Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Jobs Report is Fraud, Greatest Ponzi Scheme in History Continues


I am a small businessman at "ground zero." I don’t need Obama, the Fed, economists, or the media to tell me how the economy is doing. I live it. And I’m telling you, we’re all being lied to. The economy is not getting better, it’s getting worse. Back in late 2007 and early 2008, I publicly predicted (numerous times) that we were entering the deepest recession since the 1929 Great Depression. At the exact moment I wrote about this, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke was testifying in front of Congress that the economy was fine, we were not in recession, and there was little threat of a serious economic decline. It turned out he was dead wrong about everything. A small businessman always knows. [more...]

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

OBAMA MAY BE THE GRINCH WHO STEALS CHRISTMAS, EXPERTS SAY

THANKSGIVING SALES: A BAD SIGN
OMINOUS OMEN FOR 2014 ECONOMY, INVESTMENT AND JOBS
IS THIS AMERICA'S "NEW NORMAL?"


Thanksgiving holiday weekend sales were the weakest since 2009, despite major chain stores opening for the first time on Thanksgiving Day.

“President Barack Obama may be the Grinch who steals Christmas, judging by Thanksgiving's weak sales,” says Craig R. Smith.  “We have the smallest percentage of Americans working since Jimmy Carter was President. Only 101 million Americans have full-time jobs, but 108 million are getting means-tested welfare, paid from heavier taxes on working families. The average American family's income is down by about $3,500 since President Barack Obama took office in 2009, yet in 2013 its Federal tax burden increased by more than $1,000."

“Consumer confidence was at a 7-month low this November,” said Smith, “and 65 percent of Americans told pollsters that they were living paycheck to paycheck.  An Associated Press survey last July found that 80 percent of U.S. adults are near poverty, rely on welfare, or 'struggle with joblessness' for at least a significant part of their lives. They live in economic insecurity.  And Obamacare has left families, including millions already struggling to keep their heads above water financially, at risk of losing their health insurance and having to pay a lot more for a lot less coverage. The Manhattan Institute calculates that American families will soon be forced to pay an average of 41 percent more."

“No wonder the National Retail Federation foresaw 7 million fewer shoppers online and in stores than 2012's Thanksgiving weekend,” says Smith. On Black Friday, the number of customers visiting retail stores was down more than 11 percent over last year, and sales were down a stunning 13.2 percent.”

“Welcome to the 'New Normal,'” says Smith's co-author Lowell Ponte. “This is one more sign of our economy weakening, despite the Federal Reserve propping it up with more than $1 Trillion every year of new money conjured out of thin air.  Even the Fed in late November grimly admitted that 'Slower growth in productivity might have become the norm' in our economy."

“This means that the Federal Reserve dare not stop its stimulus spending, even though it no longer stimulates economic growth, because our 'record high' stock market and government are addicted to this cheap, easy money,” says Ponte.  “This means that taxes will keep going up, our anemic economy will keep going down, and, unless voters change things, we may be headed for our devaluing dollar to soon be destroyed in a firestorm of high inflation, or for a Great Depression of long-term stagnation."

“We're in a slow-growth period of unknown duration,” says Columbia University Nobel-laureate economist Edmund Phelps.  No wonder so many Americans are hunkering down, frightened, and spending carefully.

“This is a teachable moment for our children and grandchildren, an opportunity to instill lifelong survival skills,” says Ponte. “Do as the three Wise Men did 2,000 years ago by giving something this Christmas that politicians cannot run off a printing press – something of secure, permanent value such as a small gold coin. This could inspire a lifetime of thrift and of wanting to learn how the economy works.”

“The old saying is that if you give a person a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach your children to fish, you feed them for a lifetime. Today the politicians give people a welfare check, to make them dependent on and addicted to government for a lifetime.  This Christmas teach your children and grandchildren how to be free, independent, self-reliant, prosperous and thankful for a lifetime by giving them real values and real money,” says Ponte.

Factoid: 75% of Americans polled by CBS would have preferred that stores stayed closed on Thanksgiving. Millions nevertheless left family dinners, football and a day of rest to snap up bargains such as big screen TVs.

