Island Issues

Paying More For Gas, Groceries, Rent, Etc.? Thank Joe Biden!

Paying More For Gas, Groceries, Rent, Etc.? Thank Joe Biden!

(Happy Thanksgiving! There’ll be no blog next Friday, November 27, as I’m taking a week off to celebrate the holidays. The next one will appear Friday, December 3.)

Like me, if you’ve purchased gas hereabouts recently you’ve probably noticed the Joe Biden “I did that” stickers pasted on local gas pumps showing a grinning President pointing to the price of gasoline proudly taking credit for the continuously increasing prices.

There’s hardly a gas station on Amelia Island that doesn’t boast one of the stickers provided free of charge by disgruntled customers. They’re also starting to pop up in grocery stores with images of the clueless Biden pointing to the inflated prices pasted on beef, chicken, eggs, bacon, etc.

In case any of you are wondering about the stickers, the U.S. currently has the highest rate of inflation in more than 30 years, with energy costs alone up 40% from a year ago.

According to government figures the price of fuel oil has risen by 59% in the past 12 months, gasoline by 50%, and home-delivered natural gas by 28%. The cost of new cars and trucks is up 10%, used cars and trucks 26%, car and truck rentals 39%. Rents and housing are increasing at breakneck rates, a pound of chuck roast went from $5.75 to $7.40, eggs, butter, etc. are all increasing in price as you read this.

The stickers remind shoppers who is responsible for this economic mess.

Economists are warning that Biden’s “Build Back Better” nonsense will only make things worse for most Americans. “The supposed tax on the rich portion of the bill would hit everyday investors and companies, punishing Americans who depend on public capital markets that were once the envy of the world,” say Harvard Capital Markets Regulation Committee directors Hal Scott and John Gulliver.

The Build Back Better bill has no growth provisions and lots of tax hikes along with expanded welfare spending that will further cripple an already suffering economy and punish consumers with even higher inflation.

Thanks Joe.

***

Shrimp boats docked at downtown Fernandina Beach’s harbor. (Photo courtesy of Rick Scott)

Meanwhile Back At The Ranch: Outgoing Marine Advisory Board (MAB) Chairman Gerald Decker, sent a message to the Fernandina Beach City Commission and City Manager Dale Martin this past Wednesday warning them not to prissy up the city’s waterfront and pave over its history. Here’s what Dr. Decker told that crowd:

“Gentlemen, your angst over what should or should not be holds the true answer.

Your Concept E assumes the waterfront should have a prim, trim, manicured look, which is sensible but completely ignores location and history.

To the south is a working paper mill and rough shoreline. To the north is a working port and rougher shoreline. Put an unnatural manicured landscape in between?

The Fernandina waterfront is and has always been a “working” waterfront – rough and unkempt–not prim and proper with everything in its place. Do not lose that feel, for that is what people love about that area and what must be preserved. Concept E goes a bit too far and disconnects with history.

The reason nothing has been done is the place is in its natural state already. Have citizens, other than a few activists, been haranguing, marching, and demonstrating for a manicured remodeling–no they have not!

Stabilize the shoreline if you must, resolve the Brett’s and Atlantic Seafood issues, build the Alachua and Ash Street crossovers, then consider what parts of E make sense.

Look, a little “neating up” is a good thing — keep it at that. Tweak the E design down, not up.

The whole “parking neutral” debate shows that E needs toning down. Cars and trucks are part of the landscape that give the waterfront character–trucks, wagons, carts, and the like have been part of the waterfront fabric since the 1800’s and helped make Fernandina Fernandina. Don’t banish them.

Commercial activity has also been an ingrained and essential piece of the waterfront. The Brett’s and Amelia Seafood establishments have provided that element with great success-is more needed? Remember prior attempts to add more commercial have failed-lesson learned.

Things have not changed because what is there now works, don’t mess it up.

There is no rush, so take it easy and get it right.”

***

Something I Wish I’d Said: “Not trusting the government doesn’t make you a conspiracy theorist. It makes you a history buff.” – Anonymous.

***

I agree: In 2019 Vice President Kamala Harris said: “I don’t like Joe Biden and I do not like his history with certain people or who he is aligned with. He’s trash to me.” Finally, something she and I agree about.

