to the workers are down.

ShrubCo is eliminating the middle class by creating McJobs and losing the potential customer base in the US.

[booksenkatz]

11. Maybe the other 49 states are doing great

but here in Michigan, all I've noticed is that gas has gone down a dime. Strip malls are still boarded up and empty. No one's hiring except Target and Burger King. I still can't afford to buy groceries.

Congrats to the rest of the states, though, it sounds like things are going just peachy for all the rest of you!

[daligirrl]

12. Somebody's manipulating something. . .

My 401K graph looks like a yoyo. . .

[Just Me]

13. Depends upon whether you believe the "economy" benefits a few,...

,...or the many.

[klyon]

14. the economy

I think the economic numbers look better because if you borrow and spend lots more money than you have, things will look good for a while, until the bill comes due. You cannot keep refinancing.

Also if gas prices stay high this will fuel inflation.
We will be able to pay the debt with cheaper dollars, small cancellation.

KL

[cthrumatrix]

15. Walmart and Target just missed sales estimates...there's your economy!

When discount stores are behind....people are not spending.

[MUSTANG_2004]

16. For me, the economy is improving

I own a small business and have to say that all evidence I see is that the economy is picking up steam. Businesses are starting to open up the purse strings for new projects. I haven't been this busy in years.

That said, our foreign policy is on a terrible track. While my kids are quite young, I worry about my draft-age or near-draft-age nephews. That, and I suspect we'll be paying for our Iraq excursion for years to come.

[Blue_Roses]

18. what kind of small business is it?

n/t

[MUSTANG_2004]

24. Computer consulting

With 5 part-time employees. I used to also have several full-time developers on staff, but didn't have enough business to justify replacing them when they left a few years ago. But business is reaching a point now where I might need to start hiring again.

[Red State Rebel]

26. Our business is up 56% over last year...

We have a heating and cooling company and it has improved for us. More projects are breaking loose, people are spending a bit more freely. They seem to have more of a tendency to ask for more expensive equipment and replace equipment that before they would have repaired again.

We just signed a contract on a new construction project where a couple is building a 4,000+ square foot home. Our portion is over $50,000 - it adds up when you heat your patio....

[eridani]

17. The basic problem

1. Fewer and fewer people are required to make more and more stuff.

2. Only people paid to make stuff are allowed to get stuff.

Not sustainable at all.

[bvar22]

19. I believe that it is called "dead cat bounce"!

The bush* financial policies (extreme voo-doo eco) drove the economy down so fast that when it bottomed out, the first few quarters appear to be a steam roller economy. They have timed it well. Seasonal employment increases combined with dead cat should see the cons to the election.

The major problem is that the improving economy (some sectors) can be attributed to:

1) Massive (record) government deficit spending:
It is like an irresponsible adolescent who has been given a new credit card. The kid will have the appearances of prosperity (new stereo, clothes partying,etc.) for a short time, but the bills will come due!!!
The current boom has been financed with borrowed money!

This is one reason why the mega rich are working so hard to make the tax cuts for the rich permanent; they don't want to haver to pay the bill. Unless something is done, the working class and the poor will pay this bill.

2) Unemployment Down??
bush* has EXPANDED GOVERNMENT.
New Government Departments, military stop loss, military recruiting, and the employment of civilian contractors in Iraq plus the expansion of the armaments industry have all contributed to easing the employment problem. Plus, the extended deployment of National Guard and Reserves has forced many workplaces to hire short term replacements.
No country has had an unemployment problem during a war.
For the USA to be struggling with unemployment and under-employment during the bush* war is frightening messenger of VERY BAD TIMES TO COME.....unless the war never ends.


The bush*s base (the obscenely rich) have reviewed the Reagan years and have learned from their mistakes. Reagan was not lucky enough (or evil enough) to hit the trifecta and lie the USA into an unnecessary war. He was forced to raise taxes (on the working class) when it became evident the his trickle down economic policies were nothing but a scam to transfer money from the working class to the super wealthy. Bush the elder was also forced to raise taxes to pay for the Reagan tax cuts for the rich, and Clinton was also forced to raise taxes for the same reason.

[pandason]

20. republicans make the discussion absolutely useless

becaue of their tax cut economics, that first bush president correctly described as voodoo economics. you give people a giant tax cut, and then... what? there are a bunch of economists that say it will make the economy better down the road, may be immediately, may be several years down the road. nobody has a fucking clue. and then there are a bunch of economists that say the whole concept is bullshit. there is just no way to prove it.

it's much better to give tax cuts and incentives to small business, enforce anti-trust laws against big corporations to create competition and jobs, and do something that is tangible and that you can actually understand

[Beetwasher]

21. Propogands Does Work To A Degree

And we're seeing it in action w/ the economic numbers and the media coverage of them and the improvement in the polls.

Of course the numbers are as phony as the terror numbers, but it doesn't matter....

[lanparty]

22. They're cooking the numbers ...

We are still in the hole.

[DemoTex]

27. This regime is great at cooking the books

They have been caught many times, and oft. Why believe them now? Just before the selections?

[lanparty]

23. Question ????

Are foreign laborers counted in the employment figures ????

I would hate for all those underpaid Indian indentured servants to count in the jobs numbers. That would be a bit deceptive.

[TrustingDog]

25. it's bloody great for the 1 percential....

what with outsourcing to slave labour, cheating and cooking books all the while, and even if you get caught, phfffft.

It's lovely!