They are hard to avoid and fairly stable, since spending patterns do not change sharply from year to year.

ECONOMIST: Governments will need to find new ways of raising tax

With the current recession that started a year ago, spending patterns ought to change--even though health care is viewed as "recession-proof" and is still forecast to have grown north of 6% again in 2008.

FORBES: Magazine Article

On one hand, they asserted that consumers had changed spending patterns and it was appropriate to change the weightings of housing, food, energy, health care, etc.

FORBES: Is It Simply Phony Baloney Government Policy Or Conspiracy?