Labor statistics were reported last week and they stunk again, as just 148,000 jobs were added. A number twice that amount is good, but three times is what we really need. Even so “the market” instantly traded up on the weak labor stats. Why? Because a poor jobs market means continued quantitative easing (QE). Every...Read More

In what many hoped would end with a long-term solution to our Nation’s fiscal woes, all the drama and fanfare surrounding Washington DC ended in a thud, again. Last week a “deal” was struck to end the government “shutdown,” and for all the perceived relief it brought, details are sparse. What exactly was agreed to?...Read More

A little sanity needs to be inserted to the conversation regarding the government shutdown and the debt limit. Let’s begin by eliminating one easy distraction: the government shutdown is not an actual “shutdown.” It’s a temporary minimization of government. The people furloughed (or temporarily laid-off) during this time will be paid their full salary for...Read More