From the desk of Robert Rappaport on Tuesday, January 20th 2009 at 6:13

A GUEST BLOG

I'm devoting today's space for a rebuttal to my comments earlier this week on the retail sector and the economy.

Bill Davis of the Bruce Baughman Gallery responds to my previous blog.

While I agree that the economic state is in the gutter, as a retailer, it does not help that the media is constantly portraying the negatives of the economy. The big engine that fuels the economy is retail spending, and while it is in decline, many people are out there buying not only staples, but other luxury goods as well. What we all need is a positive angle to the economy, showing that their are people willing and able to spend for personal goods. As a manager of the Bruce Baughman Gallery, we actually see an upturn in business when times get tough. We first noticed it right after 9/11, when the markets tanked and people were dumb founded about the 401Ks and their portfolios. They wanted to make themselves feel good about themselves and life in general, and were purchasing items for their home, where they could enjoy things. Again, when the economy went south in 2008, we saw the same situation we had after 9/11. Our clients wanted again to make themselves feel good about things, and purchasing major items was one way for them to do that. So, if all the media focuses on the positive side of things, and show that people are buying and fueling the economy, it will help generate more sales, which in turn, leads to an economic upturn. Plus, with the new administration one day away, their is a great positive mood change in the air that will just naturally help bolster the economy. Just think about all the money generated by the Inaugural, and there are people of all means in Washington D.C. who spent a lot of money to get there, sleep there, eat there, and purchase there. Now there's a news story. Sincerely, Bill Davis Gallery Director Bruce Baughman Gallery

Thanks Bill!

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