If what they say is true and perception really is reality, than folks around these parts of schizophrenic.

    Check out these findings in a new Michigan State University statewide survey in which 1000 folks were asked if they are better or worse off today than a year ago.

    60% claim to be worse off which is the lowest number ever recorded by the data sifters.  Looking deeper into the numbers you find that 70% of the democrats are feeling lousy which is maybe why Barack Obama's "change" message is giving them some hope.

     68% of the women but only 52% of the men says they are worse off creating a gender gap on the confidence scale.

     This next finding is interesting.  61% of White folks say they are worse off while 53% of the Blacks20feel that way.

     Now comes the schizophrenic stuff.

     Some citizens who are down in the dumps about not being well off, turn out to be mostly optimistic about next year.

     "Will you be better off one year from now?" everyone was asked.

      A respectable 52% say yes.  16% expect to be right where they are today and 31% feel things will get worse.

      While that seems encouraging, the historic perspective takes some of the polish off the findings.  Back in 1999, 70% said the next year would be better and then the number begins a steady decline.

       By 2007, the number was 45% but=2 0it has now jumped to 52% leaving one to ask, what do they know, that we don't know about the future?

     

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