***

A Straight Shooter: The two men Kyle Rittenhouse killed and the one he wounded in Kenosha, Wisconsin, weren’t exactly pillars of their community. In fact, they all attacked Mr. Rittenhouse attempting to kill him. They deserved to be shot.

The one he wounded, Gaige Paul Grosskreutz, had a rap sheet that included conviction for burglary and probation violation, and he was carrying an illegal weapon. Anthony Huber had convictions for assault and battery, domestic abuse, false imprisonment and, again, an illegal weapon. Joseph Rosenbaum was a child rapist.

As west coast columnist Burt Prelutsky says: “Young Mr. Rittenhouse shouldn’t have stood trial. He should have received a medal.”

***

The ‘ole Professor Speaks Out: My undercover source of Fernandina Beach city hall goings-on, scuttlebutt, and murmurings – reports that the concept of “managed retreat” is rapidly gaining traction as a strategy for dealing with “Mom’s climate” hereabouts.

He says: “Basically the idea is to adapt to coming changes, not fight them using a variety of techniques. Restoring habitats, replacing ‘concrete-laden’ areas with green space, and using zoning laws have proven successful.”

He says: “That brings us to the ‘shorefront stabilization’ effort just beginning on the Amelia River … is it the correct way to deal with climate evolution? The project throws yet more ‘caused by humans’ activity into Mother’s nature with unknown long-term consequences. The idea of spending around $30 million to prevent minimal riverside flooding needs to be seriously challenged. Why is throwing more money into the river the answer?”

The ’ole Professor suggests that perhaps a more ecofriendly approach is needed, a creative application of proven managed retreat techniques better serves our river, our land, and our people.”

However, that may be too complex for our city government, a group that is busily shaking down tax payers as rapidly as possible and fixated on tossing our money at wild-eyed projects and schemes that end up backfiring on them.

In another issue in which the city is all wet figuratively and literally, the ‘ole professor explains is that the failed lawsuit against CPH Engineers, He explains that it will ultimately result in only $50,000 to the city after all legal expenses are paid, out of a $140,000 cash settlement.

The city cannot afford to properly fix the crumbling Spanish Way street so has offered to do a “deep remilling and resurfacing” once funds are approved in the 2022-23 budget. This does not fix the problem, just kicks it down the road, that road being Spanish Way.

If you lived on Spanish Way would you be happy? The constant presence of standing water, the smell, and the deteriorated pavement will turn off any potential buyer. Even in today’s hot real estate market it won’t do much for property value and marketability.

***

Illegal Immigrant Compensation: The copy of a recent meme showing Hunter Biden hard at work creating one of his masterpieces reads: “So Joe Biden wants to give $450,000 to illegal aliens. And his son’s paintings sell for $500,000 each. Perfect win-win solution: Give a Hunter Biden painting to every illegal alien.”

***

“Get Out And Stay Out!” Once again the folks that run the Amelia Island Fernandina Beach Yulee Network declined to post this blog last week and booted it off the week before citing the following: “All posts must be local. They must pass the ‘so what test’ and be worthy of group discussion.”

My offending and uninteresting posts that they claim aren’t local or worthy of discussion described the murder of an area father of four by an illegal alien in Jacksonville and the federal government’s continuous dumping of illegal aliens at Jacksonville’s Airport, just a few miles from here.

The only local media covering this debacle are News Leader columnist Steve Nicklaus and me. We broke the story nationally, but that’s a big yawn to the people that run this local network that contains such fascinating items as people seeking tattoo artists, women’s club craft shows, yoga for “old people” and one wanting to know if anyone hereabouts “releases doves at funerals.”

Oh well! It’s their network and they can post and reject whatever they want. Have insomnia? Then this is the site for you.

***

More Things I Wish I’d Said: “Unlike baseball, football combines the worst elements of   American life: violence and committee meetings (in the form of huddles).” – George Will.

***

Wait! What? There appear to be two sets of law enforcement that depend on the race of the offender.

For example, the NYPD put out an all-points alert after someone tossed paint on a statue of career criminal George Floyd. This is the same police force that stood by while statues of Abe Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, Thomas Jefferson, Christopher Columbus, etc. were toppled off their pedestals by lawless rioters.

