For my family, requests for Christmas and birthday gifts have become requests for practical items such as food products, or necessary clothing or educational materials.  There is little spending for extra fun items or even home improvements. I think that many families are facing the same thing.  There just is not money to spend. So the consequence is that the economy is sluggish. Then add to that, the doubt entrepreneurs have about regulators and the impact the regulations will have on their ability to see profit in business expansion.  Stack on top of that the fact that employees are being taught to hate or despise the people who offer them jobs.  The Obama administration is in effect teaching us, the workers, that the wealthy who employ us are bad, rich people. Oh my goodness, who is going to pay the paycheck if they are not rich enough to have a bank account!  Should we not thank God for people who are able to hire and make payroll? I could also go into the fact that extreme environmental regulations are hindering quality of life for people. When asked if I like a clean environment, I will say yes. I also want a balance and that there be actual benefit with a cost analysis to accompany regulations.  Regulations should not be based on probabilities but on fact and certainly not on emotion. Human health is damaged by high cost of living and worry about bills, high energy costs and worry about heating and cooling; stress due to a poor economy often causes health problems.