Wanna Know Where The Jobs Are Going? Well, Don't Blame Barack Obama. Watch That And Ground Zero News.

Obama must honor King with more than words

Time for policies aiding blacks suffering under his administration

By Tavis Smiley

Since the White House announced that President Barack Obama will speak to the nation on Wednesday from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, I have been peppered with the same questions again and again:

Is it appropriate for the president to occupy that sacred space? Does Obama have the moral authority to speak where King spoke? Does anyone?

My honest answer to these questions: I don't know. But here is what I do know. The future of our democracy is inextricably linked to how seriously we take King's legacy. A legacy of unarmed truth and unconditional love. A legacy of brilliant prose and prophetic witness.

The president's decision to honor the march is proper and commendable. But when he stands where King stood and delivers a speech of his own, he inevitably invites comparisons between his words and King's. I hope Obama rises to the challenge to be truly King-like, not just King-lite. His speech cannot be full of great sound bites but devoid of sound public policy.

Obama's election in 2008 was a good down payment on King's dream of racial equality, but it did not fulfill the dream. Instead of lecturing black audiences about personal responsibility, as he so often has, now is the time for the president to bear witness to the unrelenting pain and suffering of his most loyal constituency — a constituency still denied true economic freedom by institutional and structural barriers that have yet to be addressed, much less alleviated.

Following the recent not-guilty verdict for George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin, the president did finally give voice to the struggle for human dignity that black men in particular endure almost daily. "There are very few African American men in this country who haven't had the experience of being followed when they were shopping in a department store. That includes me," Obama said. And the decision this month by Attorney General Eric Holder to no longer seek mandatory minimum sentences for low-level drug offenses — citing the "shameful" racial disparities in sentencing — is smart public policy.

But we have known for 40 years that mandatory minimums are a bad idea. Why so long? Could not an administration committed to social justice have done this in the first term?

The unsettling truth is that during the Obama era, black America has fallen even further behind. The African-American unemployment rate, for instance, remains stubbornly and disproportionately high at 12.6 percent, compared with the national rate of 7.4 percent. And while private-sector jobs are experiencing a slight uptick, the lack of public-sector jobs is suffocating black livelihoods. Sadly, a few black chief executives notwithstanding, race still matters in the private sector. Education is not the great equalizer. I know too many black Ivy League graduates whose degrees cannot close this gap.

Black misery is the fierce urgency of now. Do we want history to record that black folk fared even worse under the first black president? I certainly do not.
We all understand that Obama is a politician and King was a prophet. But does that mean that the president, even with the structural and political constraints of his high office, cannot speak more truth?

I have often wondered what the bust of King in the Oval Office would whisper to the president when he's working alone late at night. The symbolism of King's presence in the White House is powerful; symbols do matter. But the substance of his "I Have a Dream" speech is being ignored half a century later.

For me, the brilliance of King's speech was his ability to unapologetically rebuke the nation for its sins yet still present America a vision for how she could be greater. He did this not by trying to transcend who he was — a black Baptist preacher — but by authentically embracing his full citizenship as a black American.

This is why it's so troubling whenever Obama says that he is not "the president of black America," but "the president of all America." Actually, he's both. He would never say that he is not the president of gay, Latino or Jewish America. So why the defensive posture when it comes to his fellow black citizens?

Sociologist William Julius Wilson recently highlighted the opportunity Obama has in Wednesday's speech. "If you don't have skills or a decent education in this global economy, your chances for mobility are limited," Wilson told The Washington Post. "It would be great if the president raised such issues when he comments on the March on Washington, because I strongly believe he is fully aware of them."

After the 1963 march, King wrote his third book, Why We Can't Wait. In it, he admonishes those who want his people to "quietly endure, silently suffer and patiently wait." He also warned America, in his speech at the march, against taking the "tranquilizing drug of gradualism."