And bail for a black thug who shot four people was set at $75,000 while bail for a white teenager who shot two rioters while defending himself was $2,000,000.

William Hall, a black man, observed in a media outlet: “There is systemic racism; it’s just flipped around from the way it used to be.”

***

Melting Pot Not! When I was  a young student immigrated here from Canada, I was taught that America was a melting pot, and we were all Americans. The Democrats have blown up that theory.

They say it’s all about separation and emphasize differences and victimhood, the exact opposite of what makes a strong country and society.

The left is pushing discrimination and undoing all of the racial progress the United States made over the past 60 years. Either Biden is too stupid to understand what his handlers are telling him to promote or he’s all in.

But there’s hope. For example, Glenn Youngkin, won the Virginia governor’s race by stating the obvious; teaching children to hate each other, and the other inane Marxist ideas are not making communities safer or people’s lives better. Neither is defunding police departments. When Youngkin won, the talking heads said it was because of racism. Apparently they didn’t notice that Winsome Sears, the woman who was elected lieutenant-governor is black.

When you live by calling people racist, that’s all you have. Take MSNBC and CNN for example.

Like a Bizarro World version of Marvel’s AVENGERS movies, MSNBC and CNN have  cobbled together a ragtag collection of angry and ill-informed liberals who daily beam their shrill silliness across America with programming that regularly subtracts from the sum total of human knowledge. Each day their broadcasts unfold as even more manic and nutty than the ones that preceded them.

***

Is It Just Me Or… has anyone else noticed that all those folks out there with their pants on fire are Democrats who told us that our taxes and consumer prices wouldn’t go up if they were elected?

***

Mayor “Marxist Mike” Lednovich says it’s time to boot David Yulee off his downtown bench. 

Warning: I received a notice from Fernandina Beach city hall earlier this week that Mayor “Marxist Mike” Lednovich is officially a candidate for the 2022 General Election, Seat 4, which he currently occupies.

Will his platform include removing the downtown statue of David Yulee; local gun control efforts; continuing to harass local restaurants and bars with excessive noise restriction efforts; shilling for local tree huggers to drive legitimate businesses out of town; continuing to defend outrageous city building and permitting fees, some that are five times higher than the county; and advocating that other part-time city employees like him are offered the same generous medical benefits he receives?

California transplant, Lednovich, is registered in the Nassau County voting records as “No Party Affiliation.” All other members of the Commission are registered Republicans, as are almost 60 percent of county residents and that number is increasing as more folks move here. Just 20% are registered Democrats, the rest checking off “Independent” and a handful of obscure affiliations.

Any reasonable citizen seeking to win a seat on the City Commission shouldn’t have a problem booting this guy off the commission.

The announcement said if folks want to ask the Mayor any questions they could contact him at vote4lednovich@gmail.com or (904) 502-0650.

***

Just Asking: You folks who check behind your shower curtains for serial killers, if you find one, what’s your plan?

***

Are You A Veteran? If you’ve ever been interested in joining the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 4351 or its auxiliary then this Friday, December 19 at 6:30 pm is your chance to give them a look-see. The Post is located on Amelia River between Down Under and Shuckers under the Shave Bridge at 96086 Wade Place Road. Bring any forms (DD-214), pictures in uniform, information about  relatives who were in the service, pay stubs, etc. and local VFW members will help sign you up and answer any questions you may have. Hors d’oeuvres will be served. This is a fun group of people.

 

 

 

 

 

25 Comments

Alan Terego - 23. Nov, 2021 -

As mentioned, last Friday, Kyle Rittenhouse — who used his AR-15-style rifle to shoot and kill two people, and injure another — was found not guilty for the five felonies he was charged with.

Regardless of whether one thinks the verdict was right or wrong, this verdict should not be celebrated – rather, it is a stark reminder that weapons of war do NOT belong on our streets. We aren’t safer or freer as a society when a teenager with little training is able to irresponsibly obtain a firearm and use it in the street.

As the owner of an AR-15 as well as several target rifles, shotguns and handguns I am not anti-gun. Nor do I profess to have the correct answer as to how to balance our Second Amendment rights with the reasonable interests of society as a whole. But what I do know is that it is time for our country to deal with the multitude of serious issues centered around this topic.

