For some time now, the Daily Journal has been running a poll on the governor’s proposal to send everyone a check for $400 to help offset the high price of gas. Last I checked, about 70% of respondents are favoring the idea for one reason or another, leaving just 30% who are not in favor, either because they don’t like it at all, or they’d rather see the money go toward mass transit. You can include me in the 70% category, although honestly, with the price of gas where it is, $400 doesn’t go very far.
Before this current administration got into the White House, I could fill my truck’s gas tank for just about $45. That’s from almost empty to completely full. A couple of weeks ago, my wife and I traveled to Emigrant Gap to visit our son, Patrick. Having allowed the truck to run down to about an eighth of a tank, I bought the cheapest gas I could find when we stopped in Old Cordelia, just before Fairfield. To fill my truck cost just shy of $90. So, if Gov. Newsom wants to send me a check for $400, I won’t turn him down, but again, it isn’t much help.
The way I figure it, $400 would offset the cost of filling my truck’s gas tank eight or nine times. After that, I’m left on my own to pay the “Let’s go Brandon” price for gas. How long into the future will that be? No one really knows but, obviously, it’ll be longer than the time it takes for me to use eight or nine tanks of gas.
What would be the best kind of help from the government? How about returning to the policies of the Trump administration when the United States was energy independent and exporting oil? Instead, we suffer the policies of the current administration and are again importing oil, making us dependent on other nations to meet our energy needs.
If anyone thinks it is only gas prices being affected by the policies of the Biden administration and the Democratic Party, think again. Recently I paid for 150 gallons of propane. The bill was $677.98. Curious, I pulled out my bill from a year ago. The quantity of propane was the same and cost $539.67. Do the math. That’s an increase of nearly 26%.
The other day I saw an article reporting on the current rate of inflation, at least the way the government figures it. I was shocked by the number, not because of how high it was, (and it certainly was high), but because of how low a number was being reported. According to the government, the current rate of inflation is 7.4%.
Recommended for you
What are they smoking? It must be something really strong and mind-bending because it appears they can only think to include things that matter the least to the average American. From what I’ve shared above, one can see the cost of driving a vehicle and heating a home has gone up significantly. The percentages are in the double digits. Add to those the cost of food and anything else arriving on store shelves via tractor-trailer rigs and I am pretty sure the average family budget has taken a significant hit from “real” inflation.
Allow me to offer one more example, just in case my point is still unclear. My wife and I were considering a trip to see our other son, Daniel, the one who joined the Marines. He’s currently stationed in Florida. Originally, I had considered driving, since Viv has seen very little of her adopted country. But our experience going to Emigrant Gap quickly dashed that idea.
Looking for an affordable alternative, I looked into flying. Normally, Southwest could be counted on to get a traveler from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ at a very reasonable rate. Not anymore. The cost of fueling planes has gone up hugely like everything else and with the increased operation costs have come increased fares.
Perhaps you are too young to remember a time when things were similarly bad in America. I am not. I can remember life under our 39th president, Jimmy Carter, also a Democrat. Thankfully, he served only one term from 1977 to 1981. In the ’81 election, Americans saw fit to oust Carter and elect Ronald Reagan, a Republican. Reagan served two full terms. His eight years in office lifted the country out of financial misery and self-doubt, having positive effect far beyond his White House tenure.
There’s always a reason for why our country swings back and forth between the two parties. We have good reason to swing to the right in 2024. It’d be even better if we did it in 2022.
A former member of the San Carlos City Council and mayor, Matt Grocott has been involved in political policy on the Peninsula for 17 years. He can be reached by email at mattgrocott@comcast.net.
Unfortunately we are stuck with Biden's gang for another 2.7 years. Even if he were to be impeached, and he should be for allowing the massive illegal immigration and fentanyl imports, we would be stuck with the Democrat's Plan B, Harris. That could be even worse.
Mr. Grocott – I think Newsom’s talk is just that, talk. I believe Newsom’s original $400 giveaway applied to all car owners, even electric car owners. And then the needy list was expanded to everyone who owned a car. And then the needy list was expanded to all citizens, and then non-citizens, regardless of whether they owned a car, or not. We all can see, and are experiencing an inflation rate higher than 7.4%. Just today, the inflation rate is reported as 8.5%. Maybe closer to reality, but we’re likely experiencing double digit inflation rates.
