What to Expect in 2009

I enjoy and respect the opinions of others, but isn't about time that we stopped ALL the "predidtions" and speculations and simply get on board? FEAR is our biggest enemy here...fear of the unknown. There's no better addage than "Just do it!" to give direction to an unknown course.

I take exception with the "blunt assessment" made by Dennis Jacobe, Ph.D., Gallup's chief economist, and Alan B. Krueger, Ph.D., the Bendheim Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University. For example, they state "A larger share of national income has been going to profit. So it may be that Americans don't notice the end of the recession because job growth and income growth are likely to be weak for months after the recession ends." Their "conclusion" is philosophical conjecture that is based on an ideology oozing with affection towards Obamaomics. Where is the data to back up their frivolous opinion. In fact, they contradicted themselves later by saying "Jacobe cautions businesspeople that this is not the time to spend money on anything that isn't a pretty good bet to increase profits." Help me out here - are profits good or bad for the economy. Your two "leading" economists regurgitate some pertinent financial facts, but they fumbled on understanding how this makes the free-market economy work. They should be explaining the long-term decisions that both government and businesses need to make and the investments needed to increase productivity, efficiency and competitiveness. These are the drivers of an expanding economy that raises the standard of living for the nation and will get America out of this recession. I know this first hand because I live in Michigan and our free-market challenged Governor Granholm has tirelessly taxed and spend her way into the worst state economy in the nation (highest unemployment rate, largest decrease in income and most lost manufacturing jobs). We have been in a recession for years (not months like the rest of the nation) with no end in sight. I can only pray that Obama doesn't employ the failed Michigan economic model. (Obama choose Granholm to be one of his economic advisors, while failing to choose a single entrepreneur that has created jobs)