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Might the Democrats actually do something for ‘affordability’?

Eustace C. Scrubb
@EustaceCScrubb
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Most Democrats soon to be in office are pushing all kinds of crazy that have nothing to do with what they talked about while running for office. They're going to make D.C. a state; they're going to make the Supreme Court equal the stars on the flag; they're going to track down every person who had a Trump flag on their lawn and make them take a "migrant" into their home as a guest; they're going to pound guns into solar panels… And none of these things have anything to do with their signature issue: "affordability."

Except maybe with one thing. Incoming Senate Finance Committee leader Sen. Ron Wyden and presumptive House Speaker Hakeem Jeffries are looking to repeal Trump's tariffs, starting with the fifty percent tariffs on Canada. Democrats will happily kiss up to socialists up north. In the process, they may be able to point to falling prices, which might be the start of repealing all kinds of Trump tariffs.

Now, they may pass a bill to repeal the tariffs, and that bill would be promptly vetoed. But they might be able to pull in some Republicans who would like to distance themselves from Trump on issues that won't upset the base. This may be such an issue.

On the plus side, perhaps Congress will begin to take back some authority that they never should have released to the executive branch.

Also on the plus side: Perhaps the Democrats might actually do some good things before they descend into utter madness, and perhaps voters will forget the good things they've done before the next election.

It would be nice if the Democrats looked to avenge themselves on Trump by targeting his beloved tariffs rather than tearing down the border. One can hope.

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Discussion (7)

  • Subcomandante America@TheReticulator

    There is some talk of making it illegal for the U.S. President to build socialism the way President Trump has been doing with partial ownership of U.S. companies. My prediction: The Democrats will gladly follow President Trump down that path. They can hate Trump all they want, but they won't undo any of those actions.

  • Old Bathos@OldBathos

    The Democrats' MO is to do something stupid out of ideology, try to shift blame and try to undo damage with targeted spending. The tax code before the 1986 reforms was punitive on the rich on behalf of the oppressed little guy but also festooned with provisions to soften blow for those who played ball and donated to campaigns, after decades of control Democrats turned Congress into an efficient extortion racket.

    Inflation? Hideous energy costs? Then rebates and free daycare. Bribes for corporate allies, slow death for the rest. If they can open the borders, Make DC and Puerto Rico states they make think they no longer need to soften the blows. Brazil, UK and the EU are leading the way in silencing dissent. The DSA wants to go faster.

  • Terence Smith@TerrySmith

    Agree repealing the 50% + tarrifs on Canadien building materials is a good step and I think it will get enough bi partisan support to override a veto.

    I asked Grok what the other Democrat plans are on affordability and it returned quite a lengthy list. With the exception of vague "regulatory reform" almost every other proposals fell into the subsidy category with the remainder falling into the price control category.. Subsidies increase demand and price controls reduce supply so hard to see a positive effect in lowering prices. Throw in anti-growth measures such as shutting down data center construction and it is a recipe for stagflation.

    BTW: Many of the subsidies used the magic words "tax credits". I expect the president and Republicans will be for those as well.

  • MarciN@MarciN
    Edited

    When wages go up, prices go up. That is the nature of a free-market economy.

    Employees do well if a company has to compete for talent, reliability, and availability.

    The only way we could promote "affordability" would be to reverse the globalization that has been occurring for the last fifty years. As long as American employees are competing with cheaper employees on a global level, affordability will elude the middle class. That said, economies are, in the end, local equations. The guy who grows the best tomatoes in town will always do better financially than the other tomato growers. :) So there's hope there.

    Personal wealth, which allows individuals to escape from the high prices, will always accrue to people who have extraordinary talents and/or extraordinary financial assets.

    Socialists and communists always promise the poor that they will take the financial assets of the supertalented and/or superrich and hand that money over to the poor. Of course, that has never happened, and it never will. In reality, that confiscated wealth goes into the pockets of the wealthy administrative class--government, for starters.

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