To change the trend of stagnation or bearishness we need more then "jobs".  People need to feel they will prosper tremendously if they make risky investments.  Those of us already too busy see very little reason to "invest" if Uncle Sam takes the majority of our profits when we're already making a comfortable living. 

  Secondly, if you want to build wealth you need to develop ideas that can be sold for much more then they cost to produce and while doing so the the buyer increases his productivity/profit more then enough to compensate him for the investment.  For example, cell phones..  Now businesses can monitor their work force even when their miles away.  Now we can conduct business while driving a SUV, tractor or semi.  Can watch markets and investments while "out of the office".  A cell phone has made both the seller and buyer much more prosperous.  Will investing in infrastructure do that?  I doubt it.  Will investing in "good" energy development do that?  Possibly.  

  Which means low taxes and well thought out tax incentives to encourage "risk takers".  Government involvement should be minimal and as last resort.

  As far as farmers being fairly well off....  I've read in several articles that 70% of Iowa farmers have no debt.  Good, huh?  Yet I later learned that in the 70's 60% had no debt.  Doesn't sound that far apart to me.  And I'll bet most Iowa farmers rent a higher percentage of their total crop acres now.  Now couple that with higher input costs and more volatility and I wonder if we're all that well off.  Remember, it took several years to get ugly after the booming 70's. 

  Do I see profit potential?  Yes!  But, like the rest of the country, it's going to take hard work and very few bad decisions.  Good Luck to all.