Jim,

I have many business owners who are aware of these same issues. The point is, the taxes and “forced upon measures” to run a business, have exceeded an extreme threshold. All of a sudden, owning a small Mom and Pop shop, that the community needs, is a sudden boom. The smarter Romans, in their time, moved to the country from Rome, and became farmers……funny how we mimic history …….

Here’s Why Small Business Isn’t Hiring, and Won’t be Hiring
Charles Hugh Smith, Of Two Minds | Jul. 11, 2011, 7:24 AM

The reasons why small businesses aren’t hiring are structural; the dearth of jobs is not temporary, and this is not a “soft patch,” it is quicksand.

The low job growth in the U.S. isn’t a “soft patch,” it’s a sea of quicksand. In a nutshell, here’s the situation: 2/3 or more of all job growth comes from small businesses starting up and expanding; only a third or less of new jobs come from Corporate America or government expansion.

As recent reports have shown, Corporate America has been on a hiring spree–overseas. From the point of view of globalized Corporate America, why hire anyone in a slow-growth market like the U.S.? It makes sense to hire new employees in fast-growing markets where the corporation is reaping its growth and most of its profits.

As for government hiring: the game of expansion based on explosively rising debt or Federal stimulus spending is over. To live within their means, local government and related agencies will have to shed jobs, as labor accounts for 80% of government expenses.

That leaves any future expansion of jobs up to small business. But small business isn’t hiring, and won’t be hiring, for these structural reasons:

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Greetings Jim,

The Gold Currency Index ^[2] (GCI) closed moderately higher today, moving up to a new all-time high for the secular bull market from 2001.

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The GCI had been forming a consolidation pattern since late April and today’s move well above the upper boundary of the recent trading range is a bullish signal. A close well above current levels during the next several sessions would confirm the long-term breakout and forecast additional gains. Gold in US dollar terms is lagging the GCI as it remains slightly below its comparable all-time high.

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Since its creation in 2005, the GCI has been a reliable predictor of long-term direction and the positive divergence that currently exists between the GCI and gold in US dollar terms is a bullish development that favors a confirmed breakout to new all-time highs and resumption of the secular uptrend.

Best,

CIGA Erik McCurdy
Prometheus Market Insight ^[5]

The Dollar’s Slump Is Not Over
CIGA Eric

Headline logic demands no further questions. I have one. If the dollar’s decline is over, what’s the basis of its strength – other fiat? That’s similar to better business councils across America suggesting that companies do business with them because they have the best garbage.

Gold is the premiere global currency that headlines cannot recognize. The definition of “best currency forecasters” (see headline below) implies a lot of flexibility.

US Gold
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Euro Gold
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Swiss Gold
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Yen Gold
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C$ Gold
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Headline: Best Currency Forecasters Say Dollar Slump Over

The best currency forecasters say the dollar’s 13 percent slide over the past year is coming to an end as Europe’s deepening debt crisis discourages bets against the world’s reserve currency.

Led by Schneider Foreign Exchange Ltd., the five most- accurate firms during the six quarters through June 30 as measured by Bloomberg see the dollar trading at $1.42 per euro on average by year-end, compared with $1.43 on July 8. Against the yen, they predict the greenback will rise to 83 from 80.64.

While Moody’s Investors Service added to Europe’s woes last week by lowering Portugal’s credit ranking to junk, the dollar is regaining its status as a haven after the worst performance over the past year among 10 developed-market currencies based on Bloomberg Correlation-Weighted Indexes. The dollar is up 5.3 percent from a 17-month low on May 4 against the euro.

Source: finance.yahoo.com ^[11]

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