DISASSEMBLING LIFE

President Obama gave word today that he is approving a tax reduction for everyone. In his plan, he would give everyone a break on the income tax from their paycheck. These days, when President Obama announces another dollar amount that the government is going to hand out, I get excited.   The same way I do when waiting for the punch-line of a joke. Sure enough, he didn’t disapoint with his great $65.00 a month income tax reduction.

Because my point of view is that of a family of seven, in the long run just keep the $780.00 this year and put it toward the national debt my grand kids will be working off. Although my situation does not reflect this, my heart still skips a beat when I hear that the average American household has $8,000 in credit card debt. The government would be better off creating a situation where people are held to paying off their credit card debt and cutting the umbilical cord to them. The first thing every financial guru tells people who are hurting financially is to give up the latte and pay down your credit card debt. I understand that President Obama is trying to jump start the economy but his slapped together money bills seem to be more smoke and mirrors than a real thought through plan. He detailed that everyone will receive a reduction of $65.00 a month in income tax from their paycheck. In reality, the government just gave the American people the equivalent of a latte a day for a year to people who should be putting that toward their credit card debt.

With all the intelligent people in Washington, it seems that someone could put together a program to help people. You know, one that is so easy to read that you know there is no hidden agenda. One that helps people create cash flow and reduce debt. I am not a financial wizard but I have read enough on my own to know that a program with these qualities would help jump start the economy more than a extra $65.00 a month with no accountability.

This economy is projecting people to be good citizens again. As fast as things are changing in this world we are adapting and keeping up.  When disaster hits us, we rally together and get things done. Take hurricane Katrina for example the amount of volunteers were fa nominal. We Americans have survived a separation from the British, a Revolutionary war, not to mention two world wars. If we focus on the current jobless rate in our country it could suck the optimism right out of us.  Rather than letting the latest bad news keep us down lets fight to keep our optimism and change our country for the better. In my opinion John Rich got it right in a recent fox news story stating that America will bounce back better than before.

In Michigan we have four full seasons.  It is hot in the summer and cold in the winter.  When winter is turning to spring the grass and trees are brown, all the flowers are just a pile of brown sticks. Without reminding yourself that spring is coming it would be easy to dart right into a depression.  I feel economically we are in the transition period between winter and spring.  When the dow droped below seven thousand that was the offical first day of spring.  Now everyone who has ever lived in Michigan can tell you that you will see winter weather in the middle of spring.  So you enjoy the good weather and in the bad weather you hold tight knowing that it won’t last forever.

Under 7000

In the shadow of another dark historical marker, can there be light somewhere? When the Dow fell below the 7000 mark for the first time in twelve years, things seem to getting darker. My perspective is the glass half full with the realization that any thing could happen. As we continue to endure one piece of bad news after another I have hope. When your life approach is not focused on the amount of money in the bank you do not get pulled into the quick sand of current events.

Remembering back to 1997 when the Dow Jones broke 7000 for the first time, a coworker at the time was all gitty when he explained the news to me. This guy had extensive knowledge of the stock market. He was a member of a stock trading club that was started at this company in the 1980’s. He was the only person that I have ever known who could tackle any stock market question thrown at him. In 1997 the popularity of the internet was picking up speed as well as Tech stocks (Dot Com boom). In addition, a lot of baby boomers were retiring early because there retirement funds was producing big bucks. Then in 1999 the Dot Com boom busted while the stock market recovered with a decent pace. Following those events was a little hiccup in early 2000’s but it still floated around 10,000.

As a result of reading a few of the stock experts and some of them believed that we were living with an inflated stock market. Understanding where they were coming from I didn’t react to their point of view but maybe they were right. Now if we have seen the bursting of another bubble, then to me this also means that we have had a great correction in the way of our stock market. As a country the last time we saw the jobless rate like today’s and other financial specifics was the early 1980’s. We recovered from that one and it is my belief that we will pull out of this one. I believe in this Country and its people, and God’s hand is on us. The Entrepreneur of days past is what has helped strengthen us financially. The Entrepreneur of the future days will produce the revenue in radical new ways and that is what will launch us out of the current dark cloud.