Don’t forget donations in your budget

Today is “Black Friday,” which is not a bad thing in the world of retail. After yesterday’s turkey and football games comes the realization: Retailers see the next five weeks as their “make or break” time, the short season to get out of the red of debt and into the black of profits for the first time in this long year. Sales mean taxes and taxes are the life blood of the cities and counties of middle-America. Unfortunately, the telltale signs for the economic outlook are pointing in the wrong direction.