Geez, it's almost way too confusing for me, LOL! As far as the "economy," I see it being bad through 2010, BUT that's a pretty general statement that may not have much to do with your field. It sounds like your field has much better opportunities than many other fields at the moment and certainly in the long run.
Not being a big risk taker myself, I would go for the least riskier one which I think you said is A.
Now, I'm not one to just blow sunshine up anyone's backside just to be nicey-nice (just ask pretty much anyone who knows me, LOL!) so I'm being totally truthful with you here, you sound like you've got a good head on your shoulders and a very good sense of making good decisions so whatever you ultimately decide will be the right choice for you. I would say just trust your instincts and my guess is you'll do just fine when all is said and done.
EDIT: I just voted and right now its 9-8 so I see we're not much help!