In other words, the leftist news media is going to attempt to protect the Democrats from the crappy economy and Biden’s incompetence
Republicans, Democrats push dueling economic narratives ahead of midterms
In an economy that’s seeing both surging growth and debilitating inflation, Democrats and Republicans are telling very different stories about the overall economic picture ahead of midterm elections later this year.
For Republicans, the message is simple: inflation, inflation, inflation.
Consumer prices have risen 8.5 percent since last year, with wholesale prices climbing more than 11 percent, and Republicans are hammering the point home.
Where’s the growth? Product is limited. The auto industry is not getting better. It might be getting worse. While there might be just enough of some consumer goods, there isn’t a large supply. Those backrooms are not stocked up like usual. Manufacturers are prioritizing what they make. And, I’ll say again, it isn’t all Biden’s fault, nor the Democrats. The ultimate responsibility is on China for screwing around with coronaviruses, though, throw some blame towards Fauci and the National Institute of Health for funding Wuhan.
Democrats, meanwhile, are focused on the red-hot rebound of the economy following the onset of the pandemic, which has led to an increase in nominal wages and some of the highest levels of employment since the late 1960s.
“Our nation’s hiring spree continues, with March marking the eleventh straight month with over 400,000 jobs added back,” House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal (D-Mass.) said earlier this month. “Over 90 percent of American jobs lost to the pandemic during the Trump Administration have been recovered, and the unemployment rate dropped to the lowest level since the pandemic began. The health and pace of our recovery is extraordinary.”
The employment rate is especially strong in Texas, where it’s almost doubled since before the pandemic, adding more than 40,000 jobs to the labor force every month this year. It’s a trend that Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) attributes to one of the Biden administration’s signature economic stimulus packages.
But, it isn’t like these are mostly new jobs, they are filling jobs that went away thanks to the pandemic and government lockdown policies, among others. I know lots of businesses that are down about 25% for employees, and aren’t filling it. We’d normally have 40 salespeople: we have 25. The number of service techs is down, and not being filled. Same at a lot of dealerships. Hours are reduced. Many that would normally be open Sunday are no longer. Lots of fast food places are still down and unable to fill those spots. Many within a couple miles of work only do drive thru, no in store ordering. Many places have cut hours. I went to Best Buy at 10am to get new speakers for the new car and found out they do not open till 11am.
It’s why you do not see that many really good sales. Why the stock is limited at stores.
While some economists have pointed to the trillions in fiscal stimulus packages, which went out to Americans under both presidents Trump and Biden, as a contributor to inflation, most say the core reason is supply chain disruptions and high demand for goods and services resulting from the pandemic.
The demand is not high: it’s, at best, normal, though many are focusing on needs, not wants. And, the cause is both. And Biden isn’t really doing a damned thing to help. He seems barely cognizant that Americans are suffering. Seriously, are there fewer chickens and cows? Nope. There’s plenty of milk, eggs, and chickens and cows to have meat. Things like shipping cause the problems. Where’s the Biden admin? What’s the Transportation Dept doing?
Dems can talk about jobs all they want: when consumers see the prices on the shelves that’s what they’ll remember. And Biden going off grid every weekend to his beach house or Camp David. Biden just doesn’t have time to do the job.
When I go to places like Olive Garden or Outback, it’s obvious: they have fewer employees working than before. Waitresses are having to hurry more, to serve more tables, and, even worse, they sometimes have ugly waiters instead of cute waitresses!
Food takes longer to arrive, which indicates that kitchen personnel are short-staffed.
The closest Kroger grocery store? I used to be open 24 hours a day; now its hours are 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
We’ve noticed the wait staff issue as well. We, being retired people, tend to eat later (or earlier) than the working population. No longer do we see the same servers week to week in many places and we’ve noticed an issue with preparation at our neighborhood Longhorn, they just can’t cook the steak right anymore. We gave up on Outback for that reason.
