For the first time in the 6-year history of the survey, the number of manufacturers that will spend less on assembly technology next year is greater than the number that will spend more. To put this in perspective, in the previous 5 years, manufacturers that planned to spend more on assembly technology in the following year outnumbered those that planned to spend less by a 2-to-1 margin. Read senior editor John Sprovieri¿s report, starting on Page 30, for the whole story.

Americans probably won¿t continue buying cars, particularly the big gas-guzzlers, at the rate we saw in October, especially if fuel prices jump. Car companies aren¿t exactly turning those sales into stellar profits, either. An automaker¿s largest profits typically come from financing programs, but not at zero percent. And even though the car companies are enjoying a temporary jump in sales, most of manufacturing continues to struggle in an economic quagmire.

However, as lawmakers continue wrangling over how best to stimulate the economy, the fact remains that whatever the Congress does, manufacturers can¿t generate the profits they need to survive and grow without continuously investing in new production equipment. Whether it¿s by cutting the capital gains tax, eliminating the archaic capital depreciation rules, or some other approach, Congress must at least make it possible for U.S. manufacturers to invest in capital equipment and have a realistic expectation of earning a return on the investment. The downward economic spiral will only accelerate if manufacturers continue to be constrained from investing in their futures.