About the Grandfather Economic Report

ABOUT THE
Grandfather Economic Report
By Michael Hodges
https://grandfather-economic-report.com/ - email Michael

The author of the Grandfather Economic Report series, Michael Hodges, has devoted many retirement years researching thousands of documents for hard data evidence to help identify the direction of many economic and education indicators today, compared to the past.

Michael's university education was in physics and mathematics. Post graduate schooling included physics and business. Continuing extensive research studies include national and international economics.

His professional career included: physicist (NASA), aerospace engineering management, corporate manufacturing director of a large multi-national firm - later residing in Europe as CEO of its European-based companies producing technical products for international markets, and investment property management. Michael Hodges is married to Rosemarie, born in Europe and now a U.S. citizen. They are blessed with a daughter, a son and four grandchildren.

Each generation hopes their children will have
more freedom and economic opportunity

Certain trends threaten their future

Recognizing that each generation hopes their children will have more freedom and economic opportunity yet many trends threaten their future, together with personal encouragement and critique by Economics Nobel Laureate Dr. Milton Friedman, motivated Michael to author the Grandfather Economic Report (https://grandfather-economic-report.com/), which graphically documents economic, education, healthcare and national security trends facing America’s young generation, compared to his generation - -

- - including poor education quality compared to the past and to other nations today, soaring debt ratios all sectors, negative savings, stagnant real median family incomes, collapsing manufacturing base, record trade deficits, declining purchasing power of the dollar domestically and internationally, and increased dependence on foreign nations for goods, energy and loans.

Becoming a grandfather gave birth to a different perspective which caused Michael to think about the trend of economic, education and national security conditions facing the younger generation, compared to that experienced by his generation - - and to devote great effort to research and identify major threats based on hard data evidence - - and to make the findings available to assist others.

The Grandfather Economic Report series is a collection of easy-to-understand picture-reports to increase awareness of certain threats to the economic future & freedom of families and their children, compared to the past - -

- - on: family income, debt, savings, government spending and size, trust funds, education quality, social security, regulations, taxes, inflation, productivity, foreign trade and exchange, voter turnout, trust, celebration, national security, energy, and health care/life expectancy.

The Grandfather Economic Report series presents solid data evidence in graphic form of many negative trends facing our younger generation, compared to the past.

It was decided to make available the results of this work to others by creating the Grandfather Economic Report series, with the hope that other grandparents, parents, families and students might gain insights to help them better understand and prepare for their future - - with the further hope that these reports may reach a highest and best use in some small way assisting the process toward a better America for our youth.

It is his view that the more who use hard data evidence to help form their view of many serious issues confronting our younger generation, all the better for individuals and for America - - especially considering the many voices with political/corporate/media driven agendas without clean data back-up - - and, considering so many languishing in 'ostrich-mode.' The Grandfather Economic Report series is developed to provide some of that data, and to provoke deeper thought and individual action.

There are so many great & positive things about our beloved America to celebrate. But, there are many negative trends. Perhaps if more are aware of the negatives even more solutions & positives will result.

The creditability of information contained in the Grandfather Economic Report series is supported by the following:

Michael Hodges is a firm believer in accuracy and data back-up - - displaying data in graphic form to show trends over time. Data creditability is a most important hall mark of this presentation. Some data sources include the U.S. Dept. of Debt., the Federal Reserve, Dept. of Commerce, Paris-based Organization for Cooperative Economic Development (OECD), Bureau of Economic Analysis, appendix tables from each Annual Economic Report of the President to Congress, and many, many other publications.

When considering the accuracy of a statement or publication by anyone, no matter how high sounding their 'credentials', one should employ the very wise statement by President Reagan > "Trust but Verify" - - and look within the pitch for hard data backup and arms-length references. Each chapter of the Grandfather Economic Report series contains hard data and references.

Some ask about credentials of a writer, as if somehow a title is justification alone to accept what they write or say, without providing clean, arms-length backup data from reliable sources. Instead of looking for individual credentials it is wiser to look for supporting data.

For example, although a high school diploma is a credential such does not guarantee one has mastered solid geometry. Another example, a title of professor of economics at college X is a type of credential, but does that automatically make creditable his writing if no arms-length data backup is provided? And, consider this > one might claim that a U.S. Secretary of State is a creditable source regarding weapons of mass destruction to justify going to war, yet later most found that hard back-up data did not exist from arms-length sources. This is a great example of when a person with so-called high credentials is not creditable just because of his credentials.

Additionally, the researcher must be most careful even with government-generated data, since all too often the definition of a given data set is changed as to how it is measured or collected compared to the past, such as with the cost of living index or SAT education scores. Often, at a time when one wants to 'scream' ulterior motives of others, the government simply ceases to publish a given set of data - - such as in April 2006 the discontinuance of the important measure of the money supply (M3) at a time of soaring commodity prices and immense pressure on the U.S. dollar's international buying power.. And, all too often one cannot fully rely upon a firm's annual report, as there may be off-balance sheet debt of huge proportions - - such as with Enron or with a government sponsored enterprise such as FANIE MAE. A chapter on data integrity is called 'Statistical Revisionism'.

Although visitors to this Grandfather Economic Report series will here find data and creditable data sources backing-up every data trend graphic, visitors should also consider taking the extra time to look elsewhere for additional data as they form their views of these serious issues.