I will start by taking for granted that most people feel that our economy is struggling and that higher prices are being felt. But why is our economy struggling?

I will start by taking for granted that most people feel that our economy is struggling and that higher prices are being felt.  But why is our economy struggling? 

One of the biggest reasons is inflation.  So, what exactly is inflation and why is it a problem?  Inflation has recently been redefined as a rise in prices; however, real inflation is an increase in the money supply (a.k.a. printing money and credit out of thin air), and this leads to overall higher prices.

For our dollar, the increase in the money supply has been alarming and devastating to everyday Americans.  The money supply inflation has been at about 15 percent, which is much higher than most Americans' yearly pay raise.  This is devastating to Americans because our earnings and savings are worth less and less; for example, it takes $3.60 to buy a gallon of gas instead of $2.

As I write this, Governor Rod Blagojevich is contemplating yet another special legislative session to take up a newly revised $25-billion infrastructure-repair proposal for transportation, schools, and economic development.

Whatever happens, it certainly appears that any special session would be an exercise in futility. House Speaker Michael Madigan is not budging off his opposition to the governor's capital-construction plan, even in its newly revised and scaled-back form.

Scrambling to rewrite gun laws after the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the right of individuals to bear arms (DC v. Heller), the District of Columbia Council voted to end the most restrictive anti-gun laws in the nation and replace them with new restrictions.