It's no secret that 50 years later, despite all the progress we have made, class and race are still undeniable factors holding back too many citizens of all colors and creeds, but disproportionately black Americans. When you make black America better, you make all of America better.

This president is fond of making history. Well, sometimes the best way to make history is to let history come to you. It's abundantly clear by the staging of Obama's address that the White House sees this historic moment as an opportunity to burnish the president's legacy.

But if Obama is to be transformational and not just transactional, a statesman and not just another politician, a thermostat and not just a thermometer, then it's time for him to use his power to help regulate the temperature of our society and not just settle for recording the temperature of public opinion. It's time to take some risks. To tell the truth about the suffering in America that's being rendered invisible simply because we choose not to see it.

Poverty is threatening our democracy; it is now a matter of national security. As King said, war is still the enemy of the poor. Our education system, in many ways, is still separate and unequal. As King lived under constant surveillance, our government seems now to be spying on all of us.

In the end, it's about what kind of nation and what kind of people we choose to be. There can be no distinction between what we believe and what we do. It's time for more than just celebrating King with our words. It's time to start emulating him with our deeds.

Obama Outlines Plans For Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac, Wants To "Wind Them Down". Watch And Listen.

Shocker (Wink): Barron's Ranks Kentucky 47th In Overall Fiscal Health.

Barron's ranks Kentucky 47th in overall fiscal health

Top five states

1. South Dakota

2. Iowa

3. Tennessee

4. Nebraska

5. North Carolina

Bottom five states

46. New Mexico

47. Kentucky

48. Hawaii

49. Illinois

50. Connecticut

By Beth Musgrave

FRANKFORT — A national financial magazine has ranked Kentucky 47th in overall fiscal health, thanks to its rising pension obligations and relatively high debt levels.

South Dakota enjoys the strongest financial position among the 50 states, while Connecticut ranks last, according to the Aug. 27 issue of Barron's.

Kentucky's poor showing in the analysis was largely due to its ballooning unfunded liability in the state's pension plan. Kentucky's unfunded pension obligation equaled 10.3 percent of the state's gross domestic product, an overall measure of economic activity, according to Barron's. Only New Mexico and Connecticut scored worse on that measure.

The state's general debt obligation equaled 5.4 percent of gross domestic product, which is a higher debt ratio than all but four other states, the magazine reported.

Mary Lassiter, budget director and cabinet secretary for Gov. Steve Beshear, said Kentucky's debt level is actually lower than the rankings show.

"A significant amount of state-level debt has been incurred for local projects such as court houses, water and sewer systems and K-12 schools," Lassiter said. "Many other states handle this debt at a more local level, so that difference in practice may influence Kentucky's perceived debt level."

Lassiter said Beshear has tried to lower the state's debt in recent years. Beshear's proposed budget for 2012-2014 had the least amount of borrowing in it since the 1996-1998 budget, Lassiter said.

Senate President David Williams, R-Burkesville, said Kentucky's low ranking is reflective of the state's economy, which has not performed as well as other states in the last four years.

"Our gross domestic product is not growing," Williams said. "The per capita income in our state is a lot lower than surrounding states."

Williams also laid blame for Kentucky's rising debt on Beshear and the Democratic-led House. Beshear restructured much of the state's debt in recent years, which means debt payments were pushed into future years in order to get cash during the state's leanest times, he said.

Beshear's administration countered that the restructuring had little to do with the magazine's ranking.

"The debt restructuring that has occurred (most of which was enacted by the General Assembly) does not change the amount of debt owed," Lassiter said. "Second, in this difficult economy, tough choices have had to be made in order to protect spending for education and other priority areas."

Williams said the state's debt would have been higher if Senate Republicans had not stopped efforts by the Democrats to borrow more in recent budgets. House Democrats have countered that Williams, too, tried to add to the state's debt by attempting to borrow millions for new road projects.

