We just did not have the kind of traffic we would normally expect to have when the economy is booming along.

In spite of rising costs and the carriers' desire to raise fares to cover those costs, there's going to be some real difficulty in accomplishing that. It does not look like demand is firming up at all. And therefore I see downward pressure on prices.

There's a lot going on here.

Many builders appear to be taking a more cautious attitude because of uncertainties in the economy and this post-Katrina environment, particularly with regard to sales expectations in the near term.

We must support the industry that drives our state's economy. That means being very attentive to the needs of our farmers and ranchers. It means aggressively exploring opportunities in the areas of biotechnology, value-added agriculture, and foreign markets.

Unfortunately, a stronger economy may also signal that energy demand will increase, driving up the price of crude oil and gasoline.