Triple G

Not much you can do about the shut downs.

Keystone is not a factor no matter how much MAGA wants to keep it alive.

Energy production is at record levels and not as impacted by regs as you'd like us to believe.

The wage gap continues to be a problem. Corps.have been putting profits and shareholders ahead of workers since the 2017 tax repeal for the rich. Stock buybacks got preferential treatment to wage increases and prices are still generating record profits screwing the worker still.

Beef prices are very high, but look at why. Demand continues to remain level even with increased prices. There won't be any change in those prices for a very long time no matter who is the president.

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/10/25/beef-prices-are-at-record-highs-and-your-steak-is-becoming-pricier.html

btbg

Keystone is a huge factor, not because of the lost oil, because most of that oil is still being trucked. Keystone is a big deal because it sends a clear message, do not spend money on an expensive oil project even when you have permits because the administration may still shut it down. That has a chilling effect on energy exploration and production.

Of course people are still buying beef. What are we supposed to do, not eat? You are right there won't be any changes for a long time regardless of who is president in beef prices, but they wouldn't have gone sky high without the shut downs and the ensuing inflation. The point is you can claim 2 percent inflation all you want, but the reality is the inflation index leaves out most fuel and groceries, so what they claim and what is really happening are not even similar. Two percent inflation would be no big deal if not for nine or 10 percent inflation prior to it and prices continuing to rise. Prior to the Biden administration my wife and I ate well on about $300 a month. We are now over $400 and are eating pork and chicken instead of beef, beans and rice instead of Potatos, etc... It isn't just that we are paying more, it's that we are paying more and getting less. Have you priced a candy bar recently? Sugar and chocolate products are through the roof.

During the Trump administration I actually made money when I drove for company work as the amount they paid per mile was more than enough to cover gas and maintenance. Now it costs me every time I have to drive. As to the economy overheating if we dropped interest rates, that might happen, but the reality is the "booming" economy is also a sham. Last week it was reported that during the Biden administration there have been 3.3 million jobs added. But, when you actually look at the numbers that is very deceptive. The real numbers show that actually there are 78,000 Americans working today then before Biden took office, while there are 3.4 million more both legal and illegal immigrants in the workforce. So, jobs have been added, but they aren't jobs for Americans. Instead we are paying more for everything while those crossing our border illegally are profiting. Yeah, isn't the economy great.

Triple G

Immigration is a problem -- put some checks on the employer side.

Keystone is a nothing burger.

https://apnews.com/article/895299166310
https://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2024/0409/immigrants-us-economy-labor-shortage

Groceries and fuel are no longer the big drivers of economy unrest. It's housing: rentals and purchases. The Covid migration has disrupted much of the nation. It's insurance: 25% on autos and 15-30% on homes and q1 is renewal season. Nothing any president can about that.

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Triple G

I believe he is incorrect about jobs. MAGA screamed about manufacturing jobs. Those jobs are growing and still they complain. Whether they're going to illegal immigrants is not something I can show and neither can he. I have faith in the I-9 process is done properly. I do know that legal immigration is needed to fill the need. The boat manufacturers, gun manufacturers, EV battery manufacturing, and chip manufacturing are going crazy here. If you are not working, it's your own damned fault.

https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/understanding-tennessee-labor-market?state=tn
https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MANEMP

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Some just simply can not evaluate anything without strong political bias clouding their thought process. It must be a feel good thing.

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

I saw Biden yesterday making the statement that when he assumed office in 2021 that inflation was soaring under Trump. The fact is that the inflation rate in Jan of 2021 was 1.4%.

Odd how the media fact checks Trumps jokes but shrugs their shoulders when the serial liar and chief lies like a rug.

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_02102021.pdf

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Yeah, trump is reputed to be a real truth factory!

The old pot/kettle story never grows old!

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

My comment was not a defense of Trump so much as the current president and the corrupt media which hides his flaws from the American people.

Triple G

Most sane people know that the current inflation is from covid actions and are smart enough to know that blame can't be placed 100% on either trump or Biden. They ignore the claims by both candidates as campaign rhetoric.

Biden gets fact-checked all the time. You're either assuming in your red-based partisan brain or lying.

https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/mar/08/fact-checking-joe-biden-on-inflation-the-deficit-a/

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

Manufacturing is up? Not according to this 2023 report.

"Labor productivity for manufacturing decreased by
1.0 % between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023, as illustrated
in Figure 4.9. The five-year compound annual growth is -0.6 %. For U.S. manufacturing,
total factor productivity increased 3.6 % from 2020 to 2021 and has a 5-year compound
annual growth rate of 0.7 %, as illustrated in Figure 4.10. Productivity in the U.S. is
relatively high compared to other countries. As illustrated in Figure 4.11, the U.S. is
ranked ninth in output per hour among 142 countries using data from the Conference
Board. In recent years, productivity growth has been negative or has come to a plateau in
many countries and the U.S. seems to be following this pattern of slow growth. There are
competing explanations for why productivity has slowed, such as an aging population,
inequality, or other factors. A number of the explanations equate to low levels of capital
investment. It is also important to note that productivity is difficult to measure and even
more difficult to compare across countries. Moreover, the evidence does not seem to
support any particular explanation over another as to why productivity appears to have
stalled."

https://nvlpubs.nist.gov/nistpubs/ams/NIST.AMS.600-13-upd1.pdf

Triple G

That's because that is a metric for labor productivity (effectiveness of labor) not manufacturing growth.

https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=956879

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

My comment was calling attention to the similarities the two possess. I made no reference to whom excelled in this particular practice.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

I am not talking about the Fed or anything else EXCEPT the rising and not coming down prices taking place all across America and for all types of goods and services under Biden. You are paying the very same high prices as the rest of us and yet somehow have decided to give positive reviews to paying up to 40% higher for goods and services and all because of the idiotic piss poor Biden administration YOU SUPPORT.

lil denny isn't here right now so why bring him up? It isn't 2% and you know it.

Dennis

DaveO Loc: Northeast CT

Love your math!