| The Growing Economy | | | | The baby boomer population was aging and was |
| Before I mention the economy, let me start with a | | | | moving into retirement. What does this mean? Fewer |
| personal story. | | | | people in the job market; people making less money; |
| My family, Mom and Dad, at first, started in a one | | | | less money being invested in savings; more money |
| bedroom apartment close to their childhood homes. It | | | | being removed from savings. All things which are |
| did not take long and my brother was born. It was | | | | counter to growing an economy.o More jobs being |
| time to start looking for a bigger place. At the time, | | | | transferred out of the country. India was taking |
| Dad did not believe in buying unless he had the | | | | computer programming jobs and customer service |
| money and, indeed, my parents had saved enough to | | | | jobs. Other countries were taking manufacturing jobs |
| purchase a new 3 bedroom rowhouse. Soon after | | | | that used to be done in America. What does this |
| moving in to their new place my sister was born. | | | | mean? Fewer Americans were working; less money |
| Things were looking nice for my spoiled older siblings | | | | was available to purchase products; less money was |
| as they each had their own rooms, but then sister | | | | available to invest.o Illegal immigrants were taking |
| number two came along so move over big sis; this is | | | | jobs in the US, while US citizens were going onto the |
| my room too. A short while later I came, got kicked | | | | unemployment rolls. These illegal workers were not |
| out of the crib, and moved in with my big brother. It | | | | paying taxes, were sending money back home to |
| was a double bed for two kids but it did not stop | | | | their families in other countries, and were investing |
| him from yelling "Hey stop kicking me." Finally the | | | | very little in US goods. What does this mean? Fewer |
| fifth of us had arrived. Fortunately, we could now | | | | legitimate workers, less money going into the |
| afford to move to a four bedroom house. Things | | | | economy, and more money flowing out of the |
| were looking good. However, eventually, my brother | | | | economy and the country.o An educational system |
| moved to a place of his own, my sister, although in | | | | that was producing far too many incompetent people |
| school was traveling the world, then my next sister, | | | | for today's high technology workforce requirements. |
| and then me all left the nest. Of course, this was | | | | Many jobs were going to people who were more |
| great for my little sister who now had three | | | | sufficiently educated in other countries, with the jobs |
| bedrooms all to herself. | | | | frequently going to those countries. What does this |
| We can stop here. Everyone knows the progression | | | | mean? Fewer employed people, more people seeking |
| of a family. How does this compare to the economy? | | | | government assistance, and, again, more money |
| At first we were a small country, but we grew. A | | | | flowing out of the country. |
| plentiful land allowed the early families to quickly | | | | It is true, that the problems in the housing market |
| grow. There was enough for new families to | | | | have caused some of the current economic |
| immigrate to our land. A nation had plenty for many | | | | concerns, but let's be realistic; they are far from the |
| and it grew big, fast, and strong. Yes, it went in | | | | only reason for our situation today. Mortgages only |
| cycles, but, generally speaking, our country and its | | | | feed the economy with so much of its monetary |
| economy experienced a copious expansion. | | | | fuel; there are many other sources which normally |
| And now the economy has begun to stutter; | | | | feed the economy. The foreclosure rate in good |
| economic pundits are befuddled as to how to start it | | | | times was close to 4.0% to 4.5%, so while an |
| up again, doomsayers are abundant, with the | | | | increase to 6.0% is not good, it is not going to be, |
| president of the country being the biggest among | | | | by itself, enough to cause a severe collapse of the |
| the crowd. | | | | economy. |
| Is the economy like the family that grows but | | | | We should not let one issue blind us from the many |
| eventually dies off? Has our country run its normal | | | | issues which make our economy so complicated. |
| course of life? Are we hopelessly clinging to life | | | | So what can we do? |
| support systems created by our government? Have | | | | Remember in the story of my family, how as we |
| we come to the end? | | | | grew, me and my siblings were at first spoiled, then |
| Let's go back to the family. Yes, Dad did die, but his | | | | sharing the same resources, but in the end growing |
| children have had children, and theirs have had some | | | | well beyond our little 3 bedroom rowhouse. |
| more. The education level, the knowledge, the | | | | In many of the economic and social concerns, which I |
| experience, and the aspirations of these new | | | | have stated above, there is an underlying theme. We |
| generations far exceed those of Mom and Dad. New | | | | used to be spoiled; the world economy was almost |
| horizons are visible, which were never seen in the | | | | synonymous with the United States economy. We |
| past. It seems more likely that the natural course of | | | | now unquestionably have a world economy, which |
| things is to grow and improve. | | | | can not be overlooked by any given country, even |
| Many people have basically blamed the current | | | | one as big and as strong as the United States. The |
| setbacks in our economy on the so called housing | | | | Country should not be looking for isolationist ideas, |
| crisis and its supposed corresponding credit crunch. Is | | | | but rather, it should be leading the way out of it's |
| there more to it than this? What else could be | | | | and everyone else's 3 bedroom rowhouses. |
| happening? | | | | When a true attitude of "Yes we can" arises, then |
| Remember prior to the financial setbacks of today | | | | yes we will, in the United States and around the |
| some other major concerns, such as the following:o | | | | world, move to prosperity for all. |