I'm currious as to whether this is actual improvement or jumping the gun on QEIII? Consumer confidence has improved to mild recession levels, likely based on improved perspect of potential home buying. Homebuying is being financed by looting the pensions of the people buying the homes, but they won't find that out until it comes time to retire. 3% mortgage rates might be with us awhile, but they will never be seen again by anyone over 21 years old once they leave. After the bankers get their slice, there isn't much left for investors in the securities.

What happens with the fiscal cliff? Sovereign debt crisis if they don't fix it, deflationary trend if they do. Of course, the way Congress counts cuts, we need $10 trillion in cuts and tax increases to knock a dent in the thing. Why did the 2009 stimulus never show back up in reduction of the deficit? Like anything else, it never went away, just changed stripes.

There are jokes that circulate on political issues. Mortgage interest deduction? $200K at 4% is $8000 a year. Put in the taxes and maybe you get to $13K. The married standard deduction is $11,600, so what is the mortgage deduction worth? Isn't it really a back handed way to encourage debt to bankers? The real question is, who can live on $20K a year as a family of 4? That might work in some backwoods area, but in the cities, it barely pays rent and utilities. Do away with the deduction and give people a personal exemption increase to make up the difference. In fact, getting rid of itemized deductions would save taxpayers billions, as the cost of having the form filled out likely comes close to the savings for most Americans. Give line items for charitable contributions and maybe State taxes and go on. Another change needs to be the limitation on taking capital losses. The number was $3000 when I took taxes 35 years ago. Talk about a penalty for the middle class that barely affects the rich, who wash their losses.

When is the damage Bernanke is doing shows itself to the general public? We will know when he has a rope around his neck. Maybe Bennie will merely be a scapegoat for attempting to stop the inevitible. Inflate or it will implode I have read from time to time. I keep that in mind from time to time.

Ok,

So where is 'Billreilly' with his B/C ??????????

Quote:

I love how good reports are turned into bad reports. I know you have a deep emotional investment in doomsday, but reality refuses to comport with your fantasy. The Obama Recovery is kicking into gear!

[****skittles]