Speak Out: Readers share thoughts on inflation, Trump's legacy, and Biden's farewell

The Speak Out column allows readers to voice their opinions on topics important to them. Comments are meant to be short in nature. There is no guarantee that a comment will appear in print or online. We encourage positive comments, especially those that mark local accomplishments and acts of grace. To submit a comment, go to: Submit Speak Out comment.

Core inflation rate

The U.S. core inflation rate for this December was 3.2%. The U.S. "Core" inflation rate has averaged 3.63% since 1957. The high during this period was 13.60% in June 1980. Donald Trump won the election, in part, due to the high inflation rates during the Biden years.

TDS perspective

I believe Trump Derangement Syndrome (TDS) is a real thing. All you have to do is listen to what he says and you’ll see that he’s totally deranged!

Trump tax cuts

Jason Smith writes "the 2017 Trump tax cuts — one of the biggest achievements of President Trump’s first term." Does this chairman not realize that those “achievements" added $7.8 TRILLION to the national debt? Does this representative not realize that the interest on these debts will be a burden to later generations? Does this representative not know that the interest on the national debt will be larger than the total defense budget in the years ahead? Historically, when that happens, it is a sign of the end of an empire.

Pam Bondi

The incoming Attorney General Bondi refused to admit under oath that Trump lost the 2020 election during the Senate nomination hearings. That is the price to be in the upcoming administration.

A sign of respect

Currently, the U.S. flag is flying at half mast in respect and tradition of the death of a president, in this case President Carter. Donald Trump is insisting that the flag will not be flying at half mast for his inauguration. It is a reminder that Harry Truman died weeks prior to the 1973 inauguration of Richard Nixon. The flag remained at half mast for the Nixon inauguration as a sign of respect for a previous president. That no longer prevails.

Cease fire

Of course, Trump claimed credit for the cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. His ego and narcissism won’t let him do anything but claim credit for everything good that happens in the world.

Well done, Trump

Looks like Hamas took Trump's threat to heart and has entered into a cease-fire agreement! Good job, President Trump!

Cape taxes

Re: Improvements, additions coming to Cape Parks and Recreation facilities: sigh seems to be all kinds of money from the hotel and restaurant tourism tax in conjunction with the water park tax to fund this stuff geared towards mostly non-locals, while generally-accepted essential and vital stuff like police and fire and streets and water fundings are in a bind for those truly-invested locals who live, breathe, buy and die here.

Biden's farewell

The Liar-In-Chief tonight (Wednesday) bid farewell to the Americans that he has taken advantage of (being polite) these long four years! Noon Monday 1/20/25 can't come soon enough!

Happy trails

The threat to American Democracy will be leaving the Oval Office at noon on 1/20/25! We all wish Joe Biden a happy retirement!

Real wages

From Pew Research: "After adjusting for inflation, however, today’s average hourly wage has just about the same purchasing power it did in 1978, following a long slide in the 1980s and early 1990s and bumpy, inconsistent growth since then. In fact, in real terms average hourly earnings peaked more than 45 years ago: The $4.03-an-hour rate recorded in January 1973 had the same purchasing power that $23.68 would today."

History's view of Biden

My father always told me, “Nobody sees themselves as others see them.” Nothing could be more true of Joe Biden and his legacy. Here is how Joe Biden would like you to see him. He will complain that he inherited a broken America and claim to have fixed: COVID, the economy, national security, the border. Objectively, all of these are untrue and the voters know it – that’s why he dropped out of the race and Vice President Kamala Harris lost.

Biden's liability

Biden’s farewell address will prove that 50 years of experience in Washington is a liability, not a virtue, in helping America.