Meanwhile, Kentucky's pension troubles have only increased in recent years. According to numbers released in November 2011, the total unfunded liability — the expected future payout for retirees for which no money is available — is more than $30 billion for pension plans the cover teachers and state and local government workers. In comparison, the state's General Fund brings in about $9 billion a year.

A legislative task force is looking at the issue and will issue recommendations on how to fix the pension system by the end of the year.

Many states that performed higher in Barron's rankings have cut costs in their pension systems and kept employer contributions current, according to the magazine.

Williams said Senate Republicans have warned since 2006 that more needs to be done to shore up Kentucky's pension system.

The Kentucky legislature approved reforms in 2008 that were designed to increase contributions into the system and decrease some benefits, but a Pew Center on the States report released last week said those reforms did not go far enough.

The bulk of the current shortfall was created because state and local governments have not put their required contributions into the system.

"As this has all played out, I think it shows that Senate Republicans have been right about the fiscal situation of this state," Williams said.

Lassiter defended Beshear's record on pensions, saying the state honored the stepped up contributions required under the 2008 pension reform bill.

"During a time when most state agency budgets were cut, increased contributions for pensions and retiree health insurance was one of the few areas of government that received substantial increases in funding," Lassiter said.

David Adams, a Tea Party activist, lays blame at the feet of both parties.

"Instead of making the required contributions to the pensions, they have been spending it on vote-buying activities," Adams said, referring to building projects in legislators' home districts.

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2012/09/04/2323041/barrons-ranks-kentucky-47th-in.html#storylink=cpy

EXTREME GREED Affecting Major Airlines, Other Than My Favorite Southwest Airlines, Forces American Airlines To File For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection. The Question Remains: Which Airline Will Be Next?

Check it out on WSJ.

Extreme GREED. It NEVER fails.

Dow Jones (Wall Street) Fares Well, Misses "Black Friday" As It Loses Less Than 200 Points Today.

Read more here.

Will Today Turn Into "Black Friday" On Wall Street With The Dow Spiraling Out Of Control Downwards? Stay Tuned, And Watch Your Money.

Stay tuned.

Dow Jones (Wall Street) Plunges 300 Points In First Hour Of Trading -- And Tomorrow Could Be "Black Friday. So Who's Watching Your Money?

Check it out on CNN.com.

Kentucky Revenue Receipts In Upswing. Is This Real Or Political "Memorex"?

Kentucky state revenue up in July
Written by Mike Wynn

FRANKFORT, Ky. — Modest economic gains helped revenue in the state's General Fund continue to grow at a steady pace during the first month of the 2012 fiscal year, according to figures released Wednesday.

The state Budget Office issued its monthly revenue report showing that receipts in the General Fund totaled $693.2 million in July, a 6.9 percent increase over July 2010.

The results bolster last week's forecast of a $192 million General Fund surplus this fiscal year.

State Budget Director Mary Lassiter said receipts have improved for the past five quarters thanks to stronger economic activity.

Still, Gov. Steve Beshear must cut $169 million in spending to balance the enacted budget, and federal stimulus money will not be available to shore up expenses next year.

“While we are cautiously optimistic about the revenue outlook, we still have a challenge ahead to balance the budget this fiscal year,” Lassiter warned in a news release.

The current spending plan projects a 1.3 percent increase in revenue for fiscal year 2012, which ends June 30. Budget officials said the General Fund can now meet that goal with only 0.8 percent growth over the remainder of the year.

According to July's report, sales tax revenue increased 6.8 percent, receipts from individual income taxes were up 11.5 percent and corporate tax revenue surged 183.4 percent.

The lottery and the coal severance tax also yielded stronger revenues, but receipts from cigarette and property taxes were down.

“What we believe ... is businesses are returning to profitability,” Lassiter said. “The employment numbers are not coming back as we would expect them to be as the economy recovers, but businesses are paying more business taxes because they are more profitable.”

Revenues in the state Road Fund also gained ground in July. Receipts totaled $104.7 million, an increase of 2.3 percent compared to July 2010.

