While the national media continues to hope and wish and pray for a recession, the nation's small businesses are optimistic. Here in Texas, the energy industry keeps hope alive.
Jeff Moseley is president of the Texas Association of Business.
"For us, as long as the price per barrel stays above $35 we're in a very good place and, of course, the prices have been closer to $50 and 55 a barrel."
Moseley says he doesn't expect a recession any time soon and Texas is open for business.
"In Texas we have a low regulatory climate; we don't have a lot of permits and fees; it's a very pro-business legislature -- the governor, the lieutenant governor."
Despite the constant media drumbeat for a recession, the National Federation of Independent Business says small business optimism rose in October.
"Businesses are doing well in the state of Texas; we know that because of our very, very low unemployment rate. Typically, in the United States it's around 3.5% and here in Texas it's closer to 3% and in some of our metropolitan areas it's even lower than that."
NFIB President and CEO Juanita Duggan told Breibart.com "small business owners are continuing to create jobs, raise wages, and grow their businesses, thanks to tax cuts and deregulation, and nothing is stopping them except for finding qualified workers."