Now that Democratic Senator Barack Obama has won the presidential election in the United States, you might think that entrepreneurial campaign character Joe "the Plumber" Wurzelbacher is heading for the hills.

Think again. The Ohio handyman, who made headlines when he confronted Obama about a tax policy that Wurzelbacher argued is bad for small-business owners, has launched a website and preparing to unleash a book, Joe The Plumber - Fighting for the American Dream, due next month.

In his acceptance speech last night, President-Elect Barack Obama thanked members of the working class for contributing to his campaign, and he warned that it would take time to get the country's economy back on track.

His road to victory "was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give $5 and $10 and $20 to this cause," Obama said.

The Federal Communications Commission today opened up a new frontier of airwaves for use as a successor to wi-fi and for other communications needs, giving hope to a new generation of hi-tech entrepreneurs.

The opening of so-called "white space" airwaves--frequencies that exist between broadcast television channels--could unleash a wave of "new, sophisticated wireless devices to operate in broadcast television spectrum on a secondary basis at locations where that spectrum is open," according to an FCC statement.

The U.S. Small Business Administration is reporting that SBA-backed loans are in decline this year, with the number of lines of credit down 30 percent and the total dollar amount of debt down 13 percent.

That said, the SBA states that there was still a healthy amount--nearly $18 billion--of money loaned so far in 2008, and that each loan, on average, was worth $183,000, an increase over 2007 of nearly 29 percent.

They say records are made to be broken. But few will be broken with as much vigor and flair as the budget deficit for the just-ended fiscal year, which will be broken by the fiscal year that began Oct. 1 of this year (if Wall Street estimates provided by The Associated Press hold true). This record won't be so much broken as smashed. And so quickly.

Woe be to the Fiscal Year ended Sept. 30, 2008, for your reign as largest budget deficit will last a scant 12 months. Your $454 billion shortfall will be talked about as part of a folksy, bygone era of pocket-change scarcity if projections for this Fiscal Year's deficit of $988 billion stand up.

The National Association of Retail & Thrift Shops reports that consignment shop inventory and sales are up as a result of the struggling economy, with many upper-income Americans parting ways with luxury items such as handbags, watches and shoes.

"The resale industry is one of the few recession proof segments of retailing," states NARTS. "Not only does it survive during economic slowdowns but it grows and thrives. The appeal is twofold: Consumers are attracted to buying quality merchandise at a fraction of the original cost, and there is also a financial incentive to sell, consign or donate their unused or unwanted items."

Sen. John McCain hammered Sen. Barack Obama on small business over the weekend, solidifying his campaign focus on entrepreneurial taxes and contentions that his Democratic opponent would be bad for the average American proprietor.

McCain's last-minute attacks came as the Republican trailed Obama by 11 points among likely voters on the eve of the election, according to the Gallup organization. The Arizona senator tried to highlight the differences between himself and Obama during a campaign swing through Florida.

I was out drinking recently.

"What? Dashingly suave bloggers go out drinking?" some mild-mannered female mumbled to herself after reading the first line.

Yes, of course us bloggers do. Not always together though. Sometimes, I party with celebrities and models who want to party with bloggers.

Some experts argue there's no such thing as a recession-proof franchise, but many restaurants have been hanging on to their economy-wary customers by lowering their menu prices and offering meals for around $5 dollars.

Chicago-based research firm Mintel notes a growing number of franchises with $5 promotions, including Subway's "$5 foot-longs," Quizno's Large Deli Favorites for $5, Pizza Hut's Pizza Mia Pizzas for $5 (when three or more are ordered), and Boston Market meals for $5.

If you're ever wondering what the Census Bureau does with all of its public information around holidays, you don't need to wait any longer to find out. I'll tell you what they do: they compile all of their cute statistics and send them to national business magazines.

So, in the spirit of Halloween, here are your festive dollars in the government at work:

If you need a break from worrying about the economy, I have a solution for you. Not for the economy (though I promise to share if I figure that out), but at least for the worry. How about replacing it with a little good old-fashioned outrage?

A story released this week by Bloomberg News reveals that Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley will use about $20 billion from the taxpayer-funded $700 billion government bailout package to provide bonuses to their top producers. Which begs the question: When, as in the case of Merrill Lynch, a company has gone through five straight quarters of losses and its stock is worth 30 percent of what it was a year ago, does that company really even have "top producers"?

In his half-hour infomercial, which aired last night on three major television networks, presidential hopeful Barack Obama proposed "a rescue plan for the middle class" that would include credit lines for entrepreneurs blindsided by the economic crisis.

"Just like after 9/11, we'll provide low-cost loans to help small businesses pay their workers and keep their doors open," Sen. Obama said.

The federal windfall for financial institutions--$250 billion in loans to date, aimed at loosening up credit lines and getting the economy moving again--probably isn't helping out the average entrepreneur.

That's because, as recent reports reveal, some major banks are using billions in federally secured funds to help them purchase smaller banks and to give executives millions in bonus pay. PNC Financial Services Group this month took over the failing National City bank with  $7.7 billion in taxpayer money.

The grand opening was upon me, a little 6-year-old entrepreneur dressed in a bow tie.

I came up with the idea, I wrote the business plan, I named the company, I hired the employees and I marketed to the customers.

Now it was time to make some money.

Several reports this week warn that car dealerships are closing from coast to coast as a result of the financial crisis. Retailers of American makes in particular have been hit by a triple whammy: Shrinking loan and lease programs, decreased demand for SUVs and a decline in consumer spending.

Earlier this month, National Automobile Dealers Association chairwoman Annette Sykora warned that 700 dealerships could go belly up by the end of the year. "Some of these [closings] stem from the challenges faced by the Detroit Three," she said.