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Finally, a little good news
Tuesday, Apr 5, 2011 - Posted by Rich Miller * For the past few weeks, some Statehouse nerves have been on edge because January and February income tax receipts have not come in as expected. Not even close, in fact. The governor’s budget office was concerned, but they wanted to hold off saying anything until the March revenue report was released. Well, the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability report was just issued and the numbers are finally what everybody expected them to be…
* There was some other good news in the report as well. March sales tax receipts were 5.3 percent higher than the previous March receipts. February’s Illinois exports were up 32.9 percent over a year earlier and were 3.4 percent ahead of the previous month. February’s new car and truck registrations rose 13.1 percent over the previous year. * But there are still problems. The February state civilian labor force total declined a half a point over January, and 0.3 percent from the previous February. Single housing permits were up 26.8 percent over January’s, but that’s still 30.1 percent lower than last February’s report.
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- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 10:57 am:
An exec from CareerBuilder was on Channel 9 news and said postings seeking to hire full-time employees were up 30% from last year. Take the good news where you can find it.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 11:17 am:
But what kinds of jobs. As others have pointed out, a “recovery” made up primarily of low-wage jobs whose incumbents don’t have a chance at a middle class life is not a recovery although it may make the unemployment numbers look better.
- Rich Miller - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 12:47 pm:
What? Nobody likes good news?
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 1:04 pm:
I think a lot of us like the good news, it’s just been so long that we don’t know quite how to respond. The numbers are moving in the right direction on jobs, tax receipts, etc., but I think a lot of us are still worried that things can still go sour on the economy in a hurry.
Yes, this is finally a little good news. And it’s very welcome. But gas costs $4 a gallon and shows no sign of coming down anytime soon, and there is no end in sight to budget bickering in Springfield or Washington.
The clouds might be starting to part, but it ain’t all sunshine just yet.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 2:16 pm:
Cassy, I think you should change your handle to Eeyore. Cassandra was prophetic, while Eeyore, well…
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 2:53 pm:
Sometimes I think Cassandra sits on the Tribune’s Editorial Board, where the glass is always half-empty.
- Pat Robertson - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 3:21 pm:
More like a Cubs fan — half empty, half full, what’s the difference? It’s gonna spill anyway.
- cassandra - Tuesday, Apr 5, 11 @ 7:16 pm:
Wordslinger, please. Don’t you ever read the NYT?
There was a long article on just this issue within the past week. This is hardly an exotic opinion.