Leading Economic Indicators Portend Lump Of Coal For 2008

All you all are cheap-asses:

The Christmas season was no bell-ringing bonanza for Salvation Army volunteers — who reported smaller donations and emptier kettles compared with previous years.

“This year is the worst year,” said Salvation Army bell-ringer Emma Quinones, 56, of Astoria, Queens. “I guess it’s because of cutbacks, rent going up, the economy.”

On Christmas Eve, Quinones took in just $40 in three hours at Rockefeller Plaza, down from the normal $100.

The Salvation Army doesn’t keep a national count of kettle donations. But “the overall sense is that people are more cautious about their giving this year,” said Melissa Temme, a national spokeswoman for the Salvation Army.

Those who depend on handouts and tips have also had a rough time of it.

“This is my worst year ever,” said panhandler Jack Mitchell, 67, who plies his trade in his wheelchair on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 57th Street with the help of his dog, Lucky.

Normally during the holidays, Mitchell said he takes in $150 to $200 a day, but he’s been averaging about $60 — more like an ordinary day the rest of the year.