At the grocery, HEB is the first choice, gaps in the shelves and prices are steadily moving upwards. The Walmart across the street and Kroger in the next block are similar. Canned beans up by about $.20 per, canned soup by $.50 per, and pasta $.30 ~ .50 per package. Over at the meat counter, prime cow that was 7 or 8 bucks 2 years ago is over 12 now. It goes on and on.
Local McDs has been closed several mornings because not enough staff reported for work
The lower (once known as entry level) jobs are hard to fill because a smooth operator can grift about $20k a year in cash, housing, food and other bennies without working. Plus all they can grab selling fentanyl brought in from Hunter’s friends in Red China by filthy, disease ridden criminal illegals through a border flung open by FJB. It’s a system of grift and corruption that feeds on itself and the taxpayer to deliver votes to democrats. It’s been successful so far.
The smart entrepreneurs will replace all the staff they can with self serve kiosks mostly because they have little choice. I guess we’ll be seeing soaring price increases in restaurant food prices since if they have to pay double for wages they gotta get it somewhere. I have a friend with a bike shop in Clearwater and he had to bring his wife in because he couldn’t get an employee he could afford to pay and still stay in business.
One thing is for sure, when in business you can’t be held hostage by your employees or you’re finished. Sadly, when the government is your competition for hiring employees they have deeper pockets than you so you lose. The American small businessman has become the new kulaks of the modern democrat communists. The bourgeoise to be eliminated and replaced with obedient surfs and ruled by the democrat oligarchs.
FJB and his commie hordes.
No doubt our traditional economy is adjusting to post-pandemic America. Workers have increased bargaining power, unemployment is at near-record lows. Workers are less desperate. Profits are high (it’s not a law – companies charge more when supplies are limited). There are still global supply chain issues and Americans have money to spend. But the Fed is working to slowly cool down the economy which will curb inflation.
Dropping the tRump-era tariffs would could 1% off the current inflation rate. And what’s the best way to address worker shortages in an expanding economy? Immigration. Guest workers.
That entire comment is bullshit. The “traditional economy” whatever the hell that is is still trying to recover from the pointless (and unconstitutional) shutdown of small business. BTW we’ve lost about 100,000 small businesses including self employed people thanks to the leftist hysteria over a virus.
Bargaining power has increased almost all due to about an additional 30 million Americans who have just stopped looking for work all together. I mean why work when the leftists will pay you to stay home and vote democrat?
Q states: “Profits are high (it’s not a law – companies charge more when supplies are limited).” Profits are high because inflation makes them appear so. In reality they are not. And BTW, It is a law that companies charge more when supplies are low-it’s called the law of supply and demand.
“There are still global supply chain issues and Americans have money to spend. But the Fed is working to slowly cool down the economy which will curb inflation.” yeah, there are supply chain “issues” especially when our government does its best to create them in energy, housing and food. Americans have plenty of inflated money to spend on things constantly rising out of reach. Thanks, FJB.
“Dropping the tRump-era tariffs would could 1% off the current inflation rate. And what’s the best way to address worker shortages in an expanding economy? Immigration. Guest workers.”
Still childishly trying to work the hated and feared trumpmonster into every comment shows how little the left understands how FJB has mismanaged America.
Keep saying and believing this shit QdOwd and we’re gonna kick your asses back to the Jim Crow era. Admit your mistakes,(we know you can’t), take stock of your good points (other than homos, trannies and criminals), and try to win without cheating. But if you keep this flagrant and obvious lying to the people you are dead ducks in future elections.
FJB and all your commie policies. They don’t work in Detroit and they won’t work for America. Hey, FJB America is no country for old men. Get our of DeSantis’ way you decrepit old senile fart.
Fuck L.G. Brandon!, L.G. Brandon!, his heroes DonJon tRumPutin and Ron duhSantis and their fascist policies.
QdOwd, you have become too easy to trigger. It (almost) takes the fun out. Now get back to your safe space you old fart.
FJB and his minions.
Keep punching, LGB.