Lassiter said motor vehicle usage receipts, which rose 9.4 percent, played a key role in July figures. Fuel tax revenue also climbed 3.8 percent.

The Road Fund will meet budgeted projections even if receipts remain flat the rest of the year, the report said.

Last week a group of economic analysts serving on the state Consensus Forecasting Group predicted that Kentucky will collect more than $9 billion in General Fund receipts this year, exceeding the budget's original estimate of $8.87 million.

Among the largest upward revisions, corporations and limited liability entities were projected to exceed original estimates by $95.4 million and $82.2 million respectively.

Economists also predicted that revenue in the Road Fund will exceed original estimates by 83.3 million in fiscal year 2012.

“There is always uncertainty and there may be more uncertainty now than in other periods, but that was the first look of the next biennium of that group,” Lassiter said. “It is what it is for now.”

Not Buying What CONgress Conjured Up As Debt "Compromise".Wall Street (DOW JONES) Drops 634 Points -- WORST In A Very Long Time. More Drops To Follow. Watch News Video.

The Loss On Wall Street Forces One Carlos To "Slim" Down And Lose $8 Billion In 4 Days. Watch Video.

You Should Not Be Surprised That Former White House Adviser, David Axelrod, Blames "TEA Party" For S&P Downgrade. Watch Video.

Following The Lead Of World Street And Deciding Not To Be FOOLED By The Debt Ceiling "Compromise", Standard And Poor's (S & P) Downgrades America's Credit Rating!

Check the story out here, and watch the news video below:

Not Fooled By The Debt Ceiling Gamble, Wall Street Loses 513 Points, Lowest Since 2008. YIKES!

Read more.

Economists Say U.S. Debt May Not Be As High As You Think. Well, Knock Me Over With A Feather!

(U.S. debt compared to other nations).
Economists say U.S. debt may not be as high as you think
By James Rosen

WASHINGTON — Economists dismayed by the debt-ceiling pyrotechnics on Capitol Hill and at the White House say that political leaders' failure to deal with the short-term crisis bodes poorly for their ability to confront another looming fiscal disaster.

And the problem is compounded, many economists say, by how the United States calculates its debt.

In trying to understand the debt ceiling — a subject many people had never considered before this summer — it helps to know a few things about the layers that make up the United States' $14.34 trillion mountain of debt.

The U.S. blends two kinds of debt, and some economists say that makes little sense. Moreover, we don't even have a good way of paying back one of those types of debt. More on that later.

The first type of debt is what the government owes to outside bondholders: individuals, pension funds, other groups and foreign governments. The second type is a sizable amount of intra-governmental debt, or obligations of the Treasury Department to various trust funds — basically what we owe ourselves.

Alex Brill, an economist with the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative research center in Washington, said that counting external and internal debt together didn't make economic sense and blurred the real fiscal situation the U.S. faces.

"Not all of the debt is the same, and it doesn't all matter the same," Brill said. "What really matters is debt held by the public."

Those are the outside bondholders, and they take up about two-thirds of the total U.S. debt. As of Monday, the most recent date for which the Treasury Department provided figures, the U.S. owed $9.75 trillion to them.

Almost one-third of the U.S. debt — $4.59 trillion — is in the form of IOUs dedicated to programs such as Social Security, Medicare and the pension plans for federal workers and military personnel. That's what the United States owes its citizens.

As an analogy, Brill suggests thinking of a family that's facing medical bills now and college bills in the future. Say the family has set aside $3,000 for college costs, encounters a $13,000 medical bill, pays $10,000 of it with a credit card and uses the college savings to pay the rest.

That family's real debt is $10,000, but the Treasury Department's method of calculation would place it at $13,000.

While the family does need to replenish the college savings, the movement of money within its personal accounts doesn't affect its credit score.

"When you blend this real debt with the kind of accounting debt where the left hand borrows from the right hand, you end up with something that's completely meaningless in economic terms," Brill said.

