矽谷市道 低迷不振
【邱鴻安】聯準會預測，美國經濟可於今年第三季擺脫萎縮，恢復增長，而最新的數據也顯示，消費信心指數連續四個月攀升，灣區5月份房價連續第二個月上漲，房屋銷量也持續增加。不過，矽谷的市道卻仍然低迷，情況並不比今年第一季好(全國經濟第一季萎縮了5.7%)；矽谷市道與經濟好轉的數據明顯不符，為什麼會這樣？
矽谷是主要經濟區，這裏的市道情況最能預示經濟趨勢。這裏的市道最近持續平靜，餐館生意欠佳，高價餐館少見客人，偌大的地方，往往只有一兩桌客人，中下價收費的餐館生意也不見好，只有少數菜做得好收費又不貴的，才有較多人光顧。仍有工作的年輕人，成為中下價餐館的消費主力。餐館最能反映市況，景氣蓬勃時，到處是人，現在景氣差，則處處門可羅雀。
那麼，公司、企業的情況又如何？「矽谷人」的普遍反映是，消費意慾仍低，所以商品銷售不振，連帶使公司收入減少，不願增加開支和招聘人手。 矽谷的公司雖已不像今年第一季那樣大幅裁員，但目前仍然繼續裁減人手。矽谷地區5月份的失業率攀升至11.2%，比4月的11%又增了一點，2008年5月時這裏的失業率只是5.5%。
州和地方政府減少開支，也影響到矽谷的市況。地方政府因為出現預算赤字，所以普遍削減開支；矽谷公司雖保住跟地方政府做生意的合約，但合約的費用卻普遍被削二、三成，還保留的六、七成費用，如按時得到支付，已算幸運。
聯邦政府的開支因刺激經濟計畫而增加了，但刺激款項對市道的幫助卻不大，例如給予小商業的補助，就起不到什麼作用。一名華裔科技業主管最近被裁，想在聖荷西開設優格店(yogurt)，雖得到刺激經濟計畫的補助，但開店卻要經費35萬元，盤算了好一陣，眼看景氣如此差，終於還是決定不開了。
歐巴馬政府剛又推出購買新車的補助計畫，但專家估計，這項計畫也難起到大作用。這項計畫補助購車者3500元至4500元，目的其實不在於環保(減少耗油多的舊車)，而在於促銷汽車─尤其是為美國三大汽車公司促銷；不過，消費者要買新車，在得到三、四千元補助後，仍要自掏腰包，拿出一大筆錢來，在目前人人都不想花錢的情況下，買車還不是時候。
洛杉磯加大安德森商學院預測，加州雖可在今年下半年擺脫經濟衰退，並且恢復增長，但就業機會減少的趨勢，卻至少持續一兩年，要到2012年(甚至2013 年)，才能回復5%、6%失業率的正常情況。這種「逐漸復甦但失業率高」的情況，正好說明了矽谷地區目前的低迷市道─由於就業情況沒有改善，失業者多，消費市道因此欲振乏力，而企業則因產品沒有銷路，所以不願招聘人手。看來，矽谷市道要好轉，還要一段時間。 (世界日報，6.23.2009)
If everyone is on government dole, then there is no need to celebrate "INDEPENDENCE DAY" anymore, Is there?
After being asked by the AP, when the public should begin judging the success of the nearly $800 billion stimulus plan, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs answered, "I think we should begin to judge it now." So as we can see Gibbs disagrees with you.
Let's take Mr. Gibbs' advice, shall we?
The administration warned that if we failed to support a stimulus package, unemployment would hit a dire 9 percent by 2010. With the stimulus, unemployment, it claimed, would stay in the 8 percent range.
This week, the Labor Department announced that the jobless rate jumped to 9.5 percent, higher than it's been anytime since August 1983.
It's not as if the administration was close. As The New York Times notes: "The difference between the situation that the Obama advisers predicted and the one that has come to pass is about 2.5 million jobs. It's as if every worker in the city of Los Angeles received an unexpected layoff notice."
Don't get too dejected, though. We still have an economic plan with a heaping dose of hope. Surely, you'll feel better when the president begins doling out his two-pronged faith-based explanation -- and if we're lucky, he'll do it at a "town hall" meeting with approximately 100 of his closest friends.
This leap of faith involves buying the "save-and-created-jobs" myth the president likes to peddle. And if you're lucky enough to be working on some state-run boondoggle awash in freshly printed money, smile. As for the rest of America, we once again learn that government spending rarely spurs wider economic prosperity.
And that, Bush is as much at fault as the lovable, adorable Obama is.
He has not been in the office long enough for me, or anyone else for that matter, to pass a judgment on him at this point in time. But suffice it for me to say, so far so good. I will give him the benefit of a doubt and will stick around with him until I see otherwise.
Nothing is for sure. A ballot is nothing but a vote of faith. He was elected because people not only liked him but also had confidence in him.
Unlike responding to UFO, it takes time and energy to respond Chiu's aritcle. Usually, it takes up all of my lunch break or I have to wait after my kids are in bed. It not only involves knowledge of current events, political or social as well as research on things that I am not sure of.
Needless to say, I am certain, that readers here understand my position regarding this new administration. I pretty much have said all there is to say about Obama and his socialist agendas. You see, I have no beef concerning articles such as this one by Mr. Chiu. This article and a few others seems neutral and without visible political bias and should be commended. It is when Mr. Chiu asserts his political opinions in his articles that I will respond with mine to present a different view.
Now, here is the million dollar question after reading Mr. Chiu's article;
How is "HOPE" and "CHANGE" working out for you readers so far?
May I see something from you please?
Obviously, no other readers want to or capable of.