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I know there are a few of you more ‘mature’ (okay, old fart) readers who remember when Ronald Reagan asked the electorate the famous question that Donald Trump should be trumpeting from the housetops:<\/p>\n
Are you better off now than you were four years ago?<\/em><\/p>\n What do you think?<\/p>\n On the one hand, the Dow is flirting with the 40,000 mark. (Sadly I remember both the first two times when it broke 1,000, just to date myself – and the second time I was already in the Army.)<\/p>\n Economic challenges such as inflation, high mortgage rates, and increased living costs are central to these perceptions. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage has risen to 7.06%, significantly increasing monthly payments for homeowners. The price of an average home has soared to over $400,000, making homeownership less accessible.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n 7.06% is a far cry from the Carter years (when Reagan asked the question) when mortgages were typically in the 14-15% range. Ouch!) 7% is actually a pretty middling figure, historically speaking. But at that time a house started around $80-90,000, so that $400K is an eye-opener. Let’s try a couple of other areas:<\/p>\n Similarly, the cost of new vehicles has jumped to $48,008 from $38,000 four years ago, with corresponding increases in monthly car payments. Grocery prices have also surged, with the average American family now spending $270.21 per week, up from $160.35 four years ago.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Guess I’m gonna keep flogging the old grocery-gitter a little further.\u00a0 In a long ago time when I worked around cars, $50K was solid Mercedes mid-size 300E or Corvette\u00a0 territory. Now it’s almost an entry-level truck.<\/p>\n Let’s circle back to the original question, though.<\/p>\n According to a February AP-NORC poll, only 24% of Americans feel better off since Biden took office, while 41% feel worse off and 34% feel the same. These figures highlight the mixed sentiments about economic progress during Biden’s presidency.\u00a0 Benzinga<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n When 75% think they aren’t happy – you have a problem. It’s nice that the rich keep getting richer, maybe, but as a wise man I know said: “Don’t tell me how the upper 30% are doing – how much better off are the LOWEST 30%. ”<\/p>\n Think we know that. Think if Mr. Trump wants to win, he should address that.\u00a0 Especially with Biden thinking he is running in 2020 Fox<\/a><\/p>\n Just think: if politicians actually said what they would actually DO for folks and how they would lift the country up. What a radical idea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"