This practice enables some lawmakers to exaggerate the severity of the problem that underlies the debt-limit impasse.

For example, Sen. Jeff Sessions, an Alabama Republican, told Fox News earlier this month: "The debt as it exists today — 95 percent of GDP — is so high, economists tell us it's dragging down (economic) growth at least 1 percent."

But considering only the $9.75 trillion that's owed to bondholders, the U.S. debt is 65 percent of the GDP; still worrisome, but nowhere near the 140 percent level that's fueling the Greek debt crisis or the 100 percent-plus levels of other troubled European governments.

This kind of distinction, though, provides little solace in the face of the coming entitlement crisis just a few years down the road.

President Barack Obama and lawmakers are struggling to agree on a debt-ceiling hike before next Tuesday, which would allow the government to borrow more money in order to fund a more than $1 trillion budget deficit.

As they wrangle, they're only tenuously offering solutions to entitlement obligations that are many orders of magnitudes more. Those obligations eventually will total at least $60 trillion.

"This huge debt burden won't bankrupt the country on Aug. 3, but it does demonstrate that there is an enormous and growing problem that gets much harder to deal with the longer it is left unaddressed," said Christopher Frenze, a former staff director of the American Action Forum, a conservative policy institute in Washington.

That coming threat stems from another issue, the IOUs to ourselves.

For years, increased spending has forced the government to raid federal trust funds. It takes payroll tax revenues earmarked for Social Security or Medicare, for instance, and uses them to cover unrelated expenses. But it doesn't have a way to pay back the money.

It would be as if a family kept a budget on paper that put aside set sums each month for defined needs, but it spent all that money and more in its daily activities.

Kenneth Rogoff, a Harvard economist who's advised U.S. government leaders, views the debt-limit crisis as concealing a deeper dilemma: Americans expect federal benefits they're not willing to pay for.

"We're on a completely unsustainable path," Rogoff said. "People are just convinced the government doesn't need any money. They're mad at all the borrowing, but they get even madder when taxes go up or they don't get the programs they like."

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/07/26/118283/economists-say-us-debt-not.html?storylink=addthis#.TjRQrWHrxPM.facebook#ixzz1TcT4hAVt

Believe It, Or Not: Ad Campaign's Statement That Kentucky Has Lost 94,000 ... And Kentucky's Unemployment's Up 75 Percent" Since Steve Beshear Took Office Are ALL TRUE!

Campaign Watchdog: Claims of increased unemployment true

Throughout this year's campaign for governor, the Herald-Leader will fact-check statements made by candidates and their surrogates.

The statement: "Kentucky has lost 94,000 jobs" and "Kentucky's unemployment's up 75 percent."

— Bluegrass Prosperity, a group associated with the Republican Governors Association, in a television ad this week in support of Senate President David Williams' bid for governor.

The ruling: True

The facts: The ad focuses on Kentucky job losses during the administration of Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear, who is seeking re-election on Nov. 8.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Kentucky's unemployment rate in December 2007, when Beshear took office, was 5.6 percent. In May 2011, the unemployment rate was 9.8 percent, an increase of 75 percent.

Similarly, in December of 2007, the number of unemployed in Kentucky was 112,470. In May of 2011, the number of unemployed was 207,013. The difference between 207,013 and 112,470 is 94,543.

However, higher unemployment has not been unique to Kentucky.

In December 2007, the national unemployment rate was 5.0 percent. It was 9.1 percent in May 2011, an increase of 82 percent.

The unemployment rate last month in Kentucky was 9.6 percent, the lowest since 9.2 percent in January 2009.

Read more: http://www.kentucky.com/2011/07/27/1826304/campaign-watchdog-claims-of-increased.html#ixzz1TLu4dIKL

Editor's comment: watch the video below:



Update: in a bit of good economic news today, applications for unemployment benefits dropped to lowest level since April. Read about it here.

