Dan Aykroyd lampooning Jimmy Carter and inflation on Saturday Night Live in the 1970s was legendary. In one skit, Aykroyd said, “Inflation is our friend! Wouldn’t you like to own a $4,000 suit, smoke a $75 cigar, drive a $600,000 car? I know I would! Everybody will be a millionaire!”
But inflation is no laughing matter. If sending money to people made us richer, our government would have printed millions of dollars a long time ago. The lessons of Argentina, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe, who did just that and destroyed their economies, are a cautionary tale. Of course, that didn’t stop Democrats from passing a third stimulus one year ago this month—$1,400 to nearly all and $300 bonuses to not work. Not a single Republican voted for that disastrous bill. Economists shuddered. The $1.9 trillion was all borrowed, and we have suffered the consequences of labor shortages and inflation ever since.
AMAC prides itself on being member-driven. We take our marching orders on the policies we will support or oppose from our members. How do we discern what our members want? Simple. We ask them. This past week’s poll on inflation asked in part, “How have you managed during these bleak economic times?” The top two selected answers were, “I’ve deliberately made my travel more meaningful to reduce trips to save on gas” and “I’m eating out less so I can purchase more groceries.” But there were over 740 comments. Below is just a spot sample of over 20 comments on what you, our valued AMAC members, are telling us, in your own words.
“Our Golden years are greatly and painfully diminished.” – Leslie
“Our Kia is 12 years old and starting to cost more to repair. We’re fearful of another car purchase while this administration is in office.” – Larry & Linda
“Not much I can do but grin and bear it all. – John
“I’ve lost weight.” – David
“I feel terrible for young couples with kids.” – John
“My greatest economic fear is that capitalism is moving in the direction of socialism.” – David
“My grocery bill has tripled since Biden took office. The situation we’re being forced to live under is due to an unwillingness to learn from foolish mistakes for the sake of a chimerical ideology.” – Kim
“You can only poke a sleeping bear so long before it wakes.” – Ron
“We can’t support deserving charitable organizations in the same way we did in the past. Thanks Joe.” – Phillip
“The real problem is once prices go up, they never go back to where they were originally especially in grocery stores.” – Babs
“Pray our members can survive these increases. I miss Ronald Reagan.” – Mike L.
“No spring baseball for me– costs too much.” – G.B.
“I’ve started purchasing more store brands.” – Susan
“If you have to ask what we can do about this, then you are the problem.” – J.C.
“Well, I guess it’s dog food for dinner again. Just because I saved up a few dollars over my lifetime for emergencies and funeral expenses and my kids are grown, I cannot get food stamps.” – Fred
My out-of-pocket Medicare has made it impossible for me to have necessary surgery (carpal tunnel and minor foot surgery). – Donna
“I cut memberships to health clubs to save money. I’m not buying needed clothes to save money. – Dr. K.F.
“I’m trying to eliminate as much travel as possible. I use Zoom to attend worship services. I’ve changed barbers to one closer to home.” – Richard
“Now my car only goes where I have to be.” – Ingrid
“The push for ‘green’ energy and electric vehicles is absolute foolishness and will only lead to more energy problems. It’s sad that our leaders are so ignorant about the physical sciences.” – Steve P.
“My already reduced lifestyle is pulled back even more.’ – Don B.
“I was already living frugally, so I don’t know how much more frugally I can be.” – Darlene A.
“Maybe our savings will last, or maybe not; we don’t know. But we are rich in children, so someone will look after us; but who will look after them?” – Meredith
“All the difficulties we are currently experiencing in this country are totally unnecessary and have been purposely manufactured by our government.” – Jax
Jeff Szymanski works in political communications at AMAC, a senior benefits organization with nearly 2.4 million members. He previously taught high school economics for 15 years.
I was retired,now I’m back to work.” TY sleepy Joe. I don’t know if I will ever Vote again,what’s the point.? The bad guys steal the election and the “so called “ Republicans continue to ask for $$$$$ and do nothing. By and large (except for a few ) they just take up space
i was kicked off facebook but in a neighborhood community chat that gets political at times over gasoline at the pump, food and other items needless to say to half there it’s not biden fault – Really ? but if you haven’t watched people like Mark Dice on youtube and how Stupid people are look him up as he interviews people on the street – you would almost think it was staged . sadly we have a lot of Stupid people in our nation and we have a lot of crooks in politics , how is it the majority of politicians are millionaires on $170k per year ? biden as vp laughed in a interview that he got a prosecutor in Ukraine than amazingly his boy hunter got a million $$$$ job there . he’s not the only crook in the swamp and on both sides . sadly they will sell the USA and Our Freedom to the highest bidder . we are on the edge of a socialist government if were not already there look at bernie, aoc and others and a good majority on the left and these young indoctrinated kids they welcome socialism because they are to Stupid to know it’s pretty much communism.
If you know a Democrat or anti-Trump person, thank them for the present mess we have!
All during the “pandemic,” those issuing the orders continued to be PAID why us “peons” got laid off or forced to take shots! ANYONE who forces someone out of work should receive ZERO $$$ until full employment is resumed!
Congress doesn’t have to get the jab. Does this tell u anything?
Zuckerberg and the dems stole the election. There’s no damn way this commie received half the votes Trump received.
The Biden administration is a circus. He finally hired people dumber than himself.
It’s hard to believe that one could employ a greater number of screwballs than has the Biden administration. Virtually every policy that this cast has devised seems designed to destroy America. It’s hard to believe that our once great country will survive the next three years!
Joebama O’Biden and his idiot cackling sidekick along with his miscast administration are solely responsible for the inflation, highest gas prices ever and what’s taking place around the globe, not Vlad.
All politicians should be taking a high paycut as they are most of the problem and not the solution. Need to cancel all earmark spending. Those in the Administration with a 7 figure salary don’t need a raise. Congress should not benefit in the stock market. Prices on good should not be going up. CEOs and others can take a pay cut and not benefit from this inflation. Manufacturing needs to return to USA so we don’t go through this again.
This is like an old broken record that keeps repeating. The Democrats spend excessively creating inflation and in this case stagflation every time they get into office. It’s like they never learn from any of their past mistakes. This current illegitimate regime has added to the misery as a result of their war on fossil fuel, the wide open Southern border, and their complete and total failure in Afghanistan. Their are foreign policy is laughable, not only to us but to everyone else around the world looking at us. They have the Chinese and the Russians negotiating for us with Iran. RUFKM?? You just can’t make this s*** up.
Fixed income means that something will have to go in order to pay all bills. Thank you democrats.
Question:. If you were to hire someone to make your company more successful and profitable, would you hire Joe Biden or any of the Democrats currently in power with little to no success in actually running a successful business? I surely wouldn’t!!!
I do remember some of these comments AMAC & Jeff Szymanski, even at my age, lol!
Despite the negative problems within the comment sections lately, I renewed my membership for yet another year with AMAC, just yesterday in fact.
Over all I believe in the core values that AMAC stands for as they work tirelessly within the halls of our gov’t as a whole for the betterment of We The People…
Bill… :~)
I do remember some of these comments AMAC & Jeff Szymanski, even at my age, lol!
Despite the negative problems within the comment sections lately, I renewed my membership for yet another year with AMAC, just yesterday in fact.
Over all I believe in the core values that AMAC stands for as they work tirelessly within the halls of our gov’t as a whole for the betterment of We The People…
Bill… :~)