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I’m so sick of hearing President Joe Biden get the blame for inflation and gas prices. Not only does it ignore the fact that many other places in the world are dealing with the same issues, it also ignores the varied reasons these things are happening.
Number one, the war between Russia and Ukraine and the fact that Russia is one of the world’s primary exporters of oil and gas. Number two, COVID-19 crackdowns in China causing their economy to basically shut down, which, given that they supply so much of the world’s products and materials, has a domino effect on the economies elsewhere in the world.
Number three, increasing demand for oil and gas causing limited supply and therefore higher prices. Number four, oil and gas companies are still recovering from the pandemic when they cut back on production due to record low demand and are now struggling to get back on track to meet the rising demand. This is in spite of the Biden administration opening up more oil and gas leases on public lands than even Donald Trump did. Number five, oil and gas companies have raked in record profits this year, allowing the public to shoulder the burden of high prices rather than reduce the linings of their pockets.
America is not on its own planet. Our economies are linked to many other countries’ economies. We are not the only ones facing these issues and these issues are not only affected by things that happen in America.
Rachel Smith
Bangor
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