For thousands of Arizonans, the end to 2011 couldn’t have come fast enough. Too many people in Arizona were without jobs this past year. Too many families lost their homes to foreclosure. And not enough college graduates saw opportunity present itself after working and investing for four or more years to get a college degree.
Today the calendar turned to 2012 and we all know that simple fact doesn’t change much. But there were trends at the end of 2011 that indicate 2012 will be a better year for the economy. And voters have a chance through the election process to put their weight to bear on those that would be president or congressmen and congresswomen. The November election will likely swing based on the state of the economy in 2012.
More than 40 leading economists were surveyed by the Associated Press recently and most expect the economy to be better during the next year. While the unemployment rate may not significantly improve, things seem to have stopped getting worse and a few segments are getting better.
Some nice trends at the end of 2011: Job growth has started. Gasoline costs less. Manufacturing has increased. Consumers decided to spend to have a nice Christmas.
And the best news is that analysts now predict the national economy grew at a 3 percent rate in the final quarter of 2011.
The majority of the economists surveyed by Associated Press thought the U.S. economy could withstand the European economic upheaval. Very few see a second recession as a possibility.
So being optimistic about 2012 seems reasonable when each Arizonan finalizes his/her New Year’s resolution list.
We do have a couple of resolution suggestions for the state’s governor and legislature.
First, keep the reins on state government spending. Leaders have done a nice job of cutting costs and balancing expenses to revenues and borrowing. Don’t screw it up now.
Second, resolve that the governor nor anyone in the Legislature will use the term “surplus” when referring to tax revenue. That term leads to more spending. The truth is that Arizona won’t have a real surplus for a very long time. The money that had to be borrowed to get the state through some tough years is still owed through bonds. And the state very soon (in 2014) faces an estimated $50 million loss in sales tax revenue.
If there is anything that America and Arizona might have learned during these economic hard times, it should be that we all have to live within our means. We hope that commitment to stay within what the state can really afford will be the top New Year’s resolution in the state house in 2012. That would be the best way they can help the economic recovery that may have already started and begin to make things better for more Arizonans.
Arizona Willie posted at 9:23 am on Sun, Jan 1, 2012.
Despite the Republican's roadblocking everything Obama attempted to do ... his policies are gradually winning.
The economy has gotten a bit better, unemployment is down, Osama is gone, the troops are out of Iraq ( which Bush put there ).
You don't turn an ocean liner around in 100 feet nor do you turn the American economy around in 100 days despite the demands of the Republicans that Obama either do so ( despite their resistance ) or be called a failure.
George Bush the Lessor had 8 years to mess the economy up and he took every advantage of it he could. Tax cuts to the wealthy, starting two unfunded wars and the unfunded Medicare prescription beneifit -- ALL ON BORROWED MONEY.
No one ... no one ... no one could turn that mess around in less than the time it took Bush the Lessor and his henchmen to make it.
But Obama has made a pretty good start, especially considering how the Republicans vowed to make him a one term President and tried their best to thwart every move he made.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 2:55 pm on Sun, Jan 1, 2012.
I didn't see Obama's name mentioned once in the Editor's View did any of you ....oh well, when did that ever matter to the "Obama disciples". If one of the other commentors can find some way to bring up Pinal County's great new Sheriff's name....every chance he gets (vendetta ?)...and another thinks that the 20-30Million Illegal Aliens from Mexico and Points South are out there in the work place doing nothing but "picking tomatoes 24/7" (Folks, there aren't even 20-30 Million tomato plants in America....lol....oh, well when did the truth matter to these people) and another must have gotten their monthly allotment of "purple kool-aid" early and is on the old "blame Bush bandwagon" once again......2012 looks like it's going to be 2011 redux all over again in the "comments and Letters to the Editor" sections....things never change in "Liberal-Progressive-ville" do they ???
paulcashe posted at 1:08 am on Mon, Jan 2, 2012.
Despite low mortgage rates, refinancing activity has been slow and experts believe consumers seem to be ignoring rate reductions because they don’t feel like they’ll qualify for good deals, for them a place to check is 123 Refinance online
k33j88 posted at 6:02 am on Mon, Jan 2, 2012.
Hints for a better economy----are you for real? Let's dissect this unreliable, unobjective ramble. Too many Americans without jobs? There are plenty, if you're willing to work for sub-par wages and work 2-3 "jobs". Foreclosures? You can thank the lending institutions willing to kowtow to the liberal establishment by lending to anyone that can breathe. College graduate opportunities? What ever happened to "starting at the ground floor". Ah yes. AP polls-----Now there is a reliable, unbiased, unobjective pool of viewpoints(based on questionable facts) that we can all hang our hat on. Job growth has started? Maybe for retail and service industries----again sub-par wages. Since when is $3.00 plus for gas anything but good for the economy as a whole? Our economy has been hemmoraging manufacturing jobs overseas that offer "liveable" wages for some time now. According to some analyists, consumers have been returning "gifts" in record numbers. Now I can't find the immediate resource for my rhetoric and conclusions, but any GOD-fearin', conservative can attest to these general observations. The Tribune is way "out of touch" with reality. Please don't insult my intelligence by using only "AP" resources. Get a grip. Thank You
k33j88 posted at 6:19 am on Mon, Jan 2, 2012.
