Housing Sales-Obama’s Idea of Recovery

In July while the President was traveling the country touting the economic recovery housing sales hit a 40 year low. If this is recovery what is recession?

Home sales fell 25.5 % in July and the NY Times reported that this was fueling concerns about the recovery. My economic concerns do not need fuel. Obama and his economic team have provided more than concerns. They have created an economic situation unlike any in my lifetime. The unemployment figures have been altered in recent years to eliminate some of the traditional elements used to determine the number of Americans unemployed.. The announced number of unemployed is reported to be 9.5%. If the criteria used was the same as that of the Reagan years the actual unemployed would be reported to be about 22%

Close to 25% of America’s workforce is unemployed or underemployed.

No wonder home sales are at record lows. The unemployed is reaching record highs. Why is there surprise at the sagging housing market? People without jobs are fighting to live, not out buying a new house. Construction of homes is perhaps the most important provider of good paying jobs in America. With new home sales sagging sales of major appliances, rugs, furniture, trees , bushes, window dressing as well as all the items needed to build a house will happen.

The cars and trucks typically bought by construction workers will not be sold. Jobs are key at this moment. Solar panels and wind turbines will not end this recession. Jobs are needed and Obama’s increased taxes are not the way to recovery.

The Obama family obviously are not at all sympathetic to the plight of America. Their frequent vacations at posh resorts seem designed for royalty rather than a Chicago politician temporarily holding the office of President. Hawaii, Spain, Florida and now Martha’s Vinyard have all been vacation sites for the Obama entourage in the last 6 or 7 months. These vacations have not involved clearing brush from the back forty as some presidents spent their time away from Washington. The Obama respites from the pressure of the presidency seem closer to a vacation of Louis the 14th rather than a leader of a nation in economic turmoil.

Symbolic actions designed to join with the population in times of trouble are a lesson of leadership which Obama never learned. Obama is not about to even symbolically fly coach. Joe Biden could help the presidential team by sharing his experience and lessons learned in many years when he rode the Metroliner after Senatorial duties up to his home in Delaware most nights. Joe may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer but those rides on the train with the people gave him a smooth ride each time he sought election.

I’m not suggesting that the President ride trains but maybe he could find some wood to chop after playing his weekly 18 holes of golf. Rather than Martha’s vineyard he might head back to his Chicago home and spend time with the neighborhood groups he organized. There might be some wood to be chopped that was left when he decided to reorganize the nation’s economy. The nation can help the economy by preparing the road for his permanent trip back to Chicago.. The whole trip will take about two years. The longest journey always starts with the first step. That step will be taken this November.