The pain in the real economy for individuals will be felt for a longer period than we are talking about. If we take the official unemployment number, add those who have given up looking for work and add those that had to take part-time jobs, you get around 17 percent unemployment. Businesses have no positive signs to begin hiring again.

The majority of the recent positive economic news can be attributed to short-term programs and short-term events (i.e., cash for clunkers; September increase in retail sales due to back to school activity).

Over 40 percent of the stimulus money ($787 billion) has been spent. Some hope that many of the long delayed infrastructure projects will begin in the coming months, but can we manage those effectively? We need real leaders.

Congress and the administration must focus on creating an environment that promotes job creation and develop better tools for families to successfully survive this period in our history. Confidence that people can manage and survive is the key — it drives spending — but more important it takes away the fear that all of us feel each day.

We are concentrating on too many other issues and doing them poorly.

Let’s prioritize and focus on a few critical issues — jobs being the first — and do them well. Then work our way down the list.

This recovery is going to take both government assistance (a temporary substitute for businesses) and new innovation as people adapt to the new global economy of the future. The latter requires a new way for people and businesses to think and work.

But we need to move now. Congress and the administration need to understand their priorities and motives and remember the reason we sent them there in the first place. This is a serious wake-up call.

There are no parties or political paybacks. This isn’t about politics; it’s about all of us together, helping each other.

If our elected officials and media cannot comprehend that, then at least have the decency to resign and put people in who want to work towards the common good.

A minimum of 15.5 million unemployed (this is probably higher) with one-third out of work for more than two years: no one in Congress or the White House should be sleeping soundly at all.

I know I have not slept since November 2007. How about you?

Lucio Petroccione

Founder, nxwrld.com

Peachtree City, Ga.

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