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Can Democrats justly call themselves the affordability party?
- Thread starter Logos1560
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Affordability is realitive.
Foxmeister
Well-Known Member
There are those in this country who believe Trump's tariff wars are great because they increase revenue for the federal government. What these people seem to ignore is the cost to US consumers. Let's take lumber for example. The tariffs imposed on Canadian lumber into the US has increased in price. Now some think that's great because it makes the prices of domestic lumber more competitive. It doesn't. In fact, the price of domestic lumber has increased to match that of the imported Canadian lumber.
Tariff wars are never good for the economy. History proves that. Our money is no longer buying as much as it did before these tariff increases.
Republicans can't call themselves the affordability party either. Neither party's focus is on the people. It's focus is on political power over each other and other countries.
By the way, how is the government using the increased revenue from these tariffs? It sure isn't going toward paying off the national debt because the government continues having to borrow money to pay for its spending.
Tariff wars are never good for the economy. History proves that. Our money is no longer buying as much as it did before these tariff increases.
Republicans can't call themselves the affordability party either. Neither party's focus is on the people. It's focus is on political power over each other and other countries.
By the way, how is the government using the increased revenue from these tariffs? It sure isn't going toward paying off the national debt because the government continues having to borrow money to pay for its spending.
Trumpism has generated almost all of the recent economic pains of the US, from his idiotic tariff policies, to his refusal to have a workable guest worker program for agriculture, and to the Iran War that predictably down the flow of oil and fertilizer from the Middle East that raises costs across the board. And it’s entirely self-inflicted, caused primarily by Trump himself and a Republican-controlled Congress that refuses to hold him accountable to the Constitution, federal law, or common sense.
You can be sure that a Democratically-led Congress would hold Trump accountable and begin the very long process of resolving this mess.
You can be sure that a Democratically-led Congress would hold Trump accountable and begin the very long process of resolving this mess.
Fox, what would the price of lumber be for you to consider it affordable and for the lumber industry to make a profit? I contend that whatever that price is, to some people it will still be UNAFFORDABLE! Please prove me wrong.
Foxmeister
Well-Known Member
In April 2026, Trump announced the increase for Canadian products that included lumber. At that time, kiln dried 2x4s were selling in the mid $500 per thousand board feet. The average price for a 2x4x8 was $3.60. The announcement caused a panic and stores like Lowes and Depot were buying lumber in larger amounts. Supply and demand came into play and the price of 2x4s peaked in July at $659 per thousand board feet. The average price of kiln dried 2x4x8s increased to $4.30 a board. The sharpest acceleration in mortgage rates occurred moving into the fall. By early October 2026, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate breached the 7% threshold, climbing to 7.28% on October 1 and peaking around 7.40% by mid-October. The 7.4% mark is what ultimately choked off the summer lumber demand by pushing homebuilder confidence down and slowing new housing construction. Now that construction has decline the average price for a 2x4x8 is $3.98. That's $0.38 higher than it was this past April.
I'm going to anticipate you thinking the current price isn't that much. If that's so, you're not looking at the big picture. There's other lumber like plywood that's now higher than it was in April. If the tariff increases were never going to happen, their wouldn't have been the panic buying that peaked in July. The higher mortgage rate would still would have caused a severe decline in construction, but the 2x4s we're discussing would be much lower than they are now. They most likely would be lower now than in they were in April because the demand has decreased significantly.
You also have to look at all the other Canadian products Trump increased the tariffs on. You can't deny gas prices and retail prices haven't increased because of increased tariffs and how the war with Iran has decreased the world oil supply which has increased prices as well. The increase in diesel increases the cost of shipping goods to market. Much of that gets passed onto the consumers.
Foxmeister
Well-Known Member
I agree Trumpism is the cause of our economic pains. Whether or not a Democratic majority in Congress will fix the problem is highly unlikely while Trump is still in office. What he did with Iran has opened Pandora's box. He severely underestimated Iran's resolve. Our economic problems won't be resolved until a new president is elected who wants to decrease tariffs and fix the mess with Iran. Face it, right now it's Iran who's holding the cards. It's not hard to figure out what Trump wants to do either as he's massing more troops and ships in that part of the world.
Do you remember when during a debate with Harris he pointed at her and said if she were to be president, she would get us into WWIII? Where does it look like we're headed right now? I know you see the big picture here. Trump has pretty much painted himself into a corner and it don't look like the paint is going to dry anytime soon.
America's economic problems are not all caused by President Donald Trump. Inflation was higher under Biden even without conflict with Iran.
A Democrat majority in Congress would make things much worse as would a Democrat president in 2028. Democrats would not fix the dangerous Muslim regime in Iran.
Foxmeister
Well-Known Member
If you recall, Trump signed the CARES Act into law during the shutdown. It provided $600 a week in federal unemployment on top of what people million were getting from state unemployment. Also under Trump, the CARES Act provided for those whose annual family income was below $150K and single people $7K each received a check for $1,200 and $500 for each child in March 2020. Then in December each adult in that income range received another $600 and each child $600.
Although some states began allowing people to return to work in 2020, it was in phases by type of businesses. The $600 federal unemployment benefit expired in July 2020, but a $300 a week benefit was available for those who were afraid to return to work was passed and then extended in December 2020. Not all states were fully opened until July 2021.
So, now you're asking so what? Normally during hard economic times when the government sent people checks, spending increased but so did inflation. It was different during the shutdowns because all that money wasn't being spent because only essential business like grocery and drug stores were allowed to remain open. States ending their shutdowns in phases by slowly allowing businesses to reopen by categories. By the time Biden took office, more businesses were reopening and as they did that money provided in 2020 was now being spent and inflation began to rise. It didn't help matters much that more money was being given away during the Biden administration.
Who is to blame for the CARES Act being passed in March of 2020? Both parties as neither had members in the House or Senate who voted against it. Don't forget either that Trump signed it into law. Why did all the Republicans support this expensive bill? Because all members of the House were running for reelection as were some Republican senators. The Democrats retained the majority and gained in the senate making it a 50/50 split, but Harris made it a Democrat majority.
I bring this up because in March 2021 Congress voted on the American Rescue Plan Act; a $1.9 trillion economic relief plan that sent checks for adults and their children. There wasn't a single Republican who votes n support of it.
The point is, both parties share in the blame of inflation.