[El Gato]

There ought to be a better way to gather data than to have the Government do it with the likelihood data might be manipulated for political ends

I aggree. That is supposed to be the function of a free and independent "press". However, our "press" is not exactly what one would call independent these days...other than the electronic version that is.

[ARCADIA]

I just wanted to add that it is really funny to argue that 4 million jobs at the local pizza delivery shop are equivalent to 4 million six figure jobs lost from mass industry. Somewhere, somehow, our tax revenues are down, and I am willing to bet that the dollars lost are largly a result of our dropping payroll income.

Keep betting on real estate. That market will climb forever, just like the telecoms...