It is estimated that the consumer is responsible for 70% of our national economy. If the consumer is not spending, recovery remains a distant goal. In Friday's NY Times, they published the embedded image. Note how the declines of consumer spending during each of the recessionary periods. The most current recession (which I would argue that we are still in) is the deepest decline in consumer spending. Our country will remain in the doldrums until this changes. Jim Lindell, Thorsten Consulting Group, Inc.