[Wyatt's Torch]

The phrase I use for the economy as a whole has been “sub-optimal”. Overall recovery. But a sub-optimal one.

[prof.h.mandingo]

What's the GDP minus government spending? Federal, state, local. It seems to me this always skews GDP upward but in reality is a drain as who funds the gov’t spending? Us. China comes to mind as their government spending orgy makes their GDP much higher.
Higher taxes keep me from consuming which is the real economic driver.