To schedule an interview with Craig R. Smith or Lowell Ponte, contact:

For a media copy of their new book “The Great Withdrawal,” contact:

Sources:

Lauren Coleman-Lochner and others, “U.S. Retail Sales Up 2.3%, Foot Traffic Declines,” Bloomberg News, December 1, 2013. URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-01/u-s-retail-holiday-sales-up-2-3-foot-traffic-declines.html

Elizabeth A. Harris, “Thanksgiving Openings Take Sales From Black Friday,” New York Times, November 30, 2013. URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/01/business/thanksgiving-openings-take-sales-from-black-friday.html

Hope Yen, “The Big Story: Exclusive: Signs of Declining Economic Security,” Associated Press, July 28, 2013. URL: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/exclusive-4-5-us-face-near-poverty-no-work-0


Rich Miller, “Fed Reveals New Concerns About Long-Term U.S. Slowdown,” Bloomberg News, November 27, 2013.  URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-27/fed-reveals-new-concerns-about-long-term-u-s-slowdown.htm

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

OBAMA ECONOMY MAY TURN “BLACK FRIDAY” RED, SAY EXPERTS

OBAMA ECONOMY MAY TURN “BLACK FRIDAY” RED, SAY EXPERTS
Reason: “Uncle Sam Is Playing Santa Claus”

WHAT YOU BUY ON FRIDAY COULD MAKE
YOUR FUTURE BLACK OR RED, WARN ECONOMISTS

“TURN THIS THANKSGIVING INTO A 'THINKSGIVING' BEFORE YOU SHOP”


The day after Thanksgiving is called “Black Friday,” because this is supposed to be the day that most merchants go from losing money – shown on their ledger books in red ink – to making a profit, which they record in black ink.

“Many businesses may stay in the red all of 2013 and deep into 2014 because consumer confidence is at its lowest level since 2009,” says Craig R. Smith, a monetary expert frequently interviewed by Fox's Neil Cavuto and other major business journalists.

“The reason is that Uncle Sam is Playing Santa Claus. Our politicians are spending more than $1 Trillion every year more than government takes in as taxes,” says Smith, whose latest book is “The Great Withdrawal: How the Progressives'100-Year Debasement of America and the Dollar Ends.”

“Our government now operates in the red all the time, funded by the Federal Reserve printing more than $1 Trillion every year out of thin air, which debases the value of our savings, and frightens tax-fearing, inflation-fearing investors and companies out of hiring more workers,” says Smith.

“That is why our economy is stagnant, unemployment stays high, and our stock market is addicted to and high on the Fed's conjured hallucinatory money with its seeds of coming soaring inflation.”

“America now has only 101 million full-time workers – and the lowest job participation rate since Jimmy Carter – but we have 108 million people on means-tested welfare programs,” says Smith.

“We cannot go on much longer in an economy with more takers than makers, and with more in the cart than are pulling the cart. The invisible Continuing Recession soup line of those now on Food Stamps would stretch more than 17,500 miles – more than 70 percent of the way around our planet.”

“Today 49.2 percent of U.S. households have somebody living there who gets a government check, yet average household income has fallen by at least $3,382 since the Great Recession began – and household income has fallen twice as much since President Barack Obama took office,” says Smith.

“Americans should be grateful this Thanksgiving, and on this Red Friday you ought to be buying – not trinkets and toys, but buying things that will protect you and your family in the economic storm we shall face,” says Smith's co-author Lowell Ponte, a former think tank futurist.

“More than 5 million Americans have already lost their health insurance because of Obamacare, another of Uncle Sam's 'gifts,' and the Kaiser Family Foundation warns that as many as 93 million or more of us could see our own health insurance policies cancelled by the end of 2014,” says Ponte.

“For American families, Obamacare will increase health insurance costs by an average of 41 percent, according to analysts at the Manhattan Institute,” says Ponte. “And this huge government-imposed expense is happening in an Obama-chilled economy where millions were struggling to keep their heads above water financially.”

“Politicians love to play Santa Claus, but the rest of us pay the price for this....and a much bigger price tag will soon come when people around the world stop accepting Uncle Sam's credit card....and our economy collapses into another government-caused Great Depression,” says Ponte.

“This Friday, I plan to use some of my gift dollars not to buy toys or trinkets, but to diversify with tangible things they can't run off a printing press as they do our rapidly-devaluing paper dollars in Washington,” says Ponte.

“To protect my family, I plan to follow the example of three Wise Men who followed a star – and who brought tangible, reliable gifts: the spices frankincense and myrrh, and the once-and-future universally accepted global reserve currency, gold, which will gain value as fiat currencies such as today's U.S. Dollar collapse,” says Ponte.

