Thy Plank Sees Clearly in Congress?

The S&P 500 fell 9.1% from January 1, 2000 through December 31, 2009, the worst decade ever. During the Great Depression of the 1930s the stock market index fell 0.3%. The best performance was during the 1950s when the stock market index rose 487.1% and the President of the United States for eight of the ten years was Dwight Eisenhower.
Gasoline prices on December 31, 2008 averaged $1.62 nationwide but rose 63% to $2.64 per gallon by 2009. Many in Congress during the Bush Administration demanded a sweeping Congressional Investigation into excess profits by oil companies and wanted Bush and Cheney to walk the plank. With the Obama Administration the trumpet blowers of Jericho can be drown-out by the drop of a non-camel needle.

The price of a barrel of oil increased from $44.60 on January 1, 2008 to $81.37 by October 21, 2009 and finished at $79.36 by December 31, 2009. This 78% increase has put a damper on many retirees whose traditional cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security did not rise 10 cents in 2010.

Many retirees depend upon Treasury notes (directly or indirectly) for income. As of December 31, 2009 the yield on the 10-year Treasury note was 3.84%.

Public employee pension funds in the United States are now underfunded by $2 trillion; and growing daily.

Lastly, the stock market had a great day today which begs the question: How many good days does the stock market have to have before we have dug out of the worst national debt in the history of the nation? This question then begs another question: If the stock market goes gang busters again, what are the chances of another boom-and-bust economy where Average Joe takes it again on the chin?

Mathew 7:5 "You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Think About It