By Steve Hunley

More Pain at the Pump

Pain at the pump continues as gas continues spiraling ever upward.  The national average is $4.92 per gallon, which is double what it was the day Joe Biden came into office.  Biden and members of his administration lay the blame for escalating gas prices on everyone and everything except themselves.  Yet the blame for those high prices at the pump fall squarely on Joe Biden.  Biden promised a war against energy and the resultant pain is the product of his campaign to end fossil fuels.

"I want you to just take a look. I want you to look into my eyes. I guarantee you; I guarantee you, we are going to end fossil fuel, and I am not going to cooperate with them." – Joe Biden, September 9, 2019.

Literally the first day in office, Joe Biden issued an Executive Order, "Day 1 Climate Change Executive Order" which required agencies to review and revoke the Trump administration's energy rules throughout the Executive Branch of the government.  Biden specifically began backing up the policies that had made America energy independent and an exporter of oil.  One of Biden's first actions was to kill off the Keystone pipeline, which would have been an effective way of efficiently bringing more oil into our country.

Just a few days later, Biden was busy producing other energy policies like his initiative to "Green the Fleet", which was to encourage federal, state and local governments to move to electric cars.

Diesel fuel has hit an all-time high as this is written at $5.64 per gallon, which in turn has caused the price of transporting products to the grocery store to rise dramatically.

The Biden administration's attempt to lay the blame on Putin and the Russia – Ukraine war.  Americans don't believe it, realizing this was happening well before Putin started the war.  As this is written, just 28% of Americans approve of the way Joe Biden is handling inflation.

Most of those in Joe Biden's orbit seem indifferent to suffering by the American people, although with the midterm elections approaching, they seem to have some vague notion they need to do something.  Biden's Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, seems utterly clueless.  The unfortunate truth is Buttigieg was never qualified to serve as Secretary of Transportation in any administration.  His only administrative experience was as a small-town mayor.  Buttigieg's appointment was the equivalent of appointing Sheriff Andy Taylor of Mayberry Attorney General.

There is a very real possibility there will be rationing of diesel fuel on the east coast of our country this summer, which would likely mean increasingly empty shelves for goods and produce.  Not to mention rising prices on a wide variety of products.

So what is Pete Buttigieg doing?  Concentrating on "equity" as 2,500 flights have been canceled.  That effort has caused the New York Times to be positively giddy anticipating "The End of the All-Male, All-White Cockpit."  Buttigieg did suggest rural Americans buy electric cars, which cost in excess of $50,000.

It certainly doesn't help that the officials in charge of the Biden administration are incompetent.

Recall Revolution?

Even people in San Francisco have had enough.  Voters in San Francisco just voted to recall Leftist District Attorney Chesa Boudin from office.  60% of voters voted to recall Boudin, who held him responsible for a rising murder rate, increasing violent crimes, as well as burglaries and shoplifting became commonplace.  Boudin whined on election night about "corporate interests" who had spent to boost the recall effort while also lecturing voters about "our addiction to caging human beings."  Odd how people like Chesa Boudin seem to have so little sympathy for the victims of those predators who prey upon the weak, old, and helpless.  The truth is those predators do not need to be free in our society and deserve to be caged.

George Gascon, the ultra-leftist district attorney for Los Angeles, is also facing a recall election.  Gascon infuriated many citizens when he refused to charge a 17-year-old who pleaded guilty to driving a car into a woman pushing her child in a baby stroller with either assault with a deadly weapon or attempted murder.  Instead, the offender went to a facility one assistant DA derided as "less than a military school and a little bit tougher than a summer camp" for 5 to 7 months.

Gascon has been criticized for his "Restorative Enhanced Diversion for Youth Pathway" program, which benefits juvenile criminals charged with a variety of crimes including felony burglaries, robbery, sexual assault, grand theft, vehicle theft and arson.  Deputy DA Jonathan Hatami says, "Diversion means that we're not charging anybody."

When the liberal voters in San Francisco reject failed progressive policies, it's past time for a reality check.

L.A.'s Mayor's Race

Violence, crime and homelessness are taking center stage in the run-off election for mayor in Los Angeles.  Congresswoman Karen Bass has long been the favorite to become the next mayor of Los Angeles but Rick Caruso has been coming on strong.  Caruso is a billionaire developer and former Republican who is making the entire conversation about crime and resolving the homelessness problem in LA.  Rick Caruso led the balloting with 42% of the vote to 37% for Karen Bass.

Shootings are up by almost 70% in LA since 2020 and violent crime is up 7.2%.

Dr. Jim Tumblin Passes Away

A great man passed away this past week. Dr. Jim Tumblin cared deeply about community, just as he cared about history.   Dr. Tumblin was a noted local historian, although that was not his vocation.  By trade, Jim Tumblin was an optometrist and a good one.

One of the best storytellers around, Jim Tumblin captivated friends, family, and readers with his stories culled from our past.  Throughout his 95 years, Dr. Tumblin did for others, shared with others, and thought of others.  Jim Tumblin had a passion for exploring every nook and cranny of the past and perhaps that more than anything made him a great historian.

Someone once said when a young person dies, it's like a candle having been blown out abruptly; when an older person passes away it is like a library burning down.  That is certainly true with the passing of Jim Tumblin.  Despite his years, his mind never dimmed, nor did his interest in the world about him, or for that matter, the world that had once been.

This world is definitely the poorer without Jim Tumblin in it.

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