There seems to be some disagreement about whether the economy is in a recession.
Maybe it's a matter of semantics.
The Wall Street Journal reports, in its economics blog, that George W. Bush insists the country is in a "slowdown," not a "recession."
Well, whatever one calls it, the result is less money in my pocket.
Steve Forbes writes that he knows where the economy went wrong and how to get it back on track. (Do you think he wants to be McCain's secretary of the treasury?)
I'm hardly an economist -- although economists all seem to have a different idea about what will make a sluggish economy perk up, so I guess it wouldn't matter whether I actually agreed with anyone. (I think it was Harry Truman who said, "If you lined up all the economists end to end, they'd point in different directions.")
What this country needs is an economic strategy. But you can't execute an effective strategy if you won't admit that there is a problem.
A good place to start would be a real energy policy.
This afternoon, on my way home from work, I stopped to get some gas. I paid $10 and got about 3 gallons of gas. With any luck, that will get me to the weekend.
At the neighborhood gas station where I buy fuel for my truck, the prevailing rate is $3.45/gallon. Keep in mind that we haven't seen the price increase that usually accompanies the special blend for the summer driving season.
That should show up at the beginning of May. (In case you were wondering what to do with that rebate check -- whenever it arrives -- the oil companies apparently have a suggestion.)
To go along with the higher fuel prices, I'm paying more for food. In fact, it costs more to keep the basics on hand. Never mind a few of life's luxuries.
I'm not planning any road trips this summer -- long, short, or otherwise. Are you?
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