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Hmmm....
Do you think
this --
"U.S. Economic Confidence Sinks to Lowest Level Since March
'09"
Weekly economic
confidence falls to -41 in the week ending July 17
PRINCETON, NJ
-- Americans' economic confidence plunged last week to its lowest weekly
level since March 2009. Gallup's Economic Confidence Index fell to -41 in the
week ending July 17 -- down from -34 the prior week and -31 during the same
week a year ago.
U.S. economic
confidence has been running below 2010 levels during most of June and July.
But the recent plunge sent this year's economic confidence down even further
-- back to the recessionary levels of early 2009. Gallup's Economic
Confidence Index combines two measures: one assessing Americans' views about
whether the U.S. economy is "getting better" or "getting
worse," and the second involving Americans' ratings of current economic
conditions as "excellent," "good," "only fair,"
or "poor." The "getting better" ratings fell and the
"getting worse" ratings rose in the week ending July 17 to levels
not seen since March 2009. --
might have
something to do with this [italics
mine] --
"Lack of Money Tops List of Americans' Financial Worries"
WASHINGTON,
D.C. -- Basic lack of
money remains Americans' foremost financial concern. Even
in the current job climate, 17% of Americans say the most important financial
problem their family faces today is a lack of money compared with 9% who say
it is unemployment or the loss of a job. The cost of healthcare takes second
place as 12% say it is the most important financial problem for their family.
These findings
are based on a July 7-10 Gallup poll asking the American public to name the
most pressing financial problems facing their family today. Americans' top
five concerns combined represent well over half of all financial concerns
mentioned. Remarkably, these top five issues have remained virtually
unchanged over the last two years.
It's pretty
simple, really: without enough to get by on, it's hard for anybody to feel
confident about the future. Why don't those highly paid "experts"
understand that?
Michael J. Panzner
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