Business First Says Kentucky Lost 53,800 Jobs Since 2006, Ranks State 29th In Job Creation.

Read more here. Check out page 4.

State that is highest in job creation? Texas.

Wal Mart Announces 10 Cents A Gallon Nationwide Gas Price Cut.

Walmart Offers 10-Cents-a-Gallon Gas Savings at Participating Stations Nationwide

Today, Walmart

announces a 90-day Rollback at the pump to give customers a savings of 10 cents a gallon on all fuel, gas and diesel, at participating Murphy USA and Walmart gas stations. The discount applies to gas purchases made when using a reloadable Walmart gift card, reloadable Walmart MoneyCard® or Walmart credit card from June 29 through September 30, 2011.

Click here to get a card.

States with participating gas stations are:

Arkansas
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kentucky
Louisiana
Michigan
Mississippi
Missouri
New Mexico
North Carolina
Ohio
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Virginia

Click here for a complete list of participating Walmart and Murphy USA locations.

General Motors (GM) Announces Huge Investment At Its Bowling Green's Corvette Plant. We Welcome The Great News.

Announcement by GM is great news for city
By The Daily News

For several years, the General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant has experienced some tough times and has laid off employees in large part due to the sluggish economy.

There was even some speculation the plant could be closed, but a breath of fresh air arrived Wednesday with the announcement that General Motors will invest more than $130 million and hire 250 employees at the local plant to produce the next generation of the Chevrolet Corvette.

GM North America President Mark Reuss brought the welcome news to plant employees and reassured the world that the Bowling Green plant is open for business and will be the assembly site where the next edition of the Corvette, the C7, will be built. It will hit dealer showrooms in mid-2013.

Adding 250 jobs at the plant is wonderful news for our community. A Cabinet for Economic Development study shows the number of direct, indirect and induced jobs that will result from GM’s existing and new employment is nearly 1,950. These jobs will provide an annual $222 million boost to Kentucky’s gross domestic product.

Local businesses will no doubt benefit from this expanded operation. It could give a boost to a sluggish real estate market as well.

Losing the GM plant would have been a huge blow to this community. Maintaining a good relationship with the company over the years and providing $7.5 million in tax incentives were especially helpful in keeping the plant open.

We, as a community, are fortunate to have GM here. Not only does the plant provide jobs and help our local economy, the employees at the plant are very active in the community.

For years, GM has run one of the most successful United Way campaigns in the region. They are also involved in a group called Day of Caring and Feed the Need, Junior Achievement, The Salvation Army and many other groups.

One GM employee raised $4,700 for the March of Dimes event last weekend.

Beyond their personal contributions to this community, the announcement by Reuss is one that we welcome and reassures us that the plant will continue to be a valuable asset to this community and to the state.

Editor's note: you can also read more here.

Gas Prices Forcing Americans To Live Like The Rest Of The World -- Heck Gas Is Over $10.00 A Gallon In Europe And Elsewhere.

No break this spring at the gas pump
By MICHELLE R. SMITH

With gas prices above $4 in some states, Americans are canceling spring break plans and rethinking summer vacation, and some tourist destinations are offering gas vouchers of as much as $50 to talk people out of giving up and staying home.

At Mount Rushmore, only about 37,000 people decided in March that seeing the four granite-etched presidential sculptures was worth the trip, down from about 43,000 a year before.

At the Grand Canyon, a marketing executive for one company that offers sweeping helicopter vistas says 10 percent fewer people than last year are driving up and booking tours. The company is counting on international tourists to make up the rest.

And along the Rhode Island coast, where 800,000 people a year show up to gawk at the opulence of Gilded Age mansions, it's even worse - business is off 30 percent just since the beginning of March.

Memorial Day is still five weeks away, and summer doesn't officially start for two months. This year, anxiety over high gas prices - and whether the family vacation will bust the family budget - has come early.

