By Jeff Harrington, Times Staff Writer
Friday, December 23, 2011
Confrontation was the name of the game in 2011. Consumers taking on big banks and their fees. Occupiers vs. Wall Streeters and big business. The ninety-nine percenters against the 1 percenters. Conservatives facing off against liberals. Chronic, long-term unemployed seemingly against the world. On a global perspective, confrontations were even more heated with clashes in Libya and Egypt sparking regime changes and European countries battling each other over how to corral massive debt. Through all the turmoil, the U.S. economy chugged along. Sort of. We ended the year with unemployment down a bit, consumer confidence still sagging, and stock markets close to where they started after a rather wild ride. Here's a look at some of the biggest business stories of the year that affected our community.
— Jeff Harrington, Times staff writer
1. Economic funk persists
Florida's ...