"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...

Our business is level which, considering the addition of three major,
government-funded hotels in our market, we consider a "victory".

Of course, this comes after four years of double-digit growth, so
suddenly going flat "feels" like losing...

I think gas prices are really, really hurting the "common man". I've
got housekeepers and desk staff who have seen a HUGE increase in their
driving expense, with no compensating increase in wages. This
shortfall has to be made up somewhere -- so I suspect we're seeing Wal-
Mart (and other stores) get hit by the back wash.

IMHO, the big-box restaurant chains ("Applebees" and such) will get
hit the worst in an economic downturn. That's where a lot of
discretionary American income gets ****ed away nowadays, and it'll be
the first thing eliminated.
--

I think so too. I think everyone tried to ignore the gas hikes last year and
continue business as usual as much as possible, hoping it would be
temporary. Then prices backed up a bit, and kind of reassured us. But this
time I think we are all having to admit to a serious problem, it's here to
stay, and people are starting to react.

Hopefully your business is specialized enough to fair better than most. But
I'm guessing most of us are in for a whole new ballgame, at least until post
election 2008.