Mr. Grocott, your article is falsely based on the premise gas prices and inflation are President Biden's fault. During Covid, Trump made a two year deal with OPEC to slow oil production which is still being applied. Since most people cut back on their driving during the Covid shutdown, and are now driving, demand is now much higher with nary an increase in oil production, which is the recipe for higher gas prices and inflation.
However, the disturbing part of your article is the yearning for the “good ole days” under the Trump administration. Do you mean the one in which, with total power of all three branches, the only accomplishments were three SCOTUS appointments and a tax bill for the rich? No infrastructure bill, no improved health plan, no change in the immigration laws, and no changes in gun safety. We did get two impeachments; record number of indicted staff members; record number of recorded lies; tariffs on Chinese goods (a not so hidden tax on consumers); thousands of lives lost to Covid due to the politicization of the illness and its vaccines; and an attack on our Capitol to dispute the results of a certified election.
I rest better knowing our nuclear codes aren’t being held by a thin-skinned narcissist who spent the greater part of his daily life tweeting rather than governing. An administration that has normal qualified personnel and practices diplomacy abroad. And, a record low unemployment rate, record job creation, and a high demand for workers.
Rel-ly? Everyone knows inflation began rising to current heights due to stolen election Biden. If we accept your flawed reasoning regarding our great President Trump with OPEC to slow oil production, why doesn’t your beloved Biden just increase domestic oil production, instead of squelching it? Because Biden is pursuing America Last policies, that’s why. I’m sure you rest better knowing our nuclear codes are being held by a thin-skinned and cognition-challenged Biden who spends more of his time in the basement rather than governing. An administration that has made America a global laughingstock and has empowered other countries to move forward on their designs on other countries. An administration known for high inflation, high fuel prices, high crime rates, highest number of lives lost to COVID, and to COVID jabs, to name a few.
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO
personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who
make comments. Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language. Don't threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated. Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything. Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK. Anyone violating these rules will be issued a
warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be
revoked.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
(4) comments
Unfortunately we are stuck with Biden's gang for another 2.7 years. Even if he were to be impeached, and he should be for allowing the massive illegal immigration and fentanyl imports, we would be stuck with the Democrat's Plan B, Harris. That could be even worse.
Mr. Grocott – I think Newsom’s talk is just that, talk. I believe Newsom’s original $400 giveaway applied to all car owners, even electric car owners. And then the needy list was expanded to everyone who owned a car. And then the needy list was expanded to all citizens, and then non-citizens, regardless of whether they owned a car, or not. We all can see, and are experiencing an inflation rate higher than 7.4%. Just today, the inflation rate is reported as 8.5%. Maybe closer to reality, but we’re likely experiencing double digit inflation rates.
Mr. Grocott, your article is falsely based on the premise gas prices and inflation are President Biden's fault. During Covid, Trump made a two year deal with OPEC to slow oil production which is still being applied. Since most people cut back on their driving during the Covid shutdown, and are now driving, demand is now much higher with nary an increase in oil production, which is the recipe for higher gas prices and inflation.
However, the disturbing part of your article is the yearning for the “good ole days” under the Trump administration. Do you mean the one in which, with total power of all three branches, the only accomplishments were three SCOTUS appointments and a tax bill for the rich? No infrastructure bill, no improved health plan, no change in the immigration laws, and no changes in gun safety. We did get two impeachments; record number of indicted staff members; record number of recorded lies; tariffs on Chinese goods (a not so hidden tax on consumers); thousands of lives lost to Covid due to the politicization of the illness and its vaccines; and an attack on our Capitol to dispute the results of a certified election.
I rest better knowing our nuclear codes aren’t being held by a thin-skinned narcissist who spent the greater part of his daily life tweeting rather than governing. An administration that has normal qualified personnel and practices diplomacy abroad. And, a record low unemployment rate, record job creation, and a high demand for workers.
Rel-ly? Everyone knows inflation began rising to current heights due to stolen election Biden. If we accept your flawed reasoning regarding our great President Trump with OPEC to slow oil production, why doesn’t your beloved Biden just increase domestic oil production, instead of squelching it? Because Biden is pursuing America Last policies, that’s why. I’m sure you rest better knowing our nuclear codes are being held by a thin-skinned and cognition-challenged Biden who spends more of his time in the basement rather than governing. An administration that has made America a global laughingstock and has empowered other countries to move forward on their designs on other countries. An administration known for high inflation, high fuel prices, high crime rates, highest number of lives lost to COVID, and to COVID jabs, to name a few.
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.