• Economy – The Outlook Is Your Outlook

You can listen to conflicting opinions of self proclaimed experts on government activity or lack thereof on “stimulating,” the economy, however, the reality is that the economy’s progress remains in your hands. The top of the financial food chain with the government’s help wants to prejudice your perception toward positive spending.

The American taxpayer is provided an abundance of opinions and fantasies surrounding economic progress packaged as truths, facts or principles. The certitude applied to the delivery of this inspiring radiation has maximum impact on the behavior of the audience.

The vast central swath through the middle of the American political spectrum representing a majority, seeks reasonableness from government. The majority expects its business to be conducted with some integrity, without the encumbrance of concrete boots of left or right extremism demanded by party affiliation. This expectation of common sense, and forthrightness has not been honestly accommodated by politicians. The cost of reaching elected office has so escalated that special interests have become the overwhelming force behind all thrones influencing legislative agendas. As a result, every utterance emanating from a political pulpit has become suspicious.

When Paulson and Geithner browbeat their economically illiterate, and incurious bosses, into bailing too big to fail financial firms, and to launch profligate spending programs, the taxpayers had no input, nor were they provided enough truthful information to know right from wrong. Furthering confusion came in the form of suddenly popular Keynesian economists affirming government stimulus spending. Their continual proclamation of mission accomplished, and the recession is over, has become a tired refrain.

With unemployment hovering at 16%, when you include marginally attached workers and part timers for economic reasons, the principal energy in the system is the government’s $1.25 trillion mortgage support program artificially inflating home prices, borrowed with future taxpayer sweat.

The two principal pulls at opposite ends of the government intervention string, are Financial Stimulus, and Lowering Taxes. The arguments move the cursor of political will along this confusing line with abundant force pulling effectively from both ends. Over the long term, practical evidence suggest that there is little positive impact on GDP from supposed spending multipliers, so the amount spent as financial stimulus will not find itself increased or even mirrored in the amount of the nation’s gross domestic product. From the other side of the great divide, the lowering of taxes has shown some positive affect, however long-term impact has been almost impossible to empirically quantify.

In the middle, rests the most reasonable path which mandates that government, and politics (humans guided by special interests), remain out of the equation altogether, with some leaning toward easing of corporate and personal taxes, and reducing government expenditures. As his will not occur, and as we have seen, the likely reality is for a continuation of tax increases facing the enormous deficit demanding to be satiated.

Your perceptions as consumers, and taxpayers, will impact economic activity. You will dictate the direction, which the economy takes, and through that process, minimize the influence from politicians and experts confusing your judgment with mutable notions of economic confidence. Instilling confidence is intended to move consumers to borrow and spend. Ignore the noise.

As the recession continues, and it will, we should all remain diligent with each dollar we earn, and even more so with each dollar we borrow, unlike the examples set by Washington.

The biggest financial decision we make pertains to our dwellings. We will be hearing newly energized implorations of mortgaging ourselves into evermore elaborate dwellings, or increasing the debt on those we already inhabit. The reality remains that a home’s increasing value should never become a source of newfound cash while we live in it. Perceive your home as an expense if you have purchased one. If you still rent, congratulations, you have bypassed the heavy stress that millions of mortgage borrowers have endured over the past couple of years.

As the ravages of unemployment persist, we can each contribute to a return of long-term national economic stability by viewing each dollar we earn as if it were your last one for a while. The behavior might just be contagious, and will hopefully spread long enough for political representatives to assimilate the message since elections don’t appear to change much in Washington’s behavior.