Mr. Scott’s expressed thoughts and comments go beyond being in poor taste, insensitive and displaying his true ignorance as to the fundamental principles upon which the laws and justice system of the US has been based. They are nothing short of reprehensible, which seems to be a consistent goal of this blog. As his readers often say, “Another great job Dave!”

TheToadOfTruth - 24. Nov, 2021 -

An AR-15 is NOT a weapon of war – I defy you to name a single country’s armed forces who use it! While it is styled a bit like the M-16, it is no different than any other semi-automatic rifle you might use for hunting. Since you say you own one, you should know this, and to imply otherwise is disingenuous.

I have no idea as to Mr. Rittenhouse’s training, but despite his professed desire to protect against looting, it was an incredibly ill-advised idea to show up armed in such a situation.

David Francis - 23. Nov, 2021 -

Dave. Correction VFW will NOT allow veterans like me (two years army drafted served from 10/67 to 10/69 but not in Vietnam to join. American legion loves us….veteran service is veteran service. David Francis. Ps yes I am angry at being refused !!!!!!

Lou Goldman - 20. Nov, 2021 -

I’d like to know how Biden “created” higher prices for gas.

I’d also like to know if you really believe that the election was rigged and Trump actually won?

Pat Keogh - 20. Nov, 2021 -

Lou:

Biden cancelled the Keystone pipeline on his first day and has limited drilling on federal lands. Reductions in local sources mean higher prices.

Richard Norman Kurpiers - 21. Nov, 2021 -

Try again. Even if Biden hadn’t canceled the Keystone project, it would not have been completed in time to have any effect on today’s gas prices. Not to mention the debate among economists (see Forbes) as to whether the Keystone project might have actually raised gas prices.

Harrison Waller - 21. Nov, 2021 -

You are absolutely correct about Keystone. The cancellation of that project only eliminated about 25,000 union jobs, but since it was not complete, it could not have impacted gasoline prices. However, all of the other restrictions that Biden has implemented on Federal lands for drilling and fracking, etc. has definitely had a negative impact on production and thus prices. Remember, we were the largest producer in the world before Biden came in and we were next exporters of gasoline and natural gas.

Richard Norman Kurpiers - 22. Nov, 2021 -

You guys need to find new sources for your information. To begin with, Biden’s *temporary* ban on oil leases on federal lands only affected NEW leases, not existing ones. Ergo, no current production was halted or curtailed. Notice my use of the past tense. Two months after Biden issued a ban in January, a Federal court blocked the ban on “new” leases, forcing the Biden administration to reverse the ban. You’ll have to dig deeper if you want to make a case for blaming Biden for the current gas prices.

Harrison Waller - 23. Nov, 2021 -

Richard Norman Kurpiers (a mouthful), I acknowledged that you were correct about Biden canceling the Keystone Pipeline had no impact on the price of gas since it was under construction. Do you also acknowledge that 25,000 “good paying union jobs” were lost? Also, as I noted, Biden canceled new Oil and Gas exploration BUT he also declined to renew existing leases, thus leading to the decline in production of oil and natural gas and a very significant increase in both. Where are your sources?

Shane - 26. Nov, 2021 -

How about you try again. The Keystone was only one of several other (existing and in use) pipelines that were shut down. Riddle me this Batman, if his policies didn’t cause the increase, why did we all the sudden go from an net exporter of oil and natural gas to again relying on foreign oil? Whatever you believe or think you know, the simple fact remains that gas at the pump is almost double what it was when he took over, despite COVID being in full blown pandemic mode. Quit finding excuses for that sorry excuse for a President and an even worse excuse for Congress.

Coleman Langshaw - 19. Nov, 2021 -

DAVID YULEE: Another American Traitor glorified by Anti-UNITED States Americans (a/k/a CONfederates). Hypocrites that wave our proud UNITED States flag along with the treasonous rebellion flag of 1860-1865. apparently don’t understand history, and the FACT that the likes of David Yulee hated the UNITED States and wanted Florida (and certain other states) to NOT be a part of our GREAT Nation, the UNITED States, and supported an armed insurrection against our GREAT Republic….and another David/Dave apparently wants to be counted in that number by supporting the statue of David Yulee. Jeez, Dave, really?!?