"I can't go anywhere because I can't afford it," said Greg Sensing, who works in admissions for the University of Maryland. "It's kind of nice to take a road trip, to get in the car, you see the country, and now why bother doing it?"

The gas jitters have much broader implications than how many people show up to take pictures of Bryce Canyon, Mount Rainier or the Everglades. Gas prices are closely tied to the health of the overall economy.

A gallon of gas costs an average of $3.84 in the United States, almost a full dollar more than a year ago. The average is above $4 in six states: $4.52 in Hawaii, $4.21 in California, $4.18 in Alaska, $4.11 in Connecticut, $4.08 in Illinois and $4.05 in New York.

It's too early to tell how much of a toll gas prices will take on the summer travel season. The jitters have come so early that AAA hasn't even put out its summer travel forecast yet.

But there are already signs that the eye-popping prices at the pump are changing Americans' behavior. In Oklahoma, where gas is a relatively cheap $3.69 per gallon, AAA says it's getting a lot more calls from people who are out of gas on the highway. National demand for gasoline, which should be rising this time of year, is falling instead.

Some tourist destinations are worried people won't bother piling the family into the car at all.

Branson, Mo., the Ozark Mountains hotspot that draws people from hundreds of miles away to tour caverns, frolic in amusement parks and see live entertainment, is offering a discount card worth $50 in gas starting in June.

The Preservation Society of Newport County, R.I., which runs several of the Rhode Island mansions, is offering $5 back to anyone who buys two $24.50 tickets to two mansions and shows their car registration.

Lake George, a resort village in the New York Adirondacks, hopes to capitalize on being an easy drive away from New York and Montreal. "We're in a good position for a `staycation' when people don't want to drive farther," said Luisa Craige-Sherman, head of the visitors bureau.

Among the deals available there: A "Spring Gas Buster" package at the Fort William Henry Hotel, which includes a $20 gas card and buy-one-get-one dinner.

Bill Pott, owner of Jellystone Park Camp Resort in Cave City, Ky., near Mammoth Cave National Park, says he's had a strong spring season so far, but he's offering an informal discount to help folks cover their travel costs: Stay three nights in a $70-a-night cabin, and he'll discount your bill $40 to pay for a tank of gas.

"Most people are driving three or four hours to get here, and I can't do a thing about national fuel prices or the economy, but I can help the kids have a good spring break," he said.

All that still may not be enough, especially if - as analysts fear - the price of gas keeps climbing.

"In my mind, if gas goes to $5 a gallon here, all bets are off," said Linda Schmitt, executive director of the Kansas Underground Salt Museum, which offers a 650-foot descent to see a vintage locomotive, train tracks and ore carts.

Already, economists say, most of this year's two-percentage-point cut in the Social Security payroll tax, which should bring in an extra $1,000 to $2,000 per household this year, is going straight into the gas tank.

If gas were to go to $5 a gallon and stay there, some analysts believe, it could erase the steady gains the economy is making and tip the nation back into recession because Americans would sharply curtail their spending elsewhere.

For now, though, destinations hope offering gas rebates will be enough to calm would-be travelers. Kalahari Resorts, in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., is bringing back a promotion from last year that offered customers a $40 gas card.

Sarah McPeek is going a step further. She made reservations at Kalahari two months ago, when the average price of gas was about 70 cents lower than it is today. She had planned to drive to the park with her 13-year-old son and meet friends there. Instead, the group of seven will carpool.

"It's going to be pretty tight," she said.

And in Fairmont, Minn., Jennifer Brookens is parking the minivan she calls the Mom-Mobile. She, her husband and their two children had hoped to drive the eight hours to visit family in the Black Hills of South Dakota for Easter weekend.

Flying is out of the question - after all, airlines have to buy fuel, too, and fares are going up fast. And Brookens has fresh memories of 2008, during the last gas spike, when filling up the minivan cost $100.

"At this rate," Brookens said, "there's no way."