Getting Back To Normal?

In my industry we pay very close attention to the Consumer Confidence Index. Primarily because this helps us gauge the consumers desires to buy or not buy things. As the U.S economy and my industry is largely based on consumerism this helps us forecast future trends.

We have noticed recently an increase in consumer interest to purchase as well as following through with such purchases over the last three weeks. There doesn't appear to be any significant market conditions that would encourage this behavior. I could argue just the opposite and that certain indicators trend to a further slowing of the economy.

One idea I have as to why this sudden surge is that the Obama hysteria is fading. It has been over two years of fanatic slobbering of what was to come from this self proclaimed messiah that reality is starting to settle in that he isn't anything more than a community organizer with no business experience. Many who voted for this accomplished party guy are beginning to awake to a hangover illuminating a President who really does want America to become a Socialistic Country.

Any good American politician understands that the United States people are conservative in nature. So when Obama starts inviting Iranian leaders to our 4th of July celebrations or entertains Huffington post bloggers at an international press conference the hearts of these elected officials start to skip a beat.

So as the Obama rage disappears then the political rhetoric of both aisles increases thus the grinding engine of the U.S. Congress begins to slow. I believe Americans are now seeing things getting back to normal and thus are able to come out of there homes and start living their lives again.

Astro-turf or Grassroots?

Darn it! I must have missed my marching orders. I didn't get the phone call, the email, the certified letter. Somebody rich in Washington was "organizing" and sending out drones to do their bidding on April 15th. The Richest of the Rich wanted to have a bunch of white redneck drones show up for what Pelosi called "astro-turf" Tea Parties because they aren't REAL GRASS ROOTS. These "rich orchestraters" want to protest the rich being taxed more under Obama.

I really missed the memo. So did the other 2000 people at my local tea party. My 13 and 11 year old holding the signs we made from the poster board bought at Staples that afternoon helped me push the stroller with the baby around road work to get to the state capitol. We were walking next to other moms with babies, dads with toddlers on their shoulders, guys on motorcycles, minivans of boy scouts, some retired veterans, some in business suits stepping out of the office at the end of the day to join us.

Most of the participants would benefit from a tax cut on the middle class. So why would they be at the tea party protesting taxes on "the rich"? Because we know that tax slogan is a fallacy. If you pay a utility bill, if you buy gas, if you use a telephone or cell phone,if you (God forbid) smoke, or consume alcohol: your taxes are going up! That sounds like middle class to me. If my husband succeeds in his business he will eventually move us into the $250,000 tax bracket. We had hoped at one time that the day would come... what is our incentive now? An extreme liberal relative (Obama supporter)complained to me the other day that she received a bonus check but such a large portion of the bonus was taken in tax that she will have to wait a year to get it back in her return. I wanted to say "why do you want it back"? Don't other's need that money? Isn't it going to important programs, necessary bailouts, mortage foreclosures? But more importantly, please notice that even the most loyal Obama supporter or tax and spend liberal does not like it when it is THEIR money taken. Its easy to take it from the "rich".

Nancy Pelosi, there was a time when our leaders would not disparage the average American for expressing their peaceful opinion. But now we find ourselves in an age when the first female Speaker of the House will disparage some of the taxpaying citizens and VOTERS of the country as mindless drones organized and paid for by the rich elite.

You dear lady are the mindless drone. You represent the worst of the rich elite and 'entitled'. And You put the ASS in Astro-turf.

What Are the Rich Thinking About?

When I ask the question, what are the rich thinking about, I am only referring to riches involving money and I consider the well-to-do to be the top 4% of wage earners in this Country, those making over $100,000/year. The easiest way to spot the affluent is to see if they bought a home over $500,000 because those are the only ones who could afford it.

I have several friends who are loaded but every single one of them doesn’t consider themselves rich. Some own well over a $1,000,000 in real estate, have expensive cars, kids who go to private schools and who travel the world. Yet they all want to complain about President Obama taxing them and how hard it will be on their family and how it will plunge our economy even further into recession. Now I agree with their conclusions on the results of over taxation but come on, their rich. A strange thing though, they all want to be included in my sphere of people, the people without all the toys, struggling to make ends meet, face losing a job or perhaps own a small business under pressure. OK I’m a big tent type of person so I am willing to welcome them in joining the cause in helping us over throw this oppressive leaning government. I say how we must stop the pro-abortion groups, save our rights to own a gun, stop the government’s attempt to silence free speech and rise up against the invasion of illegal aliens so I ask them, are you with me? Are you with me?

Well, not so much. You see, the rich care about their money, that’s probably why they have so much of it. But the problem the well off don’t recognize is that people like me, those who apparently give higher value to morals and the principles on which this Country was founded on than to the mere existence of money are the ones fighting to save the rich their money. If I was only interested in my family’s immediate needs I would be an Obama supporter. My family stands to benefit from a majority of the Presidents social programs from health care to lower taxes. So if the wealthy only represent 4% of our Country and need the support of the conservative middle class to help them why would they shrug off our concerns? If the rich don’t want the conservative majority to abandon them then I suggest that the wealthy start picking up the causes of their friends as well as their own.