GFN wrote on Jul 21, 2006 11:35 AM:You know, I'm just a local yokel with no real world recognized gifts...or county, or even city street recognized insight...but: Inflation in check? Gas prices up 40%; pretzels up 24%; rents up 12%; good steaks up 30%; cereal up 21%. Housing prices landing softly? Interest rates on APR's up 55% and inventories of unsold properties up 30%. I like the honesty from Chairman Bernanke, but I can't seem to get past the debt part. Consumer debt at an all time high; our state has a "structural deficiency" which guarantees yearly deficits of at least $6 billion a year; the federal government fiscal deficit is celebrated at being "only" $290 billion this year (of course that's without the Iraq and Afghanistan war bill), and the federal debt is $9 TRILLION dollars, and it was only $2 trillion just a few years ago. To give you an idea: To get a million dollars, a stack of $1,000 bills would be 4 inches high; to get ONE trillion dollars, the stack of $1,000 bills would be 63 MILES high. I always thought that you can only borrow so much then you have to pay the piper. It seems our government has figured out how to circumvent this fundamental principle of economics, at least it implies this. The only problem I have is that I no longer trust my government. It keeps me awake sometimes, but I learned to keep my finances in order. So, when it hits the fan, I guess I will have to buy the beverages.

GFN wrote on Jul 21, 2006 11:36 PM:You know, I'm just a local yokel with no real world recognized gifts...or county, or even city street recognized insight...but: Inflation in check? Gas prices up 40%; pretzels up 24%; rents up 12%; good steaks up 30%; cereal up 21%. Housing prices landing softly? Interest rates on APR's up 55% and inventories of unsold properties up 30%. I like the honesty from Chairman Bernanke, but I can't seem to get past the debt part. Consumer debt at an all time high; our state has a "structural deficiency" which guarantees yearly deficits of at least $6 billion a year; the federal government fiscal deficit is celebrated at being "only" $290 billion this year (of course that's without the Iraq and Afghanistan war bill), and the federal debt is $9 TRILLION dollars, and it was only $2 trillion just a few years ago. To give you an idea: To get a million dollars, a stack of $1,000 bills would be 4 inches high; to get ONE trillion dollars, the stack of $1,000 bills would be 63 MILES high. I always thought that you can only borrow so much then you have to pay the piper. It seems our government has figured out how to circumvent this fundamental principle of economics, at least it implies this. The only problem I have is that I no longer trust my government. It keeps me awake sometimes, but I learned to keep my finances in order. So, when it hits the fan, I guess I will have to buy the beverages."

JOHN wrote on Aug 14, 2006 7:21 PM:I kinda like the guy.wont make much difference though .Youll all still see 8 percent home interest rates soon.

JOHN wrote on Aug 14, 2006 7:26 PM:GFN APPEARS TO BE SMART .WHEN DOES THE SKY FALL?STILL WAITIN FOR MY RENT TO GO DOWN. Id LOVE IT.