Fred - 19. Nov, 2021 -

Coleman Langshaw, aka Carpet Bagger, get over yourself… lol You whining about a war fought almost a century and a half ago, is akin to the U.S. “stealing” the land from the Native Americans, with less merit. So since Washington, Jefferson and yes even Lincoln had slaves (in Abe’s case, man servants), should we blast off their faces from Mt. Rushmore? I’ll give Teddy a pass, since I’m unsure of his racial leanings at the time he was President.

Coleman Langshaw - 20. Nov, 2021 -

Fred (and whatever your last name is), first of all, I have lived in Fernandina for 40 years, and thanks to the scallywags here, I have enjoyed all my years carpetbagging and loving this community. Next, you must be suffering a case of vertigo, its the confederate apologists that are still fighting that war, statues and all, not we UNITED States Americans, so you better buy a compass and get your bearings straight. Lastly, since you apparently can’t understand the basic facts and reality of the topic, I am not even addressing the abhorrent history of slavery here, so your lame or perhaps pitiful attempt at rebuttal is lost in your confusion or myopia. Washington, Jefferson et al certainly owned slaves, and that was the horrible institution of the time. The difference is, Mr? what ever your full name is, IS that Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln never took up arms against OUR nation, THEY are TRUE American Patriots and deserve statues, NOT CONFederate traitors against the UNITED States like David Yulee, etc. Maybe you would prefer to have had the Confederacy win, and right now we would not even be citizens of the UNITED States. Imagine that?!? You wouldn’t be waving the U.S. flag, but only the Confederate States flag, because in that world, the U.S. flag would be your enemy’s flag…but I guess that is too mindboggling of a concept. Celebrate U.S. traitors all you want, because your point of view is protected by the UNITED States Constitution (not the non-existent Confederate constitution), as is mine, so…in your own words: “get over yourself”.

Abe Who? - 22. Nov, 2021 -

In former times, losers in a war were killed and sold as slaves.
At least now the losers are no longer killed or enslaved–just branded as traitors forever.
Isn’t progress grand?

Fred Flintsone - 26. Nov, 2021 -

LOL, a whole 40 years huh? So, where are you originally from? Perhaps you missed the history lesson, where the North invaded the South? Maybe it’s because the ONE battle (the South lost) was in PA, that you think they took up arms against your beloved Northern patriots. Check on the riots in NY during the Civil War to see how “noble” their intentions were. Maybe, just maybe in most cases, the South was defending their homes and lands from Northern aggression and atrocities? Read up on Sherman’s methodology and what he and his “patriots” did. I forget, did the South burn northern cities to the ground? Loot northern homes, rape northern women, etc…? Perhaps if the situation were reversed, you might have a decent argument.

I’m curious, have you seen some sort of mass from confederate apologist being performed at those confederate statues? No? I guess they didn’t even think about them at all then? You are hilarious! I’ll bet if you had been around during the Revolutionary War, you would have been a Tory. Because wasn’t it our founding fathers and mothers that took up arms against their Country? Just because there was water between us and England doesn’t mean they were not considered traitors at the time. Your short sighted version of history is flawed at best. And no, I doubt seriously that the North and South would still be “enemies” as the South didn’t consider the North enemies until they INVADED their homes and forced their will upon them.

AND just so you know, your point of view is protected by the Constitution because of people like me, who were willing to give up their lives to protect it, despite the attempts of people like you to circumvent it at every opportunity.

Neil Borum - 19. Nov, 2021 -

I’m interested in what platform of accomplishments our current Mayor is running on.

Lawrence Piper - 19. Nov, 2021 -

With Mr. Martin’s new survey, he is slowly building a mandate to build whatever he wants, and tax all of us to pay for it. I would suggest anyone who gets the survey, vote “none of the above”. A bandshell at the Marina? Pentaque Courts? Kids playground? Really? You’ll note on the last “artist rendition”, boat trailer parking is reduced AND has trucks/trailers parking at 90 degrees. How is that going to work? It will only reduce boat/trailer traffic at the boat ramp – the end goal of Mr. Martin. “If no one is using the ramp, why have a boat ramp?” Is the City going to book events at the Band Shell every weekend? Where are those folks going to park? Will it be like the Shrimp Festival, 4th of July fireworks, Chili Cookoffs with cars parked up and down the residential streets? Will we have to rope our yards off every weekend? IF they City does not book weekly events at the Band Shell, will it sit there and gather dust? Is that an asset we want to tax payer money into? Think before you fill out that survey.

