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April Consumer Confidence Falls is todays's headlines.   Are you surprised?  I'm not!  The price of a gallon of gas is about $2 a gallon more than I would like to pay for it.   Every time I go to a restaurant I cannot help but notice that the prices have gone up.  The result, I eat out less!  In the supermarket I can spend $65 and ask myself "Did I buy caviar?" My next trip to the store, I will stick to my list, and forgo some comfort foods.   If home prices are declining, and airfares are going up why would I not notice it?  Will I probably take less trips this year?  I think that is a more likely scenario.  The same is true of housing and real estate.  If sales are declining, prices are dropping, and foreclosures are rising, whould I rush into buy?  Why would my confidence in the economy and future not decline? Common sense is tellling me to proceed with caution.   This applies to gas prices, inflation, home prices, jobs, unemployment, oil prices, the devalued dollar, out sourcing.

Personally, my confidence has declined, but not in the way you think.  My confidence has declined in leadership in the United States.  It is being run by losers and opportunists, that do not care what is happening to the American people.  It really doesn't matter what political party our leaders belong to, you are not invited to share the wealth and power they are taking form us!  They do not care that jobs are going overseas, or that manufacturing in USA is no longer a way to make a living.  Both political parties signed off on NAFTA.  American leadership should have term limits, we should outlaw lobbying, and we should be energy independent.  Any nation that can put a man on the moon, has or had the ability to develop a new fuel source to lead the US through this new millennium without being dependent on foreign nations.  America is having a confidence crisis on the lack of leadership.

 
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17 Comments on April Consumer Confidence Falls - No Duh!

You said a mouthful there my friend. 

What this country needs is a few good statesmen. 

04/29/2008 12:37 PM by Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Real Estate


Great post.  I could not believe my eyes when I saw the "fake" wrestling of Hillary and Obama on the news. Then the real Hillary and Obama each made a comment on the TV.  What next, a candiate appearance on Jerry Springer?    

These are the people who we are suppose to look up to?  Heaven help us!

04/29/2008 03:05 PM by Karen Gentry>>Charlottesville, Virginia Real Estate Professional (RE/MAX Excellence-Charlottesville VA)


Jim,

We have great men and women in this country who could capably fill in leadership positions in Washington but the current system keeps elevating the wrong players. Reform there is needed.

04/29/2008 03:25 PM by Esko Kiuru - Las Vegas NV Mortgage Consultant (Sinifox Financial)


I watched PBS Sunday night. You would be so encouraged to see the nerds (think tanks) that are coming up with alternative fuel sources. See if you can catch it the next time it is aired. I think it is NOVA.

Anyway, a new car company is on the rise--all electric, I can't remember the name. It's times like these that only innovators survive. The skaters drown.

04/29/2008 04:43 PM by Karen Luke - Henry County Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty )


Good post Jim. It is mind boggling what our leadership has come to - including the Prez and virtually the entire legislature. It's scary. We'll be back in DC in 2 weeks at NAR to get to see these yahoo's first hand, for all the good it'll do. Due to the pay and the perks politics has come to attract a certain caliber individual and I don't think it's what our founding fathers envisioned. Time for another revolution.

04/29/2008 07:09 PM by Gene Wunderlich - Selling Southwest California Homes / Temecula & Murrieta (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage)


I think if you look at the way the different generations feel about our leadership you will see a very marked lack of trust from the younger sets. At least at the farthest reaches of leadership: nationally.

But when you focus more Locally, there are some really engaged people who work very hard for their communities- elected or otherwise. And usually for very little compensation.

 

04/29/2008 09:34 PM by Sarah Nopp, REALTOR(R), CRS. RE/MAX Four Seasons, Olympia WA (RE/MAX Four Seasons)


Ohh- and don't forget about the food crisis. Or water. Those are on the horizon too.

04/29/2008 09:38 PM by Sarah Nopp, REALTOR(R), CRS. RE/MAX Four Seasons, Olympia WA (RE/MAX Four Seasons)


 

Everything is going to be great, and worth the wait, in the days to come. My life got better when I stopped listening to the radio and stopped watching television. I listen to Mantovani, Al Jolson, Kate Smith and Al Hirt on my old record player, never go to bed angry, say my prayers, and sleep like a baby. too! I used to fly for fun, but gas is too expensive now. Maybe again one day. Great post, Jim.

04/30/2008 02:21 AM by David Saks - Real Estate Broker (The Real Estate Mart of Tennessee, Inc.)


The drop in consumer confidence is probably a sad reflection on the increasing percent of Americans living from paycheck to paycheck that causes consumer sentiment to be so closely correlated to  gasoline prices instead of based upon American competitiveness vs the rest of the world (a more meaningful long term metric).

I visited the GA house and senate last year to see the state government in action and left disappointed and embarrassed... the senate operated like a drunken fraternity party and the house was full of representatives  commenting on bills they hadn't even read!!!  This years governer Sonny prays for rain instead of implementing meaningful water management changes, and  the house/senate leaders waste time on possible tax reduction bills when they should just be cutting state spending 5% per year like corporate America. YES, It seems the morons flock to politics...

 

 

04/30/2008 08:06 PM by Phil


Jim, I totally agree with you.  I think we need to fire the whole bunch in Washington, and start out fresh.

04/30/2008 08:11 PM by Bob Cumiskey, US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor (A 1 Connection Realty, Inc.)


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Real Estate Agent: Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)
Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO
Atlanta, GA
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