[Ron in SoCal]

^^ Well said you guys. I'm no economist, but there are many componenets to this argument, and a few that the political/media machines will use as so called 'proof' of an improved economy:

- Rediculous unemployment calcs based on new filings, not total unemplyed or expired filings (they say it's 13% here in Ca. I bet the real number is 20+).

- Stock market that goes up. What a crock. These are strong, well managed companies that are not adding people to their payrolls, leaning out inventories, hoarding cash and no capital spend. As soon as the interest on the deficet outpaces our ability to even service the debt, interest rates go up or States get congressional releif in the form of BK ability the market will drop like a rock. I saw a graph the other day that overlayed the last 12 months Dow with the crash of 29. It was eerie how the numbers looked similar. I say buy gold now before it goes to $5k/oz...

I'm a guy that makes a living dependant on companies' capital spend and here's my take: Until people go back to work and we create more jobs than we lose (and we're only about 3.5m jobs in the hole), until foreclosed houses get cleared off the books the old fashioned way, until banks start lending we will be in the same boat we've been in for the last 18 months. Further, after the economy starts truely moving in the right direction we as a country need to start paying down our national debt. That's a tough pill to swallow for all Americans (and especially politicians) but if we want our American way of life and the return of the good ol' days it must be done.

Rant over. I'm ready to get back to hot cars...