STILL CHASING ECONOMIC RAINBOWS
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Over pasta served family style at Maggiano's, 100 members of the Chamber's SouthPark Chapter listened recently as Wells Fargo economist John Silvia tried to sound positive about the local economic outlook. ?This is not a pessimistic presentation,? John insisted, even as he noted that small businesses are suffering, unemployment is at record levels, and the local economy has failed to keep pace with global shifts toward recovery. He added, ?We've also had four quarters of negative consumer spending. We haven?t had that since the Great Depression.? (Define "pessimistic" for us again.) John did say, though, that Charlotte has a young, highly educated workforce, which bodes well for its imminent recovery. (And, of course, there are those of us with age and treachery on our side.) |
