SPECIAL TO THE WEST PASCO PRESS In 2010, the nation's economy will be better than it was this year. That, however, isn't a cause for raucous celebrations, according to an Indiana University forecast. ...more

November 13, 2009

In his March 13 letter, Peter Stathis accuses me of saying deficit spending is bad when Republicans do it, but OK when President Barack Obama does it. Not true. ...more

March 15, 2009

There are several inescapable realities of our ever-worsening economy that all point to the conclusion that the federal government must take on the role of an employer of last resort. 1. In addition to the already unemployed, the rest of us are also basing our purchasing and investing decisions on a real possibility of losing our own sole source of income. Jobs are the missing ingredient that the private sector can no longer reliably provide if left to its own resources. 2. The nation can also ill afford the luxury of increasing millions of laid-off workers collecting unemployment compensation, while sitting idle and contributing nothing to the economy. 3. The prospect of deficit spending without foreseeable end carries with it far too much negative baggage to ever provide the sorely needed catalyst for a renewal positive mindset. ...more

February 24, 2009

Before the federal government adopts a new self-image as "Spender of Last Resort," we should at least explore a less costly role for the government as an "Employer of Last Resort." Idled workers could be directly engaged by the government in advancing our nation's educational, environmental, energy and infrastructure needs. ...more

January 9, 2009

Hernando County's unemployment rate keeps inching upward, but the gap between it and the top spot is widening. ...more

July 19, 2008

It's the economy, stupid," James Carville famously said during the 1992 campaign, when a young Bill Clinton was running against the other President Bush. ...more

June 1, 2008

Slow job growth, coupled with the effects of a troubled real estate market, is pushing down demand for new homes in the Tampa Bay area, according to a report released Wednesday. ...more

November 1, 2007