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Boost The Economy News
Shopping spurs U.S. economy - Proof that consumers can pull the U.S. economy out of the dumps...
The big boost at the end of 2001 came from ordinary Americans who shrugged off fears of terrorism and unemployment to shop up a storm. Consumer spending rose during the fourth quarter at a 6 percent rate, led by an astonishing 39.2 percent leap in purchases of motor vehicles and other big-ticket items. more>
Shopping can boost economy
Soon after 9/11, President Bush told the nation that to save the economy, we all needed to go shopping. Honestly, a little shopping right now might do a lot to save what’s left of our economy now.
Let me be straight about this. I don’t mean we should go back to our bad old ways of spending money we don’t have on things we don’t need. But there are a lot of people in our very own community who would be grateful if we did some business with them.
Take restaurants, for instance. There are 524 food and drinking businesses operating in Clark County, according to the Washington Department of Revenue. Those establishments, from upscale sit-down dinner houses to the Burgerville around the corner, employ about 10,000 people. The wages and tips from these jobs help support families, keep children fed and cars running. Last year those eating establishments generated more than $414 million in taxable retail sales, state figures show.
So while cutting back on extravagances is part of the new world of worry we live in, let’s not go so crazy on the I-won’t-spend-a-dime side that we put everybody out of business. We just need to spend within our means. So if you’ve got a job and are relatively certain you are going to have that job next month and next year, think about what keeps this community going. That’s right — shopping
Just for the record, another 4,000 people work at general merchandise stores here and yet another 2,000 at auto dealerships and repair businesses.
If we were into extreme spending just a couple of years ago, shouldn’t we be concerned that we’re now into extreme anxiety about the economy, which can produce the self-fulfilling outcome of economic collapse. Hey people, get a grip. Take your mother out for Sunday brunch. more>
Swedes 'shopping up' the economy
A combination of a strong labour market and an increase in spending power thanks to tax cuts and salary rises has lead the institute to predict an overall increase in household consumption of 3.9 percent this year.
"Everything looks fantastic for the next two years," said Jonas Arnberg, analyst at HUI.
He pointed to three factors which are driving the surge in consumption: the Riksbank's recent decision not to increase interest rates , tax cuts since the beginning of the year, and now, the icing on the cake, the abolition of property tax. more>
Taiwan turns to shopping to save economy
TAIPEI--Taiwan plans to launch a multi-billion-dollar shopping coupon program to stimulate domestic consumption amid the global economic crisis, it was reported Sunday.
The program, based on a similar initiative launched by Japan in 1999, may cost the government up to 70 billion Taiwan dollars (2.12 billion US), the Taipei-based Commercial Times said.
The program was discussed when Premier Liu Chao-shiuan met cabinet members over the weekend to draft measures aimed at boosting the economy and staving off recession, it said. more>
Gonna Need a Bigger Boat
If you are going to fight a global financial panic like this, you have to go at it with overwhelming force — an overwhelming stimulus that gets people shopping again and an overwhelming recapitalization of the banking system that gets it lending again. more>
Helping others out during difficult times
Tracy Orr sat in the back of the room and prepared to watch her foreclosed home go up for auction this past Saturday. That's when a pesky stranger sat down beside her and struck up a conversation.
"Are you here to buy a house?" Marilyn Mock said.
Orr couldn't hold it in. The tears flowed. She pointed to the auction brochure at a home that didn't have a picture. "That's my house," she said. more> |
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