David Webb

Economists warn that Democrats still have no serious, comprehensive long-term strategy to bring down inflation and gasoline prices. There's no detailed, quantifiable plan to reduce federal deficits, rein in spending and Treasury borrowing, stabilize the national debt, or address the monetary policies that helped fuel inflation in the first place. Democrats love talking about affordability, but not making Washington more affordable.   They want to reverse Trump's tariffs but impose $4.4 trillion in tax increases over 10 years. Biden-era Treasury officials have floated $15 trillion dollar tax hikes. Because nothing says affordability quite like taking more money out of Americans' pockets.   Gasoline? Democrats are not talking more supply, instead they want to stymie U.S. production. They want more taxes on the oil and gas industry, restrictions on U.S. drilling, and more spending on green energy. Meanwhile, America's refining capacity has been declining, with major refineries closing and critical fuel infrastructure disappearing. One proposal would impose a 100% tax on certain oil profits above $75 per barrel. Why build another refinery or expand production when Washington is waiting to confiscate the profits?     And groceries? Democrats want more antitrust investigations and crackdowns on alleged price manipulation by grocery chains, along with higher minimum wages. Apparently, Mom-and-Pop grocery stores are now suspects in America's inflation crisis, while Washington's trillion-dollar spending habits get a free pass. Healthcare? Democrats want to pour even more taxpayer money into Obamacare, despite the roughly $27 billion in annual improper payments and fraud. Apparently, when a government program has a fraud problem, the Democratic fix is to bow out the credit card.     They also want more government subsidies for housing, childcare and other programs that contribute to runaway costs. Just look at college tuition. Washington subsidizes the bill, universities raise the price, taxpayers pick up the tab, and everyone wonders why college costs a fortune. That’s the business model.   And let's not forget the opportunities for fraud when billions in taxpayer subsidies are handed out without adequate oversight. Apparently, accountability is optional when the money belongs to somebody else.   Here's the fundamental problem: You cannot tax, subsidize, regulate and spend your way to lasting price stability while ignoring federal deficits, mounting debt and excessive government borrowing.   You cannot keep pumping money into the economy, piling up debt, expanding government programs and then pretend that inflation is somebody else's fault. At some point, Democrats need to explain how they intend to actually lower inflation and energy prices instead of simply redistributing the bill and rebranding the same old D.C. spending spree.   Because taxing Americans more, spending more, borrowing more and regulating more isn't an inflation strategy. It's a Washington spending addiction disguised as an affordability plan. And apparently, the only thing Democrats are determined to expand on is how none of this works.