Since the beginning of the financial crisis, politicians and bureaucrats trying to rescue it have consistently done nothing but fall over their own feet. We would be hard pressed to point to a single true success story among the multitude of programs and regulations that have been
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)According to our political leaders and certain well-placed economists, the U.S. economy is recovering well from the recession. If only the country could get the housing market back on track, then everything would be just dandy. In my view, while the housing downfall heavily contributed to the
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)Political silliness just keeps reaching new lows. The latest idiocy revolves around the political fighting over whether to raise the payroll tax rate back to 6.2%, keep it at the reduced 4.2% reduced rate for two months, or maintain it at that 4.2% rate for the next
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)What a week! Two of the more interesting stories were Jon Corzine accidentally misplacing $1.2 billion and the escalation of the Euro crisis. First, let’s talk about Corzine. This guy has been a Wall Street CEO (twice), a U.S. Senator, and a governor – isn’t that the
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)On the surface, the U.S. economy seems to be turning around. Many of the TV talking heads say so! Heck, the U.S. added 120,000 jobs in November, bringing the unemployment rate down to 8.6%. On top of that, retail sales from the Thanksgiving weekend were stronger than
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)Yeah, we’re saved! Many economists and more than a few politicians are assuring us that the U.S. is entering a recovery phase (again), with little chance for a double-dip recession. One reason is that claims for unemployment benefits dropped to their lowest level in seven months to
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)A story in my local newspaper this week demonstrated the absurdity of some special interest groups – notably, public education unions. Teachers at the California State University system have good pay, excellent health benefits, a great retirement system, and job security far in excess of most anybody
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)Some people seem to always be sunny optimists. Up to a point, this is a good thing. Inventions aren’t invented, businesses aren’t created, and relationships aren’t begun unless someone believes in them and champions them. Investors need to believe in a company prior to purchasing their stock.
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)Critical thinking and detailed analyses have never been strong points among most newspapers and network TV news shows. They know that the majority of their readers/viewers want exciting news about celebrities or the latest on some natural disaster. Understanding economic happenings and the consequences of actions by
(http://www NULL.addtoany NULL.com/share_save)The government and media shell games on public employees, debt, and evaluation of past programs continue. Over the past couple of years, we have increasingly been reading about wide scale reduction of public employees in the press. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) claims that state and
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