| FEBRUARY 1, 2024 -- The new year has come with great news on the economic front. I get gasoline for $2.97 per gallon, a gallon of whole milk is $2.92 per gallon, a dozen of eggs are $2.91 per dozen, a CD or Money Market is at 5.4%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is over 37,000 for the first time ever, unemployment stands at a 50 year low, and inflation has leveled off to the point the Federal Re- serve may lower interest rates come March. My question is “Where are all those stickers with Biden point- ing and saying, “I Did That”. They were plastered all over the place when he took office, during the left- over Trump times, but are nowhere to be found now. If you have some leftovers, please give them to us so we can point out the good things that President Biden has done for our country. Mr. Trump has campaigned that he hopes the Stock Market would crash before January so he won’t be listed as a President Herbert Hoover. Too late, he got that title with the handling of the pandemic and the give the rich tax breaks, during his Presidency.
Green energy is growing across the nation, with wind turbines and solar farms replacing coal fired energy plants. West Virginia, where the motto is “Coal keeps the lights on” just put online its first of 5 solar farms which produces enough electricity for 90,000 homes. Senator Joe Manchin voted against green energy programs, because of his personal energy interests. He even voted against the Child Tax Exemptions, and School Meal programs.
He has been heard to say, “Don’t give poor people money, they’ll only use it to buy drugs.” Shame on you Joe!
Congress is wavering on the Military Support for Ukraine. Why waste money on them when it can be spent here? Don’t they know that arms are sent to Ukraine, not cash, and that the cash cost is used to replace weapons sent to Ukraine? These are American jobs that this money goes to replace the artillery shells, Javelins, ammunition, small arms, rockets and drones. So, stop the aid to Ukraine and watch Americans lose the jobs.
Before Congress went on Christmas break they passed one bill to return whole milk to school lunch programs. I submitted a resolution back in the 90s to bring whole milk back to schools. This was when soda was being made available in school lunch rooms.
With this good news, please dairy farmers, DO NOT EXPAND YOUR HERD SIZES, thinking that you can profit from this news, flooding the already strained milk market will not work. Remember the herd buyout in the 1980’s? It didn’t work. Remember the government cheese purchase in the 1970’s? It didn’t work either and it’s still going on now. With dairy farms getting larger, what happens if the land isn’t there for the crops, or weather patterns changing. How will you survive? China has just taken one of its provinces and built a 1,000,000,000 cow dairy farm. All people are working at this farm, cows were bought from all over the world. We know how China deals with food safety. Would you want milk products from there? We must keep a watchful eye on these trade products.
March is Ag Day at the State Capitol and April is the Virtual National Legislative Fly-In.
We have heard sad news that the Wapping Fair has closed forever as the South Windsor Lions Club has had a decline in volunteers and can’t see how they can continue this year. Sorry Gordon Gibson, I guess they really miss you!
Now is the time to think about Spring and don’t forget Grange Week in April. Stay warm.
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