I would like to pass along an idea to assist our economy.

  CONSUMER CONFIDENCE DAY    SPEND $100 ON OCTOBER 20!

    We all want to do our part to help America out during this difficult time. One of the encouraging signs in the aftermath of last weeks tragedy has been the willingness of average citizens to give blood, to volunteer for the Red Cross, or to offer support for families of the victims. But in addition to the human tragedy we have already witnessed, our nation faces significant economic dangers. The ripple effect of the terrorist attacks has already been seen in the airline industry: as a result of the attacks, the public has become afraid of flying, airlines have already lost money and have had to lay off workers (Continental has already cut 12,000 jobs), while aircraft manufacturer Boeing, in anticipation of a drop in demand for airplanes, has cut 31,000 jobs. At the same time, hotels at travel destinations are half empty and are cutting jobs as well. If these now-unemployed workers spend less, other, seemingly unrelated businesses will be hurt and will eliminate more jobs still. The best protection we have against this downward spiral is the spending of the American consumer. The natural inclination in bad times is to conserve. But if we all act this way we will all suffer. For this reason, I am proposing that we proclaim October 20, 2001 to be Consumer Confidence Day. The days event? Shopping! If there has been something you’ve been debating getting for yourself or a loved one, get it. Try to spend $100 or more. If you can’t think of anything else, do your Christmas shopping early- you’ll thank yourself for it later. Show the world and the terrorists that Americans will not allow their economy to be bullied into a depression. Retail sales are measurable; a significant bump up in sales on this particular day would send a message that Americans can work together at the most grass-roots level to fight an economic downturn. Please pass along this idea to anyone you know. In addition to suggesting this idea via email, I will be attempting to get the support of some news agencies and other media companies, in order to get the word out. Any help in publicity would be great. It’s a simple idea, but an easy way to help out the economy while doing what we love to do: shop. Thanks for taking the time to read this. Be strong. P.K.