In 2009, then-Vice President Joe Biden told the nation the federal government had to spend money to keep from going bankrupt.
In 2022, the Biden administration is now saying that the American consumer has to follow that exact same strategy to avoid inflationary woes.
It is pretty bad advice, made even worse by the fact that Democrats are saying Americans should spend thousands of dollars on “weatherized homes,” electric vehicles, and even hearing aids to reap the benefits of Bidenomics.
For example, on Sunday, CNN’s Dana Bash asked White House economic advisor Cecilia Rouse when Americans could expect the billion-dollar boondoggle that is the “Inflation Reduction Act,” to actually reduce inflation.
The inflation rate reached 8.2% in September. Thirty-six percent of Americans are tapping into their savings just to survive. The state of the economy, according to most Americans, is worsening. So, what was Rouse’s answer?
According to Rouse, Americans can start saving money in 2023 … so long as they buy new and improved efficient windows and other green energy expenditures for their homes.
Watch here:
"When [will] the so-called 'Inflation Reduction Act' will really start to bring down inflation?"
Biden economic advisor Cecilia Rouse: "Next year. For example, there are tax credits for energy to help people weatherize their homes." pic.twitter.com/javfyFXQfM
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) October 16, 2022
Biden’s Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm has also bragged about that tax credit. In short, you have to spend thousands to save hundreds.
For example, the average energy-efficient window pane costs anywhere from $325 to $1,110, according to Modernize, a home services website. That price range is per window — not for the entire home. Using the lowest estimate available, if you had four windows in your home, you’d need to spend at least $1,300 before any labor or delivery costs are even calculated into it.
If you did that, you would get a $390 tax credit. Four home windows are hard to come by, so it’s likely you’d spend a lot more than that.
On Monday, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the White House “understands” that costs are burdening American families. That is why Biden signed an executive order speeding up the availability of over-the-counter hearing aids, she claimed.
Huh?
For those who need it, over-the-counter hearing aids will be cheaper. That is great news.
There are just two problems with the White House’s boast.
The first is that not every American needs a hearing aid (obviously).
The second is that Biden wasn’t exactly the brainchild behind that policy.
In 2017, then-President Donald J. Trump signed a bipartisan law that deregulated hearing aids. The implementation was slowed down due to the pandemic as the Food and Drug Administration shifted manpower to COVID-related needs. Biden dragged it over the finish line.
Of course, if “deregulation” is the key to bringing down the costs of products, why aren’t Americans seeing deregulation in the oil and gas industry?
Well, the answer is that the Biden administration is intent on forcing Americans into buying electric vehicles.
Long before the war in Ukraine began — which Democrats blame for practically every problem under the sun — America was dealing with high gas prices.
Shortly after returning from a three-month parental leave, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told American families in November 2021 that they’ll “never have to worry about gas prices again” if they buy an EV.
Granholm, Biden, and Buttigieg have repeated similar variations of that line for the past year.
The usual suspects neglect to mention that the average EV has a gigantic price tag.
According to Kelley Blue Book, in September of 2022, the average electric car price was $65,291.
Aside from hearing aids — which fewer than 30 million Americans need — none of these examples of how to save money are fixed costs.
You need to — as mentioned — spend lots of money to save money.
So if you are a wealthy hard-of-hearing American looking to buy a new car and upgrade your entire home, you might find this all to be welcomed news.
If not, tough luck schmuck.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.