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Memorial Day brings the official start of summer, the time in the calendar when schools let out, vacations begin and families hit the road in search of adventure. It’s a joyous time, but this year the Biden administration is doing their best to throw a damper on the season. Here are five policies from the White House aimed at your summer fun.
1. Airlines
Anyone who has spent time at an airport these days is familiar with the headaches of domestic travel. Delays, cancellations, long lines, oversold flights – all are common and none are pleasant. Sensing its potency at the polls, the Biden Administration has obsessed over so-called “junk fees” — issuing a sweeping regulation through the Department of Transportation (DOT) that faced immediate legal challenges — while blocking private sector efforts to solve the problem.
When JetBlue Airways tried to acquire Spirit in an effort to increase its offerings, Biden’s Department of Justice (DOJ) took them to court. Ditto with last year’s proposed partnership between JetBlue and American Airlines. The immediate result was fewer services in more cities where JetBlue was forced to suspend operations. Remember that next time direct flights are unavailable or cost an arm and a leg.
SPIRIT AIRLINES EXPLORES RESTRUCTURING OPTIONS FOLLOWING JETBLUE DEAL COLLAPSE
2. Gas prices
For those adventure seekers taking to the highways, the situation is not much better. The average cost for a gallon of gas is $3.60 – compared to $2.40 when Donald Trump left office, a 50 percent increase. Recognizing the political peril (noticing a pattern?), the administration is flooding the market by releasing key strategic reserves “to maximize its impact on gasoline prices.”
From day one, the Biden administration has kept its foot on the throat of domestic energy producers to appease the administration’s green fringe, driving prices up. If you’re one of the lucky ones able to fill your tanks, don’t get used to it. The administration is coming for your cars, issuing sweeping tailpipe emissions standards to force consumers into the electric vehicles that the free market is rejecting.
3. Technology
Once you’re in the car and are looking for directions, don’t get too comfortable with Google Maps. Last fall, Biden’s DOJ went to court against the California-based company in a backwards lawsuit centered on Google’s popular products like Search. Its outcome is expected later this year, and could lead to less consumer choice and higher prices.
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4. Food Prices
If you get hungry on the road trip, buckle up for higher prices. A Big Mac costs $7.49 these days, compared to $3.99 at the end of 2019 — an 88% increase. California recently raised its minimum wage at fast food restaurants to $20, which led to job losses and higher prices. A federal standard may not be far behind. Biden has offered little in the way of relief, instead standing with labor bosses in their effort to pass a regulation known as joint employer, a union giveaway that would cripple the franchise model altogether.
Meanwhile, Biden’s Federal Trade Commission, led by Chair Lina Khan, has blocked a proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons that would lead to more access to groceries for more consumers.
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5. Delivery
So at this point, facing all these obstacles, you could be forgiven for deciding to “staycation.” Not so fast. To deflect from unending inflation rates fueled by their spending spree, the Biden administration has taken aim at some of the country’s most successful delivery companies, again involving so-called “junk fees.”
The Department of Labor (DOL) has tried to undermine their business model by eroding the independent contractor model that allows companies to utilize delivery drivers to make a few extra bucks on their own schedule. Meanwhile, the FTC has taken Amazon to court in another lawsuit that could lead to the end of the popular delivery company and the fast shipping and small business ecosystem it provides.
Bidenomics has driven consumer sentiment to a six-month low, but we’ve persevered through tough times before and will again. Get out there and enjoy your summer, and remember that American innovation knows no bounds, despite the best efforts of the Biden administration.
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