The U.S. Economy Turning Into A Outlet for Foreign Shoppers

  I got bored this morning and thought that I'd browse a few online newspaper sites to see what they had up today. THIS article caught my eye in particular because of all of the bullshit that the Republicans tell us about how our economy is in great shape and only getting better.

   If that was the case then our dollar won't be going down in value against the Euro and others. Because of our declining value, it seems that many Europeans and other foreigners have decided that the United States is the place to come and do their holiday shopping. It's cheaper to get a plane ticket, even at the high cost, and fly to the U.S. to buy goods than it is to buy in their own countries.

    The Boston Globe

   ... America is one big discount bin, thanks to a weak dollar that slid this week to another record low against the euro. As a result, tourists are spending thousands to travel to the United States to snag blockbuster bargains on everything from iPods to designer clothes and handbags.

By 4 a.m. yesterday, Kinsella had rung up nearly $2,000 in Christmas presents and winter clothes, including a $79 black leather jacket at Guess that she estimated would cost more than $250 in Ireland.

"The bargains for us are so great," said Kinsella, who paid $1,000 for a flight and hotel but expects to save even more on purchases here.

But now American wares are even more of a bargain as the slowing US economy has weakened the dollar. Further, as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to boost the economy, the dollar has lost even more value, and global investors have realized they won't earn as much when they park their cash in greenbacks. As a result, the euro has shot up by 33 percent compared with the dollar since 2002, so Europeans who exchange 1,000 euros now get close to 1,500 US dollars. And the Canadian dollar is worth as much as the US dollar for the first time in three decades.

  So the foreign shoppers get great deals by shopping in the United States and the citizens of the U.S. are tightening their purse strings because of a lousy dollar, bad real estate market and other not so great reasons.

   Only in America can outsiders do better than we insiders can. But in case of emergency, we can always buy Chinese!

Technorati Tags: economy, U.S., dollar, Euro, foreign shoppers

Bill Richardson Issues Statement on Senate Bill Giving Telecom's Amnesty

  New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson issued a statement today calling for the United States Senate to reject the amnesty bill that Bush wants to give the telecom's for helping him spy on U.S. citizens.

  Governor Richardson is most certainly right in prodding his Senators into not signing this bill. Bush and his crime family have had more than enough free passes since 2000 and now is the time to put the brakes on this asshole and his friends.

  Here is the statement.

  "Like most of his promises, President Bush's inauguration day pledge to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution has been folded away and forgotten. From torture to secret prisons and wiretapping, this administration systematically has stripped away or ignored many of the most basic rights and principles upon which this nation was founded.

"This unprecedented assault on American laws and values, cloaked falsely and irresponsibly in the guise of national security, must be stopped.

"Incredibly, the Senate stands on the verge of abetting another Presidential outrage by considering a bill that would grant immunity to telecommunications companies that admitted to assisting the government in spying on American citizens by disclosing personal information. This bill must not pass.

"We need strong leadership to prevent this latest injustice, not equivocation or political calculation. Senators Clinton and Obama say they will oppose the bill, but are leaving the door open to a potential compromise. There can be no compromise on personal rights and privacy. I urge my Democratic primary opponents, and every Senator, to stand up and state loudly and clearly -- without any equivocation -- that he or she will not pass any bill that grants retroactive immunity to companies that willingly aided the Bush administration in violating the law and spying on our own people.

"As President, I will follow the Constitution. America needs and deserves leadership that reflects and upholds our finest principles and traditions. We can have a secure America without trampling on the Constitution and personal freedoms. For now, though, we have President Bush. It is about time that the Senate stood up to him."

Technorati tags: Bill Richardson, telecoms, wiretaps, George Bush, The Senate