Just a couple of more points to make: 3% quarter growth does not make an economy healthy and vibrant. The "US economy could withstand a European economic upheavel". Our own debt rating was downgraded, the dollar is losing its' "reserve currency status", China and Japan has just signed the worlds largest free-trade agreement, the federal reserve is printing money faster than anyone can tell(M3 money supply is now secretive), the fed/reserve had and is giving cash infusions to prop-up the European central banks, the Euro is on the verge of collapse. The Bank of England is preparing for such an event, shouldn't we? Thank You
Accuracy posted at 11:33 am on Mon, Jan 2, 2012.
The beginning of every year provides an opportunity to think about our past: What mistakes have we made? What do we wish we'd done differently?
The beginning of the year 2012 can turn our thoughts to making a new start.
"Wealthy New Year" to you, too!
Slabside posted at 2:56 pm on Mon, Jan 2, 2012.
@Arizona Willie, "Despite the Republican's roadblocking everything Obama attempted to do ... his policies are gradually winning."
Seriously AW? For the first 2 years of Obamanure's presidency everyone of his idiotic bills were rammed down America's throats and yet the unemployment rate and the economy continued it's downward spiral.
@Arizona Willie, "You don't turn an ocean liner around in 100 feet nor do you turn the American economy around in 100 days despite the demands of the Republicans that Obama either do so ( despite their resistance ) or be called a failure."
Willie, this loser has had 3 years now and the only thing he has done is spend the country into near bankruptcy, played golf and basketball and blame George Bush for all of his failures.
@Arizona Willie, "George Bush the Lessor had 8 years to mess the economy up and he took every advantage of it he could. Tax cuts to the wealthy, starting two unfunded wars and the unfunded Medicare prescription beneifit -- ALL ON BORROWED MONEY."
Sorry Willie : BEFORE DEMOCRATS took over the House and Senate Jan 2007:
Unemployment was 4.5%
The Dow was headed to 14,000+
The deficit was 3 times SMALLER than ANY of Comrade Obama's current or projected deficits
The National debt was $5 TRILLION dollars LESS
52 straight months of REAL private sector economic GROWTH.
and the 4 top federal total tax revenue years EVER were 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 under those E-VIL Bush tax cuts.
The economy began its fall the day Democrats took over the House and Senate:
"The economy is still smaller than it was in 2007."
nytimes.com/2011/08/05/business/economy/double-dip-recession-may-be-returning.html
treasurydirect.gov/govt/reports/pd/histdebt/histdebt_histo4.htm
cnsnews.com/news/article/111th-congress-added-more-debt-first-100
treasurydirect.gov/NP/BPDLogin?application=np
data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=248&page=2&count=500
finance.yahoo.com/q/hp?s=%5EDJI&a=00&b=21&c=2009&d=08&e=22&f=2010&g=d&z=66&y=330
taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=203
Willie: Another fact our super smart "progressive" want to ignore: under Bush, the 2008 corporate taxes paid was $304,346,000,000 and then under the 1st year of Obama, corporate taxes paid was $138,229,000,000 so Obama IS the most corporate connected corrupt President this nation ever had.
www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxfacts/displayafact.cfm?Docid=203
QUIT MAKING EXCUSES FOR THIS LOSER OF A PRESIDENT!
Arizona Willie posted at 8:36 am on Tue, Jan 3, 2012.
Claiming Democrats controlled the House or Senate is specious at best.
They have slim numerical lead in name only because there are quite a few ultra-conservatives who run as Democrats because of the nature of politics in their area.
They call them " Blue Dog Democrats ".
If you divide the Houses of Congress according to Conservative or Liberal == then it is a completely different story and Conservatives have dominated.
Philosophy is what counts ... not the party name the legislator hides behind.
So, once again, saying the Democrats took over the House and Senate ... while technically true ... is very misleading to say the least. I'll try to be polite and not call it an outright lie.
Accuracy posted at 8:30 am on Fri, Jan 6, 2012.
Slabside's point and summary says it well........ "Obama IS the most corporate connected corrupt President this nation ever had".
With Obama as president the main problem remains right in front of us – that is, the fiscal mess of the United States is big government power and spending . . and communism.
Obama has remained an ideologue, and most of 2011 was spent worrying whether the economy would plunge over another cliff.
The future is murky, but many Conservatives are sure that more business-friendly politicians will win in November, wiping out Liberal communist initiatives.
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:27 pm on Sun, Jan 22, 2012.
"Consumers decided to spend to have a nice Christmas.Consumers decided to spend to have a nice Christmas." -- That's the one thing that did it more than anything else. Checking month to month isn't the best way to forecast. Let's see what the next two months bring us.....
Masterrogue666 posted at 7:45 pm on Sun, Jan 22, 2012.
Arizona Willie: Slabside basically stated what I would have. I know for a fact that you deplore the affect that ILLEGAL ALIENS have had on this nation. Don't forget that Obama tried multiple time to give amnesty to a bunch of CRIMINALS, only to be stopped by both partys. Finally, he made it an executive decree. It's contrary to what the MAJORITY of citizens of the United States want. To me, it sounds like an impeachable offense. But instead of a costly legal battle, I just hope American citizens are smart enough to vote him out of office. I just hope America can recover from the damage he's done.