Do either increased taxing or decreased spending really net us any long term benefits? My guess is no, seeing as both indirectly lead to increased unemployment, and subsequently lower consumer spending. If you increase taxes, people buy less stuff, and small businesses suffer. When they fail, people lose jobs and can no longer contribute to the economy. Reducing spending, while it prevents the need to raise taxes, ultimately means laying people off, which leads to the same problem of more people who cannot spend.

Back to the original topic for just a moment... I know it's been said a hundred different ways in this thread, but this thing is going to screw us pretty hard. I know, I know, they just lowered gas prices a bit, but I'm pretty sure we're about to see some pretty steep increases over the summer. BP may end up shouldering the bill initially, but you can bet we'll be the ones who pay it in the end (if it ever gets truly paid).

Keep those gardens healthy and the chickens laying, folks....