The Other Side of Life 24/7: The Cynical Girl: The Economy Is Getting Better

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

The Cynical Girl: The Economy Is Getting Better

Posted: 16 Oct 2012 03:45 AM PDT

You know how I know the economy is getting better?

New homes are popping up and existing homes in my neighborhood are selling.

Although I live in the Dirty South, I also live in a corridor of innovation and science. My house is near three major universities and several Nobel Prize winners. When Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill does well, the rest of the country soon follows. That’s why I stick around this town. It’s a good investment.

Human Resources professionals are getting new jobs, get promoted and going back to work.

Companies need Human Resources professionals to ramp up production, hire more people and manage growing and diverse labor pools. Not a day goes by when someone doesn’t call or email me asking if I can make an introduction or a provide a referral.

(I can help you hire good HR people. Email me.)

Payday loan stores are closing in middle class areas and Rent-A-Centers are growing.

I remember 1992. George HW Bush kept telling us the economy was getting better but nobody believed him. Especially the middle-class. That’s why Bill Clinton won. Looking back, Bush was sorta right. My father was broke and had put off buying a new dryer. Although he didn’t have two nickels in his pocket, he scraped together some cash (thanks to my Nana) and did a rent-to-own scheme so we could have a dryer.

Looking back, that dryer was a leading indicator of better things to come.

Things are getting better for America in 2012.

As John Edwards told us, there are two Americas. He is right. (That’s about the only thing he was right about.) The economy will never improve enough for people who haven’t invested in themselves or are victims of serious, deep socioeconomic biases. Government programs can help some of those people. Local community organizations can help, too.

But for those of you who have done everything right and have waited out the recession, I do see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.

Beyond the Rent-A-Center, there is hope.