We think we can raise our per capita income, build the knowledge base, the economy and get a little more competitive if we can produce more baccalaureate degrees.

With tuition increases, students from the lower two-fifths of the income level are coming to university schools with less frequency. For this state to be competitive, we need our kids to get degrees.

I'd characterize the local economy as relatively strong over all. Commercial real estate, the securities industry, and thus personal income and tax revenues, and, to a lesser extent, the labor market are all showing signs of strengthening. The housing market has shown some signs of cooling recently, but remains pretty strong in terms of levels.

The average American person controls the economy and it all comes down to discretionary income.

What concerns me is the unevenness . You have peaks and valleys in median income throughout the state.

There's a high growth rate and a higher income level, which are reasons why I wanted to open a classier store that handled high-end products.