There were some statements made a few days ago that require some context.

Sugar, people are fighting to survive with inflation taking everything and more than they make.

We do have a problem in the United States and in other parts of the world with the cost of living growing faster than wages. During 1990 a loaf of bread cost .73 and a gallon of gas cost 1.22. A “market basket” in 1990 that cost 1.00 would cost 2.41 today. . . a 141% increase. The average wage in 1990 was $19.00 and today is $35.36. . .an increase of 86% which is painful. We have less buying power.

Inflation is not isolated to the United States. In fact, inflation in the United States is favorable compared to the world as a whole. A lot of the current inflation rate is due to the Russia - Ukraine war and its impact on energy prices.

However, economists have shown that an increase in wages has outstripped "inflation” in the United States over the last four years. Over the last four years, wages have gone up 21% while inflation has gone up 19%.

There are distinct pain points. The cost of daycare is now more for many people than their rent. Rent is obscene. Education costs have skyrocketed. My alma mater charges $8,800 a year now for tuition. When I attended, it was $330. That cost has outstripped inflation three to one.

Government destroyed millions of mom and pop businesses with the Covid shut down.

There are about thirty-three million small businesses in the United States. It’s estimated that about thirty-one percent of them went out of business during the pandemic. There is actually no valid way to say how many went out of business due to government actions. As a small business owner, I think the government went far beyond what it needed to do to keep small businesses going during the pandemic. I believe the government printed too much money, which resulted in a portion of the recent inflation. However, the $350B paid out in PPP was a drop in the bucket compared to the tax cuts for the wealthy.

Consider this: about ten million small businesses failed during the pandemic. Historically 50% of small businesses fail during their first five years. That failure rate fits closely with historical failure rates.

Think of the lives, families destroyed, the homes, businesses, manufacturing destroyed, close to a trillion dollars. (Hurricane Helene)

The actual property loss is estimated at about $forty-seven billion. The people who do these property loss estimates are remarkably accurate.

The world is not going to hell in a handbasket. There are many good things happening. The sun will come out tomorrow.

Jill