Frankly, I don’t know who the 1% is.  Aren’t they mad too?  Do people whose family’s Adjusted Gross Income is above $345,000 a year feel things are going just great? The US Congress has a 9% approval rating, the lowest in history.  We have the largest budget deficits in history.  If we don’t start addressing these issues, I fear we are on our way to a train wreck!

Certainly, what divides us all are our ideas on HOW to fix things….what to do, how to move forward and make progress on these issues.  I have certainly seen some crazy ideas born from anger.  Maybe we can focus on the end result, what we are aiming for and find a way to get there.  My suggestions for some guidelines include:

Measure the impact of proposals against the impact on the middle class.  A healthy expanding middle class is heck good sign.  Be watchful for unintended consequences.

Budgets have to work.  Revenue and expenses have to make sense.  We can’t saddle future generations with unmanageable debt loads.

No free lunches.  Don’t expect giveaways, corporate or individual.  Incentives have to work with budgets.  Encourage hard work.

Let markets work and realize governments are not good at many of the expanded functions being put on them. Let them monitor and regulate those markets, not control and choke them off.

Most importantly, we must try to put aside ideological differences and work together to reach common goals and agreements like we do at TEAM A.T.E.  Respectfully, straight –forward, honest discussions are the way we do business.  The world economy remains in a perilous state.  An election year is close by.  There are too many vitally important problems for which we must find balanced solutions.

As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, let’s not forget to be thankful for all the good that has been bestowed on us.  Don’t take good fortune for granted.  We’re all in this together…let’s not forget that.  Let’s hope that some goodwill towards each other helps produce the kind of leadership we need to move forward.

We wish you and your families a happy and blessed holiday season.   While the holidays will be here before we know it, there is still work to be done and opportunities to take advantage of.  If you have equipment needs for Q4 or into next year, let us know now.   We may be able to present some options that will save you a nice percentage off of what you would pay for new equipment.   I think that is something we can all agree is a good thing.