conrns on financl rkets have added to prices, have increa crit spreadnd generally have been a netive f ecogwth. so that has been an issue. and more broadly, e seen some slowing in global economic grth more generally, including in asia, which also has reduced somewhat our ability to export. so that's one set of concerns that's been important. i had mentioned two others i think as being primarily important. one is housing. housing usually plays a very important role in economic recovery. both through construction itself and related industries, but also because higher house prices increase consumer wealth and promote consumer spending. housing does seem to be doing somewhat better. there are some good signs in housing, but nevertheless, we're not getting the size of the boost, the amount of help in a recovery we would normally get from a housing recovery. the other area is, as you indicated, fiscal. and is that happens at all different levels. federal, state and local. notwithstanding programs earlier on in the last year or two, and going forward, we have been seeing fiscal consolidation, particu