Where is the US economy headed?

Really, CI? I anticipated a question along those lines. I stumbled over that also. I think that that is overcome with the starting point: how much did you pay last year in federal taxes?
In any event, punch in $1,000 or $10,000 and find out how much goes to each of a long, long list of federal expenditures. Sure, 5 cents here or $1.46 there (NPR) for someone paying $10K doesn't seem like much but....

Disclosure: I have a dog in this fight.

Illinois is going after Amazon in court over the latter's refusal to collect and remit to IL sales tax on goods shipped into IL.
We have talked about this before here, but not recently.
An estimate I have seen claims that if all interstate sales were subject to the sales tax, the revenue to the states would be around $20bn a year.
A 1992 Supreme Court decision held that companies like Amazon did not have to charge sales tax unless the companies had a physical presence in the ship-to state. The legal word is nexus.
States have been working hard to redefine nexus. If Amazon has a contract with an advertising firm in a certain state and controls what product is produced, that makes them an employer in that state.
Amazon is fighting back, apparently ending contracts with companies located in the states opposing them. In addition, they are negotiating with states for tax relief in exchange for locating warehouses there.

Food & fuel prices continue to rise while Obama shoots hoops and watches B-ball on the tube.

Fuel prices are dropping and are still almost 20% below what they were when Bush was in office.

But don't let things like facts get in the way of your hatred squirt.

Parasite, you are a clueless fool... Have someone help you pull your head out of your ass.

Wholesale Prices Jump ... Obama perfects his jump shot.

OMG..

Inflation?
What are we going to do.. Inflation has never existed in the US before. Panic.. EVERYONE PANIC.. INFLATION is coming.. INFLATION is coming. And it's 1.6%.. HORRIBLE, PAIN, SUFFERING, CATS AND DOGS LIVING TOGETHER KIND OF PANIC.

Parasite, your Rectal-Cranial Inversion is permanent - there is no help for you.

Smell you later.

Is that dog's name 'Brick & Mortar'?

I haven't seen any statistics on how much internet sales have hurt local retail businesses, but regardless of the figures (high or low), I wonder if forcing Amazon to collect sales tax would really be beneficial. It's obviously a very complicated issue. Will it, do you think, end up being debated and resolved in Congress?

It's a very complicated issue, because the feds don't require it, but the states want to enforce their sales and use tax.

Food and fuel prices continue to rise because oil production has peaked. The planet is running dry and no one the right has the sense to realize that.

Amazon will win if it's just left to the states, though. As with the case in Illinois, Amazon just severed their ties with the affiliates based in the state and I could actually see Illinois losing revenue over the decision. Their loss is another state's gain, though, since at least one affiliate has said they'll simply move to Indiana.

Yes, I read that in our local newspaper recently. That's the catch-22 issue for states; if they lose Amazon, their loss will probably be greater than the sales tax potential. They'll lose many jobs and related taxes.

Wrong.

Hey, waterboy, you have to explain why it's "wrong." Your shouts are meaningless, ignorant, and offer no intelligence to any discussion.

Hey, imposer, why are you so very angry and full of hate?
Go back to your meaningless life and stay between the lines.

Another non-sequitur.

Back to the thread's topic. The US stock market is taking a beating on several fronts including the disaster in Japan, and the unemployment and loss of more middle class and poor from the work force - which results in more bankruptcies and loss of homes.

Banks still have not acknowledged the loss of equity value on these underwater homes, and still lie to us about "profits."

When small economic countries can impact the world's economy, think what Japan's crisis will do to look into the future economy of the future.

People continue to buy gold, a useless medal that is used only for speculation of inflation. There isn't going to be any inflation for many decades to come; it's more likely going to be a deflation. Who would buy gold at $1,400+ per ounce? For what purpose?

Ten year bonds lost a little during the last quarter of last year, and the first few months of this year, but I'm sticking with my bonds. With the market taking such a beating, more people are going to leave the market and begin to start buying into treasury bonds where their investments will be safer.

That will result in higher prices for bonds while the interest rate drops, but that's much better than losing your shirt like in 2008 when most people lost 40% of their retirement savings in the market.

Try to remember these warning signs as you look into the future of your investments.

Well, to be fair, gold has an extremely high intrinsic value as a metal with many interesting properties. It's critical for a lot of high-tech devices, in large part because it doesn't rust. It also is highly prized for jewelry and decoration.

An oz. of gold makes a lot of transistors and circuit boards. I agree it is likely much higher than it should be right now, but the stuff isn't worthless.

Cycloptichorn

An investment in gold doesn't pay dividends and any capital gain is taxed at 28%.

Yah, I'm just saying that as a commodity, it has intrinsic worth.

It certainly is portable and compact relative to its' value. If I were going to skip town (for various reasons), I wouldn't take my credit card, but I would take gold.

Cycloptichorn