Economy showing fresh signs of life (Been hearing this for 2.5 years)

[dArKeR]

FED OFFICIALS IN MOST of the system’s 12 districts reported signs of economic strengthening, particularly in manufacturing. Consumer spending, however, remained “lackluster” in most of the country with the notable exception of New York, where improving weather contributed to stronger retail sales.
       Officials in three districts — Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco — characterized economic activity as sluggish, according to the Fed’s Beige Book report of regional conditions.
       Even though the report was considered the strongest Beige Book of the year, the evidence of economic recovery was patchy and tentative, leaving independent analysts and financial markets unimpressed.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/946086.asp?0cv=CB10

Why doesn't a Dem stand up and just point out a fact. Take the Media Whore news clips over the last 2.5 years and show how they keep saying, 'next month' or 'next quarter' 'will pick up'. Are you stupid? Am I stupid? Do our leaders think we're stupd? Are our candidates stupid for not splicing these media clips into their campaigns?

PROVE BUSH AND THE MEDIA ARE WORKING TOGETHER IN A CONSPIRACY!

http://darker0darker.tripod.com/

[IDUDOYOU]

1. Prosperity is just around the corner

George "Herbert Hoover" Bush

[madrchsod]

2. "when it rains....

it rains pennies from heaven"

[Ediacara]

3. This is not LBN

This article is obviously from Nov 2001 :-)

[lanlady]

4. without our massive defense spending

the US economy would collapse, and everyone knows it. Just call us the People's Republic of the Pentagon.

[RDANGELO]

5. The economy will not rebound

because we have lost too many manufactruing jobs. This *president has lost two million manufacturing jobs. We are running a trade deficit that is running at almost 500 bil a year. historically it is the manufacturing sector that brings us out of recessions. Even if the Dems win the next election and balance the budget, I don't beleive the economy will come back until we revive our manufacturing base. Thats why all these tax cuts haven't worked, even temporarilly.

[dArKeR]

7. You saw the stories the High-Tech jobs are going overseas too. 10%

by 2004. That's a big chunk quite quickly.

I know the tech had a slight shortage of workers in the 80s and early 90s but the big companies had in-house training programs for company employees to apply to be trained for high-tech stuff. Beside the 'Super Brain' tech-worker, what I saw was the transfer people were all above average in their areas. This clearly proved that you don't need a degree in a tech-field to do well in that field. (I've never seen a study on this but I lived it and know it's true.) And what I saw wasn't massive training for a year. I saw weeks of training then people moved into established projects and succeeding well past expectations and in a few taking over as Project Leaders.

With tears running down my eyes, 'What has happened to America? What has the GOP done to our country? Why have the Corporations, who's board members are 90% GOP, become so greedy? Why has the media helped the GOP destroy our nation?'



One out of 10 jobs in the U.S. computer services and software industry could shift to lower-cost emerging markets such as India by the end of 2004, a top computer consultancy said Monday.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/945665.asp

[sendero]

8. It is not just manufacturing jobs....

.... that are ailing the economy IMHO. This country, from top to bottom, is seriously abusing debt.

Average folks are in hock up to their eyeballs and they cannot even borrow any more money to spend. Consumer debt is at record highs, and one of the few bright spots in the economy, housing, is only bright because of record low interest rates that are now rising.

This country is likely to be in a deep economic funk for a very long time I'm afraid. Sorry for the pessimistic outlook :(

[qanda]

6. Tell that to...

My husband (out of work for over a year), my sister (just lost her job), my best friend's husband (just went back to work on a temporary basis after being off for over six months), my niece (out of work for over six months), my brother-in-law and his wife (who just lost their house and filed for bankruptcy), another good friend of mine and her sister-in-law (cannot find jobs at all after being laid off for almost a year), I could go on and on...

[Yavin4]

11. Your Story Proves That Bush Is A Uniter

All of your friends and family now are "united" in their unemployment/underemployment.

Reminds me of a Sinbad joke from the Bush I years. "Bush said that he wanted to bring families back together. Well, he suceeded. Both my sister and my brother moved in with me."

[Snellius]

9. The body of this article does not justify the headline

This story has been floating around all day. Planted by the Fed it seems. Each with some optimistic, pot of gold around the corner ballyho. But if you read the article, there is little that is really very encouraging.

[ozone_man]

10. If you think consumer spending is "lackluster" now, wait a while.

The refinance boom is coming to an end now, and soon deflation will kick in. Real demand side deflation.

[Ouabache]

13. CBS evening news was talking about DEFLATION tonight

Looking at Japan and how the situation here is beginning to mirror Japan... How can they talk recovery when Deflation is stalking us ?

Deflation is a baby-step away from DEPRESSION folks.

And, if there is any recovery with JOBS it sure as hell looks like all of Bush's richest friends and corporate cronies invested their latest round of tax cuts in INDIA, not the good old usa.

India seems to be adding tons of IT jobs.
Is that those tax cuts at work being invested in jobs?
Cause none of the jobs sure as hell seem to be around here !!

[stevebreeze]

12. mortgage numbers don't show much room for optimism

Higher interest rates caused at least in part due to Bush's tax cut plan have brought refi applications to a screeching halt. Mortgages for housing has also declined but less. This is to be expected because you don't decide to buy a house today and close tomorrow. There is considerable lag time.


http://www.mbaa.org/news/weekly_app.html


Long term the massive borrowing for the deficit and due to massive trade imbalances are likely to make interest rates high for some time.
The only good news is if the economy sucks this bad in 12 months we will get a new president who will have a massive mess to clean up, but should at least have a clue.
:kick: