It isn't that bad

I have lost both of my staff members in the last 4 days. Both had offers for jobs paying more money. How can this be? Here I thought that jobless rates were soaring, no one could find a job, yet my staff found greener pastures with bigger companies. How is this possible?

I would venture to say that the economy is not that bad, gas prices are down, and I still can't find anyone that is in mortgage foreclosure. My house is for sale and people are still shopping for homes. My Realtor advised me not to lower the price on the home.

So why is the stock market still going down? The news programs ignore the polls that show Obama in the lead. Obama has pledged to hike the capital gains tax rate. Anyone with a low cost basis should be selling their stocks. If you invested in a stock that cost $10 and is now worth $100, you will pay Obama's increased capital gains tax on the $90 increase. If he makes this ordinary income and you make over $250,000 (or is it $200,000), your tax rate could cost almost half of your profit. Sell it today and pay $13.50 in tax or sell it next year and pay $36 or more of it in taxes. The stocks value would have to rise nearly 45% to return your same $87 hat you can get for it today if you wait for the tax changes that are promised.

Smart investors are cashing in because they know that the market will keep going down then eventually back up. Once they feel the bottom has been reached, they will buy again. Sure they lose 15% of their purchase power to current taxation, but they will make that back up. If Wal-Mart announced that they were going to lower the cost of their merchandise by 5% each week through Christmas, people would be flocking to their stores. Same idea, for those savvy investors who don't mind taking the risk, they are going to buy stock on sale and plan to let their investment rise when everything rebounds.

The Economy bad? Are you crazy? Remember 1983?

1983 Unemployment topped out at 10.8% and now it is around 4.7% for the latest numbers.

In 1983 the Dow basically remained flat for the previous 15 years, for the past 15 years the Dow has increased nearly 400%.

In 1983 the prime interest rate was at 11%, which was down from 20.50% just 2 years prior. Today it is at 7.25%.

For those saying the economy is bad, I can't imagine what they would think if we had 1983 numbers today.

Let's face it the numbers look pretty good right now. Most people that can afford a home have one. Most of us are employed, and most have stocks, mutual funds, and IRAs that giving us pretty good returns.

Maybe it is fast foods fault? You walk into a fast food place and you have 3 sizes of drinks Medium, Large, and Extra Large. You have the same thing with Pizza's Medium, Large, and Extra Large. What happened to the small? Perhaps people are looking at the economy with fast food eyes, good, great, and outstanding economy.

The good or great economy we are in right now is not the doom and gloom people are talking. The economy is strong. If we had 1983 numbers today, then would people be willing to except small drinks and small pizzas?

How Powerful Is the Liberal Media?

From time to time people like to question the real power that the liberal media has over public perception. Consider these facts and then think about all the recent stories citing polls that say Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average just topped 14,000 for the first time ever. Our economy has expanded constantly since 2001 despite attack, war, and natural disaster.

The United States has not been attacked since 2001. Sure Al Quaida was just called the most dangerous terror threat to the United States, but that has been the case since the 1990s.

Iraq currently has a government with over a million civil servants. They also have 55,000 police officers with 3,500 graduating into the force every two months. A stock exchange has operated there for almost three years. According to Lieutenant General Graeme Lamb of the British Army, coalition forces now work in various areas to construct economic and political structures that thrive even when they leave. Terrorists have fewer and fewer places to operate as a result.

Thirty years ago the liberal media called attention to starving children in Appalachia. Now it blasts the government for callously letting poor children get too fat.

In what other country at any other time did every individual have so much opportunity to better themselves through education? Well, name a country that did not tax the individual at over 50% once they did make something of themselves.

The people of France and Germany (who we have been told despise the United States) both elected governments in the last few years determined to not only have better relations with America, but reform their economies to be more like the US!

This country is going in the right direction in many ways. The groundwork started with President Reagan who created a foundation of power and prosperity that makes us the envy of the world. Every responsible person should look at our country and the blessings of liberty and opportunity it bestows upon us all and thank the leaders who helped bring us to this point in history. Next year voters need to remember which party has consistently worked for the strengthening of our nation as opposed to condemning basic American values and choose accordingly.