“As we explained in our new book The Great Withdrawal, if you want to see the coming disaster that Big Government Santa Claus politics cause, look at bankrupt Detroit. This could be a crystal ball glimpse of America's fast-approaching future.”

“If you love getting bargains on what used to be Black Friday, then remember that when the next Great Depression hits, those who still have solid money such as gold will almost certainly be able to buy the world for five cents on the dollar,” says Ponte.

“What you choose to buy this holiday season with your dollars – trinkets or solid enduring value such as gold – could determine whether you and your family are bargain buyers, or are forced to sell your possessions for pennies on the dollar, the next time the economy collapses.”

“Make this Thanksgiving a Thinksgiving, and shop Friday as if your future depends on how wisely you buy and invest your money,” says Ponte, who was a longtime Roving Editor and investigative reporter at Reader's Digest magazine.

SOURCES:

Cotten Timberlake, “Wal-Mart Touts $98 TV in Weakest Holiday Season Since '09,” Bloomberg, November 19, 2013.  URL: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-19/wal-mart-touts-98-tv-as-holiday-seen-weakest-since-2009-retail.html

Elizabeth A. Harris, “Retailers Less Than Cheerful Over Christmas Sales,” New York Times, November 14, 2013. URL: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/15/business/retailers-less-than-cheerful-over-christmas-sales.html

“Poverty, Taxes Reach New Highs Under Obama,” Newsmax, September 28, 2013. URL: http://www.newsmax.com/InsiderReport/Poverty-Taxes-Reach-New-Highs/2013/09/29/id/528195

Jeffrey H. Anderson, “Incomes Have Dropped Twice as Much During the 'Recovery' as During the Recession,” Weekly Standard, August 23, 2013. URL:

Friday, November 15, 2013

Digital Currency


I confess to being a Bitcoin (digital currency) skeptic. I had an opportunity to get in on the ground floor when the digital alternative currency was trading at just $7 per Bitcoin, but didn't bite. Today, the exchange rate hit $400. Trading Bitcoin is not for the faint of heart. Daily fluctuations of 25% or more are not uncommon. For those not in the know, the currency is open source, the number of units issued is fixed and those who hold it are anonymous. Many misconceptions about it continue, which is hampering its adoption. Governments are extremely hostile to its acceptance as money.  No surprise there. It's not like you expect the Federal Reserve to welcome alternative currencies with open arms. [more...]

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Why Does the World's Richest Country Have So Many Failed Cities?



A century ago our nation was famous around the world for creating beautiful cities. Now, we are known for failing cities. In a recent 60 Minutes report, Bob Simon noted that after he left what passes for sparks of new life in downtown, the rest of Detroit reminded him of Mogadishu - "the worst place I've ever been." A failing city, we have at least 25, is one that can never expect to return to its former prosperity. Soon Detroit's population will be one-third of what it was in 1960; there is no chance it will ever boast two million again.  While Detroit's problems are specific in their particulars, cities like Baltimore, Cleveland, Toledo, Scranton and Hartford share histories of similar policy choices that drove their continuous downward spiral. [more...]

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Obamacare - The Big Scare is Here



The big problem with Obamacare is no one understands it!  One thing that appears to be certain is families will be paying more than what was promised to them on Election Day.  One of the bigger issues caused by Obamacare is business owners are confused and afraid to grow their business.  As a leading authority on buying and selling businesses, I have my pulse on the emotions of the business community.  Unfortunately, many business owners are deeply concerned about the ACA and are making the tough decision not to grow their businesses.  Many owners are deciding to stop at the 49 mark and not hire any more employees.  Most businesses operate on a tight budget with minimal profit margins and they can't afford to pay out more money.  It's as simple as that. [more...]

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

The Latest on the IRS Scandals


It is increasingly clear that the 2012 elections, both presidential and Senate, were stolen by Obama, the Democratic Party, the IRS, and government employee unions. It’s right out of a mob movie like “The Godfather.” In a story reminiscent of the mob fixing union elections, the IRS enforcers conspired to destroy Obama's main competition - the tea parties and other conservative fundraising groups. Lois Lerner was only one of many IRS big-shots in D.C. who gave orders to IRS offices across the U.S. to "kill" the tea parties and other conservative groups. Their goal: steal the election. As of only days ago, the "fall gal" retired from the IRS. We can only guess what kind of massive payoff she received from Obama's donors. [more...]