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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Americans are mad as hell... and they're keeping both big business and government in the crosshairs. The Wall Street Journal reports that historically the public focuses its anger on either one institution or the other - but not this time.

On the one hand, people are frustrated with the Wall Street failures that led to this financial mess; and they're outraged at ongoing situations like bonus payouts at AIG. But Americans also see too much involvement by Congress and the federal government - accusing the administration of "socialism" and a "takeover" of the economy.

What's interesting here is some don't see government and business as opposing forces, rather they see "a unified elite pursuing one big swindle." For example - the government using hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money to bail out banks and automakers.

This anger at both government and business is making it difficult for either Democrats or Republicans to connect with voters. A founder of one "tea party" group says the greatest movement within the tea party is "None of the above," a belief that lawmakers in both political parties aren't cutting it and need to be removed. People really do get it. The question I keep coming back to is: Why do we continue to re-elect incumbents?

Democrats say once their agenda is in place - it will prove they can solve problems and people won't distrust government as much. Talk is cheap. So far the Democrats don't have a lot to show for their control of the executive and legislative branches of government.

Here’s my question to you: At this point, do you have more faith in government or big business?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

I don't suppose this will come as a huge surprise: Money is the biggest source of stress in most countries. A Reader's Digest survey asked people from 16 countries "What stresses you the most?"… and gave the options of money, family, health or the state of the world.

Money topped the list in 10 of these countries... not surprising since we've been going through the worst global financial crisis since the Great Depression.

The nations that worry the most about money include Malaysia, China, Singapore and the U.S. The countries who care the least about money are Russia, France and Italy. In these three countries people were more worried about their family.

This poll finds the second biggest source of stress is the state of the world. People in most nations, with the exception of Italy, aren't too stressed about their health. But in Italy, health was the top issue for men - number two for women.

The poll results also show that men and women often worry about different things.

A senior editor with Reader's Digest says it's not surprising that people in a lot of these countries agree that money is their biggest worry. She says: "We have more in common across national borders than we might realize."

Here’s my question to you: What's your biggest cause of stress and why?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

More good news from our government. Friday the White House said deficits would climb to $9 trillion over the next ten years bringing the total national debt to $20 trillion a decade from now.

The government also announced Social Security recipients will get no cost of living adjustments during the next two years. That hasn't happened since automatic increases were put into place in 1975. We can find hundreds of billions of dollars for AIG and Wall Street, but we can't give our senior citizens a small cost of living increase in their social security. When does the revolution start?

We're in the midst of a recession not seen since the great depression. Millions of Americans are out of work, unemployment has soared to 9.4 percent. Millions of good paying jobs have been have been shipped overseas never to return. And the manufacturing base that was once the engine of our economy is on life support. We simply don't make "things" anymore.

We are in debt up to our eyeballs to China and other foreign countries as we increasingly look to them to finance out deficit spending. And through it all have you noticed? There's no talk in Washington of cutting expenses or reducing the size of government.

There are unfunded liabilities in the tens of trillions of dollars for Medicare and Social Security; and no plan for how to pay for health care reform. Add in the drain of millions of illegal aliens and the fact that many states are bankrupt. We're in serious trouble here.

Here’s my question to you: How is the American dream changing?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

The percentage of Americans who say economic concerns are the nation's top problem is decreasing... while the number worried about health care is on the rise.

A new Gallup poll shows 60-percent of those surveyed cite an economic issue - like unemployment, the deficit or the economy in general - as the nation's most serious concern. That's down from 69-percent last month. The current mood is the same as what it was in September of last year - before the bankruptcies and bailouts started.

And - as the debate over health care rages on, 25-percent of Americans now say that is the country's most important problem... that number is up from 16-percent just a month ago.

Gallup says this spike in interest is similar to what it recorded when President Clinton had tried health care reform in the early 90s.

Meanwhile - Although polls suggest more Americans think the economy is improving, many experts are saying: "Not so fast... "

Economists warn that the recovery will be weak compared to periods that followed other recessions. In fact, investors' fears over consumer spending and a decline in consumer confidence sent the markets down by the largest amount in six weeks today.

And, as our lawmakers in Washington try to figure out how to pay for a health care overhaul with a potential $1 trillion price tag - it's worth pointing out that the two issues of health care and the economy are very much intertwined.

Here’s my question to you: Which concerns you more: health care or the economy?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

Almost every state in the nation is hurting financially. More unemployed people along with cuts in consumer spending mean states are collecting a lot less in taxes - and that means bigger and bigger budget shortfalls.

Protesters demonstrate against cuts to social services that aid people with disabilities and the poor at the home of California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The Financial Times reports one estimate shows tax collections dropped by almost 12 percent during the first quarter of this year... with 45 of 50 states reporting declines. Early numbers for April and May are even worse - showing declines in tax revenue of almost 20 percent.

Some are also questioning how effective the federal stimulus package has been - if states are spending billions of these stimulus dollars and still can't close budget shortfalls. There are only two choices when it comes to this: either raise taxes or cut expenses.

Many states have made cuts to school districts, health care, programs for the disabled, the prison system and state employees... California has even been issuing IOUs for things like welfare checks.

The bad news is this may not be a temporary situation. These cuts to state budgets may be the new reality going forward... Almost two-thirds of states are projecting budget gaps for 2011... and at least 15 states already foresee gaps as far out as 2012 - when the federal stimulus money will have dried up.

