Just how is economy recovering?

A recent story stated that unemployment went up and then went on to quote economists saying how good the economy really was. What?

The next day, the front page had the headline "Seller's Market," even though the median home price in Modesto is a low $126,000. On the same day, there was a headline and story saying how our $16 trillion debt really isn't all that bad.

Please tell me, when is a rising jobless rate an economic sign of "being sturdier than expected," and when are horribly low house prices a sign the market "is recovering?" When is every citizen's share of the national debt more than $100,000 "not as dire" as it seems?

I don't know if you guys really believe the stuff you're printing or if this is just some new propaganda effort by our current administration. Either way, articles like these are what lead Americans to believe we're strolling down the yellow brick road when we're actually sprinting down the road to perdition.

CHRIS HENRY

Waterford