Sunday, December 28, 2008

Good bye 2008-Hello 2009

2008 has been a year of great turmoil. The war in Iraq continued; the economy has tanked; thanks to Congress, the U.S. taxpayer is on the hook for more money than anyone can possibly comprehend; corrupt politicians continue to pop up in the headlines; and current leadership continues to stumble along, utterly oblivious to the needs of the nation.
But the good news is that we have a new president who holds great promise for our nation while his predecessor and sidekick are mercifully on their way out. Which brings us to 2009. Herewith my carefully considered predictions:
The economy will continue to degrade throughout the first few months of 2009 but in the Spring and onward there will be a slow and steady improvement. Unemployment rates will slowly go down; the stock market will go up; one auto company will go out of business and the remaining two may merge-possibly with a foreign company; an Obama led initiative will demand and get explanations from banks and other financial institutions as to where the money went; the housing market will enjoy a resurgence due to low housing prices, huge inventory, more money being lent, very low interest rates, pent up demand and improving economic conditions. It could even lead to another bubble. Beware and learn from history.
Elsewhere, the war in Iraq will wind down but military efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan will increase. The situation in Israel and the PLO will come to a head with either a U.S initiated peace treaty or a major invasion by Israel resulting in all-out war and a possible crisis involving Iran.
So there you have it. Oh, and one last thing: the price of gas will go up! Bank on it. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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