‘Where’s Waldo?’

by Brenda Allington, Florence

I traveled to Spokane this past weekend and purchased gas in both WA and ID; and then yesterday at Missoula Costco. 

 On 9/28, gas was $4.179/gL in Greenacres, WA, and on 09/29,  $3.359/gL at Costco in CDA, ID.  Our Costco in Missoula had pricing at $ 2.999 yesterday, 09/30.  Here lies my confusion. I heard the current president say countless times HE brought gas prices down to $1.98. (Without getting too far in the weeds of fact, any president has very little control of gas prices. The futures market is complex, and oil is a commodity traded on the futures market.) But here is my point, family and friends from many states have never seen gas as low as the magical $1.98 in recent times; and fact checking reveals that as of 09/30, the average lowest price was Oklahoma at $2.650 followed closely by MS, TX, AL, AR, IA,  GA, LA, TN in the $2.70’s.   

This was no mistake. His words are LIES! This is a small example. I want to cry every time I check out at the grocery store! “End inflation and make America affordable”? “End the weaponization of government”? “Protect Social Security and Medicare with no cuts or change in age requirement”? Despite what you hear—especially from government run media—our government is SHUT DOWN BECAUSE DEMOCRATS WOULD NOT ALLOW INCREASES IN HEALTHCARE COVERAGE OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS  ANNUALLY AND ELMINATION OF THE AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT. The budget– as in the “Big Beautiful Bill”–  is anything but beautiful and is devastating for working families. Passing the “budget” includes the worst of consequences– including closure of rural hospitals and clinics. During Trump 1, he promised to release the “new, beautiful, health care bill” in 2 WEEKS! The Affordable Care Act was passed in March 2010. Since that time, there have been multiple attempts to eliminate it without ANY plan to replace or reform it for the good of the people. Those who want to repeal it have had 15 years with NOTHING to show for it! 

 You don’t have to have 40 years of health care experience to know what gross mental impairment looks and sounds like. Make no mistake, the USA is the laughing stock of the world. I took an oath to uphold  the United States constitution and I know what I said! So has the president and all his unqualified, unexperienced, fawning devotees devoid of moral clarity. WAKE UP PEOPLE AND SEE THE LIGHT! Otherwise, you will be sorely disenchanted when you can’t escape what you signed up for—especially if you are receiving SS and Medicare benefits!