AT WHAT COST ... LIFE? THE DEATH OF THE AMERICAN DREAM?

AMERICA'S AFFORDABILITY CRISIS
Fuelled by skyrocketing housing costs, our entire economy is on the brink.

I'm remembering when $10hr was considered a good professional wage. It was equally possible for grocery clerks, waitresses, and cab drivers to support a family and maybe even send a kid off to college. Today even $25hr doesn't won't allow that meagre American dream. Why?

Just 8 years ago the average home in my market sold for $164,000 with loans around 3%. Today the same one recently sold for $605,000 with loans of nearly 7%. Maybe my math is bad but that signals a real estate inflation of over 368%. People are paying more than 3x what it cost them just 8 years ago.

Already a young couple faces monthly mortgage payments well over $3000 a month and that's not counting property tax, insurance, HOA fees, utilities and the ongoing costs of maintenance. That means this couple had better be bringing in over $175,000 a year to afford a home. I don't know many kids who make that much ... do you?

Groceries have gone up this year. No, President Trump, you are wrong. We are not spending less on food now than before. Yes, we are paying less than under Joe Biden, but since January we've still seen an unacceptable inflation rate on our groceries. A non-government study shows that grocery inflation so far is at 8% and the increase in wages is right at 4%. Ya think we're losing ground?

Hell, the COLA you've awarded veteran pensions and social security is a slap in the face at 2.8%. It's even more of a crime that you've raised the Medicare deduction to $202! What's up with that?

Utilities, rent/home payments, insurance payments, automobile maintenance, clothing, medications, medical services are all out of kilter.

We need to overhaul this entire system and I'm not so sure it can be done.