do you know anyone who thinks the economy is improving?

[pstokely]

?

[sangh0]

1. yes

.

[LittleDannySlowhorse]

2. Yes and no

I know people who repeatedly cite, mantra-like, the economic indicators that suggest that the economy is improving, but you can tell deep down that they're not really expressing their own opinion so much as just plain old wishful thinking.

[kcwayne]

3. The more interesting question is

"Do you know anyone who has evidence that the economy is improving"

My answer to your question is yes.
My answer to my question is no.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. Nope. Most people I know are cutting back on their Xmas spending

and most of my friends who are in sales are having their worst sales year ever (myself included).

[wryter2000]

5. I do

A supply-sider I know jumped on that growth in GDP as though it proved that tax cuts work. He keeps referring to when Reagan's tax cuts resulted in massive revenue increases. (He says Congress spent too much money and that led to the deficits.) I can't find any links to tax revenues, so I can't dispute him. But if I ever do find those data, I'll make him eat them.

[Gulf Coast J]

9. Tax revenue did end up going up during the 80s

But tax revenue always goes up. Eventually, tax revenues will be higher under the new tax rates than they were in 2000. But that hardly validates the idea that tax cuts increase tax revenues. Very, very few economists will say that tax revenues would be higher after a tax cut than they would have been without the tax cut.

[sendero]

10. Reagan...

.... IMHO pulled off a simple trick that still seems beyond ken of the moronic Reaganites.

He instituted a wartime-spending policy during peacetime, borrowing trillions and funnelling them into the defense industries. That is debt that still hangs over us and frankly will likely never be repaid, but will be one of the reasons the dollar loses its place as the world's standard currency - a loss that is going to affect all of us.

Of course this action stimulated the economy, give me a couple trillion and I'll stimulate the economy while actually accomplishing something :)

[MUAD_DIB]

18. When Reagan entered office the national debt was

1 trillion. When he left office 8 years later that debt had tripled to 3 trillion.

Tell me was there really a Reagan miracle?

[derrald]

14. OPEC

OPEC faced competition when Mexico and Venezuela entered the oil market. Thus, OPEC was forced to cut prices, and inflation was ended in the US - considering that inflation is what had our nuts in a vise in the early 80's, Reagan was handed a good economic situation. Even then, remember, the stock market crashed in 1987. Last time I checked, that's not exactly the finest economic indicator.

[Terwilliger]

16. my question...when do the GDP revisions come out?

I bet the adjusted growth will be changed downward

[JNelson6563]

6. no, quite the opposite

Here in northern Michigan we're really starting to feel it. A week ago in the grocery store I overheard a man talking to a couple, all a bit older, saying the TV tells him about the economy being so good and he doesn't see it. The couple was agreeing with him and talking about what bad economic news they knew of. It sure was hard not to jump and tell them all about the fake numbers from Team Bush and all the lies from the cheer-leaders--and how right they were not to believe what they were being told.

Also, yesterday, a real wing-nut I know told me about her union member, electrician (I think?) brother in-law getting laid off and her sister's losing her job too--at a Kids'R'Us DC. (You may know Toys'R'Us put in an unimpressive Quarterly and Wal-Mart is pounding them with price wars).

Believe me, when even the hard-core wingers see such things hurting their precious ones they start paying attention real fast. They'll step over strangers sleeping in the street without a second look but let one of their own (or, Goddess forbid, themselves!)know any hardship and it's another ballgame!

Julie

[E_Zapata]

7. Yep.....one erroneous and cleverly crafted GOOD news report...

and people repeat it like a friggin mantra.

They are soooooo excited that they seem to miss the reality spin on the false figures when it comes out that night or the next day.

Americans.......really latch on to the positive!! So optimistic.

[kyrasdad]

8. Upstate New York here

we havn't recovered from the 1990-1991 recession yet... Carrier, gone. GE, gone. Rome Cable, gone. Griffiths AFB, gone. Revere, gone. Chicago Pnuematic, gone. Lucas, gone. Orion, dying. GM, dying. But we have a glut of 6 buck an hour Wal-Mart jobs...

[paulk]

11. the economy is improving

compared to six months ago. Just a teeny tiny little bit. But it's still way worse than it was when Bush took office.

It's all part of the Bush strategy, you see. First you lower the bar...

[uberotto]

12. It depends on what you mean by "improving"...

The analogy I would use is I see the economy as a boat that is taking on water, but the amount of water leaking into the boat is slower than it was before.

In other words, I see the economy improving in that it isn't sinking as fast as it was in 2001 and 2002.

Most people I know feel this way. They see the economy as not being as bad as it was, job losses have slowed, some areas that were hard hit early such as technology are starting to show signs of a rebound, but no one is yet feeling comfortable that the bad times are over.

Also, no one I know credits any of this to anything *bush or any other government official has done.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. Yes. A lot of people here unfortunately.

They think people using credit cards equates to economic recovery. And still my mother in law sits without a job.

[GinaMaria]

15. yes, one of my

co-workers said something to me today about the economy improving. :eyes: I told him that unemployment numbers were decieving since a person is no longer counted in the numbers when their unemployment benefit runs out. He also is excited about the gropenator and blamed Davis for the budget problems. This used to be someone who supported the democrats. I have no idea what happened to this guy. His mother died (he's in his 5o's and still lived with his mother). He almost had a nervous breakdown and is getting more bitter. He's the only one I know who thinks this, besides my far right wing boss.

[sandnsea]

17. Yes

Based on what they're told. When nothing gets any better in a month or two, they'll change their tune in a hurry.

[MUAD_DIB]

19. I'm not so sure of that.

If the media is told to jump they will ask how high. They know which side of the their bread is buttered, and unles it really gets bad they will tow the party line or be replaced.

Besides we will have months of Michael Jackson to be entertained with.