http://baltimore.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2009/03/09/daily22.html?ana=e_du_pub

As predicted on this blog, Maryland’s unemployment rate hasn’t been hit as hard as other parts of the nation. The addition of military bases and government expansion should help us moving forward.

http://finance.yahoo.com/tech-ticker/article/202783/Market-to-Obama-Put-Bad-Banks-Out-of-Their-(and-Our)-Misery?tickers=%5Edji,%5Egspc,SPY,DIA,XLF,BAC,C

I find Jim Cramer entertaining, but often I find his advice to be overly-hyped. He, like many financial advisors and stock pickers, use revisitionist history to toot their own horn.

However, I really applaud this letter. He talks about his support for Obama and the Democratic party, but his current lack of leadership of this financial crisis is unacceptable. The lack of pro-growth policies is frightening:

http://www.thestreet.com/story/10468397/1/cramer-my-response-to-the-white-house.html

http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.reregulate20feb20,0,1182240.story?track=rss

I think the term “de-regulation” is insulting our intelligence. There was nothing free-market about this change, more bad politics. Write your local repsentative and voice your opinion.

Some good food for thought. I do own some of the T Rowe Price Corporate Income Bond Fund-good choice:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/29412820

50% Jump in the Dow?

http://www.cnbc.com/id/29350894

Don’t know if you field for the tax reduction in York County?

go to http://www.syc.k12.pa.us Click on Tax information under “Tax Office”-left hand side, click on Homestead/Farmstead Information. There will be a link where you can type in your name and/or street address to see if you applied and were granted or denied the exemption.

You can also call the district tax office at 717-235-4811 extension 7300.

This information was found in a neighborhood newsletter, so I wanted to be sure nobody missed it.

Enjoy!

Evidently a last ditch effort has emerged on the internet to delay foreclosure proceedings:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=12191382&ch=4226720&src=news

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2007/moneymag/0709/gallery.heating_bill.moneymag/index.html

Great article on cutting those energy bills. Southern PA-don’t get too comfortable-de-regulation is coming your way too so expect a 30-60% increase in energy prices in the next couple of years.

A lot of people are hearing and asking me about energy audits. The energy company may charge upwards of $500 or more to come out an assess your home. Their equipment may look similar the equipment used in the Ghostbusters and provide analysis to where the leaks in your home might be.

Our home inspector can provide the same service for less than $200. Not bad.  Email me at Darryl@PlayBaltimore.com if you want his contact info.

The good news-winter will be over soon enough:)

Very powerful article. It also cites why the Swedish method (suggested by the Economist among others) will not work here.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123543631794154467.html

He certainly should.  It will spur growth and reduce layoffs in the current environment:

http://www.cnbc.com/id/29335845

I feel that Obama was best for the country given the current environment, but I have little in common from a fiscal perspective with democrats.  In my humble opinion there are a few things that need to be done to resolve this miserable investing climate we are in:

1. Do something with mark-to-market accounting. Enough is enough. Suspend the requirement, pause it-do something. It is bankrupting our banking industry. Some action needs to be taken.

2. Have better leadership coming out of the Treasuy department. Mr. Geithner needs to step up to the plate and take a more hands-on approach with the investor class of this country and explain the path forward to solve the toxic asset issue.

3. Growth needs to come from somewhere. The bailout plan was okay, but it didn’t point the country in any one direction. Alternative energy would be a logical direction, but I don’t see any clear path to getting there. I think a corporate tax cut would two things-reduce or slow down job layoffs and also stop the rapid decline in the stock market.

4. Consider a sales tax holidy. Retailers are going bankrupt faster than this country has ever seen. Something needs to be done. Try it to see if it helps slow down the rate of job cuts and rise in unemployment.

5. What about most citizens that are paying their mortgage on time? Specifically in hardest hit areas like California and Florida that have under water mortgages. What incentive do they have to not just walk away? In this area (Baltimore, etc) you might see someone upside down by 50K, but in California 100-200K is not uncommon. Something needs to be done before that situation gets worse.

6. Consider a Free-trade agreement with China. Sound crazy? They are buying our treasuries, maybe we can make some progress on the human rights issues we are concerned about. You never know unless you try. China is one of the few areas of the world that will have any growth in the next few years-take advantage of it.

7. Resolve the toxic asset issue. Bad bank? Nationalization? Pick one-but do something and make it clear to everyone what the plan is. Markets do not like uncertainty.

8. When talking about the economy, be slightly more upbeat. It is so refreshing to hear President Obama speak in comparison to our last president. I appreciate his candor, but in regards to the economy he may want to sugarcoat it just  a tad. Even Bill Clinton suggested this past week he way want to tone down the negative rhetoric.

9. Don’t forget about the real estate investor. He or she may get you out of this mess. Encourage investment. Right now loans are near impossible to get as an investor-what a shame.

10. Don’t forget about the investor class-they will probably get you re-elected. You need to throw a bone to the Jim Cramer’s of the world on occasion and things will be much better for everyone.