Merry Christmas, Dear Reader! I'm writing from deep behind enemy lines in the bluest of blue southern California, where Bidenomics has made the cost of living astronomically high. But being the gift that keeps on giving (whether we want it to or not), Bidenomics continues to spread its dismal and destructive economic policies across the entire country.
According to the PNC Christmas Price Index, Bidenomics has even increased the cost of the traditional twelve days of presents included in the “Twelve Days of Christmas” song. This lighthearted seasonal report measures the average change in prices over last year for the Partridge in a Pear Tree (up 13.9%), Two Turtle Doves (up 25%), Three French Hens (up 3.5%), Four Calling Birds (0%), Five Golden Rings (0%), Six Geese-A-Laying (up 8.3%), Seven Swans-A-Swimming (0%), Eight Maids-A-Milking (0%), Nine Ladies Dancing (0%), Ten Lords-A-Leaping (up 4.0%), Eleven Pipers Piping (up 6.2%), and Twelve Drummers Drumming (up 6.2%).
While not many people are likely to buy every bird and musician in the song, the index is still a useful way to measure changes in the economy by having each item represent common goods and services most people actually do purchase, like housing, food, and entertainment. And even with its relatively small representation of goods and services, the fabled twelve days of Christmas would cost consumers a record $46,729.86 in 2023, up 2.7% from last year.
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In fact, if all repetitions of the presents are included, the total cost of Christmas is $201,972.66, up 2.5% from 2022. At any rate, spreading presents in Biden's America is certainly more costly than it was in 2020.
Like most things in the Biden economy, the PNC Christmas Price Index was not immune to the rising costs in the broader U.S. economy, as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
As Biden and his minions in the praetorian guard media continue to claim the economy is doing just fine or even improving, Americans aren't dumb. We feel the pain of Biedenomics in our wallets and see it in the numbers. In November, the Consumer Price Index increased by 0.1% (seasonally adjusted). It also rose 3.1% over the last 12 months (not seasonally adjusted), so the economy is only slowing and not actually improving, especially when compared to where things stood at the beginning of Biden's administration just three short (loooong!) years ago. In other words, while some sectors, like energy, may be slightly down from their record highs, all other major categories, like food, shelter, and transportation, are up, way up from 2020 levels.
Take Christmas tree prices. According to Forbes, with global supply chain pressures and inflation still huge issues, the majority of its experts agreed that natural Christmas tree prices would be about 10 to 15% higher this year than last year.
Meanwhile, a 2022 survey by the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA) found 22.34 million real Christmas trees were purchased in 2022. The survey respondents reported paying a median price of $80 for their real Christmas tree in 2022. This year, the NCTA reported tight supplies and warned many locations would sell out early. And of the 94 million households in the U.S. that put up a Christmas tree, about 8 in 10 chose an artificial one this year. But even those choosing an artificial tree still saw higher prices thanks to Bidenomics -- begging the question, when is enough enough?
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