Economic Lookout: Economy picks up
With recent polls showing that the economy is one of the biggest issues in the upcoming elections, MPR News is reaching out to contacts in our Public Insight Network to find out how the economy is affecting them.
Scott Taylor, an instructor of small business management for South Central College in North Mankato, spoke to MPR's All Things Considered about why his economic outlook remains positive.
In his job, Taylor mentors small business owners. He says Main Street businesses are doing fine in this economy.
"We know that the economy has picked up, it may not be robust yet, but it has definitely turned the corner quite some time ago," Taylor said. "Businesses are seeing sales, they're hiring employees. They're frankly pretty optimistic."
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During presidential elections, both the party in power and the party that is trying to gain power use fiercer rhetoric about the economy, Taylor said, which affects people's attitudes towards spending.
"If you buy into either the fear or the optimism, you may not get the whole story and you may not get really a grasp of the underlying strength of our economy," Taylor said.
Neither political party appears to be addressing the economic needs of small businesses, Taylor said.
"I would love to see a massive investment in our infrastructure, I would love to see it hit our power grids, I would like to see us do work on our roads and bridges," Taylor said, "the kinds of things small business rely on."