If Inflation is Your Single Issue, Understand How to Fix It

2022 isn’t the first election where inflation is a big issue. If you’re a historian like me, you will research the reasons behind inflation and learn from experts how to fix it.

Let’s begin with the “why” regarding inflation. Unfortunately, COVID did more than kill people, it killed our economy. The supply chain problems affected all of us in different ways. Many small businesses couldn’t survive the lack of goods, lost customers, and had to close their doors. That wasn’t Biden’s fault. He created a package to help businesses which sadly many Republicans used to line their pockets (I’m looking at you Marjorie Taylor Greene).

Next, we had companies take advantage of the lack of goods to gouge customers. We were in the middle of remodeling our house and had materials like drawer handles go up 25 percent. We had to pay because we weren’t in a place to stop work. That problem is continuing particularly concerning gas. We bought an electric car before gas prices started increasing and have completely missed the price gouging by oil companies who just reported record profits.

The U.S. hasn’t experienced high inflation since the late 1970’’s and early 1980s. When both Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan were in office, they worked with the Federal Reserve to raise rates to bring inflation down. Sound familiar? It takes time to turn a big economy like ours, but inflation will go down. Don’t knee-jerk your choice on something that will change for the better if Biden can continue his program.

Last week I wrote about voting for democracy. I want to remind voters how much experience matters. We have an election denier running for governor of Arizona who has never served in government before. Dana Perino went on Fox News last night and talked about how important experience is in selecting a governor. Okay Dana, then why should I choose Kari Lake? I have a very experienced candidate in Katie Hobbs. Dana made the case for my vote.

Tackling inflation won’t be easy. We need someone who understands economics and can pass appropriate legislation. Last night my father-in-law complained that his taxes went up last year. So did ours. Why? The maga tax cut. Trump gave the wealthy a big cut but it was short-term. It lasted only until 2021. Then taxes were set to rise. So, now that Trump is out of office and doesn’t have to account for his tax policies, he places the blame on Biden.

If you are voting single issue, understand it. Google it. Ask experts. Make certain your decision is based on fact, not rhetoric. And then, don’t forget to vote!