Inflation, Economic Trends, Supply Chain Snags, Rents UP...Wow sounds like a boom!

Reading the headlines these days seems to talk about gloom and doom.  I see it as a reflection of an economy coming alive again!

Look at these prices in December, 2021.

• Gasoline                + 50 to 57% 
• Fuel oil                  + 41 to 46%
• Used autos           + 37%
• Vehicle rentals    + 36%
• Hotels, motels     + 28%
• Utility gas             + 24%
• Beef, veal              + 19%
• Furniture              + 17%
• Bacon, sausage    + 16%
• New cars, trucks  + 12 to 20%
• Eggs                       + 11%
• Men's suits           + 11%
• BR furniture        + 10%
• Dresses                 + 8%
• Postage                 + 7%
• Shoes                    + 6%
• TV's                       + 4%
• Computers           + 3%
• Airline fares         + 1%

BUT THERE IS MORE:

Housing costs, as home prices are still rising.  Why?  People have learned to work from their homes, and thus can justify buying bigger homes, with offices, large TV's,

wired in Internet and computer access. Home prices still rising and some 4,000,000 houses would have to be built to meet current housing demand.

 

Plus, and related to this, Apartment Rents have risen at a 7% annual rate in December 2021, the fastest pace in 40 years. 

INFLATION:

Prices have risen more in December of 2021, than at any time since 1980, 22 years ago. But think about it. This means that people are spending, shopping, using "pent up cash" to buy things 

because we as a people have optimism for the future, and the confidence to buy, even at higher prices.  This suggests to me that millions of Americans are stepping up and out of 

the depths of fear and have confidence that the future is going to be better.  Consider this, Americans are no longer afraid of the vast pandemic (we believe that medical science is bringing better treatments and medical

advances).  Americans are no longer fearful that the unhappy campers, the fringe gun carrying social clicks will disrupt our economy and our way of life.  Americans are saying, "Yes, perhaps the Build Back Better"

concept of leadership from the Biden White House is positive and going to bring back the stability that the great "Silent Majority" has built this nation upon. 

Years ago, John Seigenthaler (Editor of the Tennessean Newspaper, and later Editor of USA Today) hosted me on Public TV  (see https://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip_524-b27pn8zc10) and we discussed 

the future of America, the economy, the banking system.  He and I agreed that big business has gotten away from "People First" as big business has grown so big, and ignorer or de-relegated the values of business

ethics and social stability of people, small business, and the massive middle class.   I expressed my faith and confidence in the American people and the American system, and suggested that we will return to those 

important traditional values.   John Seigenthaler and I agreed in the optimistic hopes for our nation.    

I still believe in the United States of America, and know Americans of faith and judgement will united together, as American citizens first, and get away from fringe groups, or being controlled by radical ideologies. 

We do not seek "radicals" or "unethical unwise" leadership but move our people, our politics, our economy on to basic fundamental values...those values our forefathers, Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, worked so 

hard to make a foundation for stability and strength as a people...as a nation.   Let us all pull together to solidify the vast solid "middle" of our nation, and strengthen this Democracy.  

 

God Bless America

Ben Boothe, Sr. 

   

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