Bernard Martinage - 19. Nov, 2021 -

Ohhh . . . and the price of ammo is through the roof too! Bad president! Bad, bad president!

But that doesn’t affect liberals since they’re afraid of guns anyways, which aligns perfectly with Freud’s Dreams in Folklore (1958) in which he associates retarded sexual and emotional development with fear and loathing of weapons.

Either way . . . it’s always the same totalitarian scheme . . . Kamala owns a gun but doesn’t want you to have one, Bernie Sanders make Millions but doesn’t want you to, AOC flies on jets but doesn’t want you to, Obama picks up his own doctors but doesn’t want you to, etc.

Coleman Langshaw - 19. Nov, 2021 -

I guess I am your worst nightmare then, as I am a Second Amendment Liberal…and yes the price of ammo is ridiculously high, but that is perhaps more than a contrived “supply chain” issue, more likely paranoid nuts stockpiling and hoarding, waiting to shoot people who don’t agree with them or look differently…and there are a lot of those types. And yes, I own a gun, three in fact. I think anyone who is sane and responsible should be able to own a gun, but I don’t mind my background being checked, in fact if we did a better job of safeguarding appropriate gun ownership, our second amendment right would not be in question. The Wild West mentality of gun ownership, is what is making our right to responsibly own guns, more and more difficult.

Fred - 19. Nov, 2021 -

Are you good with the new effort to have to register to buy ammo, your buds up in DC are trying to enact? You sir are a joke and not a funny one either.

Coleman Langshaw - 20. Nov, 2021 -

I don’t give a rat’s patoot if I have to register to buy ammo, I have my car registered, and my boat, and somehow I get to use of both. I also had to register to vote, and somehow I get to vote too. Jeez, all this registering is SO killing my rights and freedoms…NOT. I have a USCG Master’s License (Merchant Mariners Document), and I had to have a background check….oh my god! What a travesty, the government making sure I wasn’t a terrorist or some whacko nut job. What has this country come too?!?

Fred - 26. Nov, 2021 -

A joke, that’s all you are. So I guess you would be fine with having a background check every time you fill up your tank on the boat or car then? I think you should, because I’m pretty sure you’re close to whacko now… LMAO
BTW, I love getting under your skin and living rent free in that empty skull.

Fred Flintsone - 26. Nov, 2021 -

Hey Mr. Constitution, just a reminder here…
The Second Amendment of the United States Constitution reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”
Do you need to look up the meaning of the word infringed?

Vince Cavallo - 19. Nov, 2021 -

Thanks Dave for your continued efforts to keep this a special place. Enjoy your deserved holiday.

Your comments about the marina are correct. What is next on the agenda, close 8th street to truck traffic and pull up the rail line to keep noise down? A sea wall to hold back the tide? No matter what the politicians suggest, it will all come down to two things, cost and parking. Costs as in where will the money come from. Parking as in when you build it and they come, where are they going to park? I guess we could always triple the real estate taxes and flatten homes for parking lots but I do not think most residents would be in favor of either.

I heard said that Kyle Rittenhouse is known for the Kenosha “hat trick” for taking out three criminals. It was a contrived event because local and state officials refuse to put down riots. Demonstrations are one thing but when they get to the point of looting, arson, and battery, they lose first amendment protections. Whether he is found guilty or not, it is the politicians who should have been indicted.

bobby carter - 19. Nov, 2021 -

Gerald Decker has a good point. The riverfront is exactly the way the majority of citizens like it. Rough, old, and historic. Sure, it’s incredibly valuable, and that is the problem. Governments cannot keep their mits off of idle assets of others. Can’t we just allow the market and the owners to decide? If others have a fancy riverfront, good for them. I have not heard any newbies say that they moved here for our modern and well designed riverfront.