Bush says 'humming economy' --U.S. hears 'high prices'

[ECH1969]

President Bush plans to sing praise to a humming economy in his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

But his message will sound off key to some Americans if he doesn't acknowledge that the prices of some everyday items — especially for energy and health care — have climbed through the roof.

At Bill's Pick'n Save in Two Rivers, owner Tom Czerwonka said two factors are hammering his business. "Health care costs are a big issue for me. So is the rising cost of energy," he said.

"I'm not saying I'm in favor or against the war in Iraq. How will we know our mission has been completed?" Braun said.

http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060130/MAN0101/601300442/1358

[izzie]

1. You mean we have a million new jobs so things are good but

then we most likely lost 8 million first before they started counting. If they do not like the figures they just start counting at another place. Like they do with the cut in the military. It started with his father but now we are getting that Clinton did it. This GOP has seemed to move into every field in the govt. and done this. Once I saw that the President must feel and look good about all HIS govt. I stopped my belief in any thing they tell me. The speech will be as Bush wants it and then we will have to hunt for the truth.

[Sadie5]

2. One word will size up Bush economy

LOUSY!!!

[yurbud]

3. I think he meant our economy is giving him a hummer

[Vidar]

4. humming like a buzz saw with a bad bearing.

[teryang]

5. I've seen bad economies come and go over the decades, war,

inflation, recession, high unemployment and outrageous taxes but this is the first time in my life where I have felt trapped in my current circumstances. No matter how poor I was in the past or how bad the employment markets seemed to be there was always some way to overcome it, usually by moving on to something better.

Now I have a sinking feeling every day that the rocketing prices for everything, especially housing, health care and transportation have locked me in or grandfathered me into a situation that I cannot change but don't accept. I look for something better every day but don't see it.

It's positively feudal. The economy around me lacks industry. It is a rentier society. Building, selling, renting and borrowing on real estate is the primary enterprise. Finance not industry is the new essence of the American economy.