Economy Expands at .2 Percent for the First Quarter | Eastern North Carolina Now

Some blame it on the sever Winter in the Northeast, but much of the United states had a very temperate winter.

    The United States economy expanded at .2% for the first quarter, 2015, which is better than zero expansion in GDP (Gross Domestic Product), which is better than negative expansion, but not an economy that anyone should be proud of; certainly not the Obama Administration. With the Obama foreign policy in tatters since his 2009 Apology Tour, the Obama administration has long pointed to its major successes of government managed health care, ObamaCare, and income redistribution, and an improving economy propped by the Federal Reserve and massive government spending. Now it appears, at first blush, that the American economy could have a tough year in 2015.

    The United States economy grew at a rate of 2.4 percent for all of 2014, which is virtually the base rate to stay at even, as America struggles to support its natural increase in population, which most economists contend that the U.S. GDP must increase from 2 to 2.5% just to break even. The employment rate is also a major indicator of an economy's health. The 'new normal' suggests that America needs monthly employment increases of 175,000 jobs per month to also break even due to our normal increase in population. Over the last 6 years of the Obama Administration that has not happened ... no even close.

    In simple terms, the U.S. Department of Labor shows the correct unemployment rate remained steady at 5.5% in March, 2015, with an increase of jobs of only 126,000 jobs, many of them part time. The gross labor participation rate for March, 2015, was 62.7 of the population of Americans over 16 years of age. This includes people who are retired; however, this is the work force that pays for all the 'entitlements' for the retired, those that can't work, those that won't work, people who have left the workforce. Now factor in this new truth: Those that are productive human beings are working longer, some never retire, and they continue to pay for this growing 'entitlement' society. You know, the ones that just trashed Baltimore.

    Can an economy that is slowing, and never has been strong enough during to Amateur Obama's Administration to sustain an increasing population survive?

    The answer, sadly, is no. Since The Amateur's well celebrated inauguration, 6 years ago, coupled with a Liberal congress, the federal deficit has doubled to an unsustainable 17 plus trillion dollars. If the Federal Reserve propped up economy slows, and then fails, it will be devastating.