What happened to all those green shoots?

Stocks rose as the Fed pledged to keep rates low. If the economy was on track they could raise the rates couldn’t they? This is also more punishing of savers who are losing money to inflation by trying to be fiscally responsible. But hey, Wall Street likes it!

New York is suspending payments of tax refunds as their coffers run dry. They’re holding on to as much as possible until April 1st to try to squeeze out every last penny of interest they can. A half billion dollars in tax revenue is being held onto, as well as another billion and a half of payments meant to go to schools and local governments.

Housing construction fell almost 6% in February. The MSM blames the snow, but who will they blame when the new numbers come out?

Construction unemployment is at 21.7%

Corporate junk bond debt bomb set to go off in 2012. May not be the end of the world, but it’ll be the end of a lot of jobs.

Seed prices have been rising while seed companies consolidate. Food inflation is on its way.

Credit card companies have been forced to write off at least 90% of their charge offs for last year. In other words, people are just defaulting on the debt to the tune of $84 billion, which means less credit and higher rates for the rest of us.

FedEx analysts say a double dip recession is all but inevitable.

Author of The Black Swan Nassim Taleb thinks we’re headed for hyperinflation.

The States are in too deep a hole to get out of.

Washington state Walgreens stores have already stopped taking new Medicaid accounts at their pharmacies because the state is reimbursing them at rates that don’t cover the overhead of the pharmacies.

Keep counting those green shoots America!

h/t Drudge and Survivalblog