Where is the US economy headed?

A funny thing happened today. The stock market was essentially down, but our funds showed a little increase $$.

Prof. Stiglitz said on Newsnight yesterday that the American economy is not recovering.

What Ebay has to say:

Congress is considering online sales tax legislation that is wrongheaded and unfair, and I am writing to ask for your help in telling Congress "No!" to new sales taxes and burdens for small businesses.

Whether you're a consumer who loves the incredible selection and value that small businesses provide online, or a small-business seller who relies on the Internet for your livelihood, this legislation potentially affects you. For consumers, it means more money out of your pocket when you shop online from your favorite seller or small business shop owner. For small business sellers, it means you would be required to collect sales taxes nationwide from the more than 9,600 tax jurisdictions across the U.S. You also would face the prospect of being audited by out-of-state tax collectors. That's just wrong, and an unnecessary burden on you.

Big national retailers are aggressively lobbying Congress to pass online sales tax legislation to "level the playing field" with Amazon. And, as they compete with big retail, Amazon is advocating for this legislation too, while at the same time they are seeking local tax exemptions across the country to build warehouses. This is a "big retail battle" in which small businesses and consumers have a lot to lose. But eBay is fighting, as we have for more than 15 years, to protect small online businesses and sellers and ensure healthy competition, value, and selection that benefit consumers online.

The solution is simple: if Congress passes online sales tax legislation, we believe small businesses with less than 50 employees or less than $10 million in annual out-of-state sales should be exempt from the burden of collecting sales taxes nationwide. To put that in perspective, Amazon does more than $10 million in sales every 90 minutes. So we believe this is a reasonable exemption to protect small online businesses. That's what we're fighting for, and what big companies such as Amazon are fighting against.

I hope you agree that imposing unnecessary tax burdens on small online businesses is a bad idea. Join us in letting your Members of Congress know they should protect small online businesses, not potentially put them out of business.

I've been saying that for years... it's nice to see the Prof. agrees with me.

You are wrong not to blame Obama because he is no friend of the private sector.
Obama is all about big government and he's doing everything possible to damage and destroy the private sector.

Just like he destroyed the auto industry and drove GM out of business. Do try living in the real world, H2O.

LOL! Do try an not be an ignorant asshole, MJ.

I'd say that, of the two of us, the one who ignores every economic indicator for the last five years, which show that the American economy is going and growing again, is the ignorant asshole. And that's not me.

Stiglitz is a idiot republican parroting the FOX News message.
The housing industry is on the upswing only because consumers have more confidence that our economy IS improving.

The stock market is leveling off at over 14,700 today. It was 8,200 when Bush left office.

And the balance sheet of the average citizen is the worst it has been since the Great Depression....what is your point?

Vs who? Americans are enjoying one of the best economies in this world of today as the rest of the world struggles to keep up theirs. The UK is in the throes of a recession, and the Euro countries continues to struggle with their unemployment and GDP.

Do you have any understanding of macro-economics? I think not!

Housing sales and prices are increasing at a healthy rate. That bodes well for the majority of the middle class in this country.

Where do you get your info? FOX News?

He's a Nobel winner and you swore by them on the evolution threads.




In relation to gold there is little change.

He voted for Obama...Things are not good for the 90% who aren't rich.

Nobel Prize winner says nothing about his stupidity about our economy.

Our GDP is still the strongest, and it continues to grow - although slowly.
Based on what the rest of the world is doing, our economy is in pretty good health.

The US represents less than 5% of the world population.

It's a world economy, stupid! When the rest of the world is struggling, the US economy also struggles. That's Econ 101.

Obama's policies are successful, his policies are effectively spreading the misery around
by making it harder for the average American to work & survive. Mission accomplished.

Isn't the 95 Cent tax on cigs supposed to be for pre-kindergarden education of the poor? What they didn't tell us is that this form of education, much like the "headstart" program has very little benefit for the poor with children, needing a solid education in rat and gang-infested environments.

Obviously, the Bloomberg proposal that will increase the age at which a person may purchase cigs will have a neg effect on the Obama plan to use cig tax money for pre-kindergarden education.

Except for useful politicians and Hollywood types he happens to like, Obama's plan is to make every American suffer.
Sin taxes collected and used to indoctrinate American preschool aged children is certainly a devious plan.

I am sorry to here that you have no work, I hope that you are able to find a job soon.