It has been a week of dimming hopes. More economists now believe the US will slip into recession over the next twelve months. As the president stumped across to country to sell his jobs bill to the American people, Congressional support quickly waned on both sides. And indications that Greece will default on its sovereign debt combined with the worsening undercapitalization of European banks stymie efforts by Germany and France to hold the Euro region together.

Last night the president laid out a $447 billion jobs plan which includes continuing the holidays on some existing tax cuts as well as adding some new employer-side cuts. More than half of the plan is focused on tax cuts while another $105 billion goes to infrastructure renovations including school modernization, transportation projects and rehabilitation of vacant properties. 

If you have any exposure at all to the US economy, whether you run a corporation or you are raising money for the school PTA, you have no doubt noticed a certain reservation among people to spend, invest, or give their money. August proved a tough month for the economy. Confidence crushers such as the debt ceiling debate, the unprecedented downgrade of US Treasuries from AAA to AA+ by Standard & Poor’s, a plunging stock market, an earthquake strong enough to suggest attack for many in DC and NY, and an east coast hurricane that literally quieted the “city that never sleeps” all fueled a growing sense of pessimism. 

Today, the government revised its assessment of the US economy’s growth for the second quarter downward more than economists expected this morning. GDP grew at only 1%, down from a previous estimate of 1.3% in July.  But the underlying numbers were more positive. Final sales of domestic product improved to a 1.1% annualized rate from 0.0% in the first quarter. Capital expenditures were revised to 7.9% from 5.7% and non-residential fixed investment was revised to 15.7% from 8.1%.