Here’s my question to you: What government services are you willing to see reduced or eliminated?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

No doubt, tough economic times call for tough decisions and some thinking outside the box.

So in an effort to relieve budget woes, the Governor of Illinois is proposing the early release of up to 10,000 prisoners. The move would reportedly save taxpayers $125 million a year and result in layoffs for 1,000 corrections employees.

It would also put thousands of convicts on the streets. But have no fear, officials say it would only be those deemed by the state as non-threatening, who have less than a year left to serve.

Critics say it's just a scheme by the Governor to scare people into supporting an increase in income tax. But Illinois isn't the only state to consider such a move. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger made a similar proposal in California to save that state $180 million by releasing undocumented inmates, among others.

In the past, Mississippi, Rhode Island and Kentucky have considered such plans too, and Mississippi is actually doing it.

Critics argue that public safety isn't the place to slash the budget. Then there is also the issue of whether or not a Governor has the authority to release thousands of inmates whose sentences were imposed by a judge after they were convicted in a court of law.

Here’s my question to you: Is releasing prisoners early a good way for states to save money?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

At some point it will become President Obama and the Democrats' recession, not George W. Bush's. If the economy doesn't start to show signs of picking up, Democrats could feel the voters' anger in next year's mid-term elections.

President Obama is traveling a path not unlike the one President Ronald Reagan once traveled and, as my colleague Christine Romans points out, the Democrats could learn something from President Reagan's experience. Both Presidents were wildly popular early on, but unemployment was rising.

In the 1982 elections Reagan's Republican Party lost 26 seats and experts say the scale was tipped when unemployment hit 10-percent. President Obama currently faces a 9.5-percent unemployment rate and now says 10-percent is likely before the year is over. Renowned investor Warren Buffet said this morning on Good Morning America that unemployment could hit 11-percent.

It seems everyone knows someone who has lost their job. While the Obama Administration is busy pointing the finger at Bush, those unemployed Americans who can't find a job will likely be tempted to take it out on whoever is in power when they vote next fall. What remains to be seen is if voters are ready to start returning Republicans to power so soon after the Bush Administration.

Here’s my question to you: Will the voters blame the Democrats for our economic problems in next year's election?

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In 2003, Former President George W. Bush announced plans to phase out the space shuttle program by 2010 and instead shift the focus and funding to what was named the Constellation program - a plan to send man back to the moon by 2020. This is all part of a bigger plan to eventually send a manned space mission to Mars.

None of that may happen any time soon. The country is broke and in a nasty recession and as a result, the Constellation Program is being reconsidered because of budgetary constraints.

The projected cost for the Constellation capsule itself, which would go to the moon, is estimated at $150 Billion and climbing. Keep in mind that in 2009, just $6 Billion was allotted for space exploration. Florida Senator John Nelson, who is a former astronaut, said the 2020 goal can't possibly be met and NASA can't do it's job.

President Obama's commission on human space flight has looked into a proposal created by NASA engineers who have criticized the Constellation project. Their project is called Jupiter and would have the same objectives as Constellation, but is believed to be about half the cost. Nevertheless - that's still tens of billions of dollars.

Here’s my question to you: In light of the ballooning National Debt, what priority should the U.S. space program have?

Interested to know which ones made it on air?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

California is on the brink of a financial meltdown. Once the richest state in the union, California has run out of money and is being forced to issue billions of dollars of IOUs to taxpayers, county agencies and small businesses.

Proposed budget cuts threaten funding For California universities, including UCLA where students here are seen passing the bronze statue of their campus mascot, the Bruin - a California grizzly bear.

California's deficit was already at a whopping $24.3 billion... and the failure of the state legislature to agree upon cost-cutting measures made it grow by another $2 billion.

Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to use deep spending cuts and borrowing... while Democrats push for tax hikes and less-severe cuts.

Schwarzenegger has declared a fiscal emergency - and is giving lawmakers 45 days to figure things out. He's also ordered state employees to take a third unpaid day each month - which brings their total pay cut this year to about 14-percent.

Meanwhile the IOUs could wind up causing a lot of damage - especially for small businesses that rely on state contracts. Counties will have to find other ways to fund social programs - including those for alcohol abuse, mental health and services for the elderly and disabled. And California's universities will look for other ways to help students who won't get state grants.

The federal government is also threatening to seize six state parks if they're closed to help balance the state's budget.

California's deepening financial crisis could be a preview of things to come for other states as money dries up and citizens brace for tax increases and cuts in services.

Here’s my question to you: What should be done about California's disastrous financial situation?

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FROM CNN's Jack Cafferty:

When it comes to the 18-month-long recession, we're not out of the woods quite yet. Consumer confidence took an unexpected and steep drop in the month of June.

This is a big deal because consumer spending makes up more than two-thirds of our economy. And it means Americans don't feel so optimistic about their current financial situation or about what's to come.

Some think the rising price of gasoline is part of the reason for this decline, with consumers feeling pinched at the pump once again.

One expert tells Reuters that the confidence data "kind of took the wind out of things a little bit." Investors had been expecting consumer confidence to hold steady this month - following big jumps in April and May. For months, we've been seeing economic data that suggests the recession isn't getting worse; but investors want to see signs that the economy is actually growing.

Meanwhile the unemployment rate - which is already at a 25-year high of 9.4 percent - is expected to increase again for the month of June. And perhaps reach 10-percent later this year. If that's the case, it seems unlikely consumer spending will pick up significantly any time soon.

Here’s my question to you: What caused an unexpected, steep drop in consumer confidence?

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