Will 2009 Be Better?

I know that we all would like to think that the worst is behind us; that the loss of jobs, homes, and money will soon be over and it will be a distant recession memory. I am sure that most Americans went to the election polls last November with hopes of fixing their personal and national issues no matter what party or person they were voting for, but is it getting any better? Is the unemployment rate slowing down? Are the numbers of homes being lost reducing? Is the cost of things coming back down? In most peoples personal situations I think that answer is no. I own a small business in a town of around 15,000 people in Ohio and I don’t see things getting any better or even the slight of them getting better anytime soon. I know on a business level my costs are going up and the number of customers I am finding (and keeping) are going down. As well, I know that my taxes both personal and business are going to go up. Its just a matter of basic math; every year the price of just about everything from supplies to wages go up due to an evil word most people don’t understand which is inflation.

Even if we don’t personally see it in our paychecks inflation is occurring. Many times the small man never sees the wage inflation, but without him knowing it he feels it. Take federal workers for example who receive with is called a COLA or cost of living allowance raise every year. Would you like to guess who pays the wages of the federal employees? You guessed it, the tax pay-or. In the coming year we are not only going to endure the yearly inflation increase, but we are going to be hit with the increasing price of supplies and services due to the weakening dollar. The thing that I worry the most about is what the tax increase is going to be? I don’t care what your political view points are or whom in government you believe or don’t believe I learned something in basic math class which is that when the amount coming in is not covering the amount going out you have to increase the amount coming in. We are a trillion dollars in debt as a country and for the first time in decades do not have the strongest currency or largest national production and with the efforts of our government to save homes, jobs, and the dream we are spending money like a drunken sailor. Now, I am not saying that any federal bailout decision has been right or wrong, but again back to that basic math concept, the money has to come from somewhere. So in 2009-2010 are you going to be able to afford a tax increase? Don’t believe it will happen? Your politicians have promised it wouldn’t happen? “Read my lips, no new taxes” type of deal? Well, if the tax rates are either not raised or the deductions are not lowered I hope you have a victory garden already planted. Just something to think about.