The Veterinary Doctor Who Saved American Lives

A medical pioneer, whose career began in animal health, is the mystery man behind the accelerated development of the first life-saving Covid vaccine approved last November. His company, the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, has churned out 2.5 billion dosages for distribution to 116 nations. 

Dr. Albert Bourla, the drug firm's chairman and chief executive officer, steered the company in the development of a ground-breaking vaccine using mRNA technology. He green-lighted $2 billion in research and development for the technology.  His decision was a gigantic risk for his company. 

Although mRNA technology had been studied for decades, many in the scientific community considered it a tricky challenge to use it for a COVID vaccine. Scientists hoped an mRNA vaccine could be engineered to teach our cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response to COVID.  

Dr. Bourla made the decision to collaborate with BioNTech, a German firm with experience in the field of immunology and a leader in the development of therapeutics for the treatment of cancer.  The partnership marshaled the resources and scientists of two firms to tackle the vaccine conundrum.  

Development of the vaccine turned out to be a supply chain nightmare.  The 280 different materials or components in the vaccine were sourced by suppliers in 19 countries.  Adding to the challenge, many of the countries were locked down, including the U.S. It was a daunting obstacle to overcome. 

Additionally, Pfizer had to create a manufacturing process from scratch.  An army of scientists, engineers and manufacturing workers developed an efficient manufacturing machine for the vaccine. The first dosages were shipped on December 15, less than nine months after the project was launched.

The vaccine development was hailed as a stunning scientific achievement, reducing the timeframe from years to months.  For Dr. Bourla, it was the capstone of a more than 25-year career at Pfizer that began in 1993 when he was hired as the firm's technical director in the Animal Health Division in Greece.

Dr. Bourla holds a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and a PHD in the Biotechnology Reproduction from the Veterinary School of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, Greece.  An unlikely degree path for someone who would occupy the CEO office at the one of the world largest pharmaceutical companies.

What makes his life story fascinating is that he was born in the Ancient Greek city of Salonica, where his mother and father were among the few Jews to survive Nazi Germany's brutal occupation. Of the more than 50,000 Jews living in Salonica before World War II, about 2,000 survived the death camps.

Bourla's father, uncle and two brothers eluded the initial Nazi roundup for Jews in the Greek city, escaping to Athens on fake ID's supplied by leaders in the Greek Orthodox Church. His mother dodged death under miraculous circumstances.  

She was facing execution by Nazi soldiers in Salonica. She was lined up against a brick wall facing a machine gun just feet away.  Seconds before the firing began, two Nazi soldiers arrived in the nick of time with an order for her release. They whisked her away to safety.

According to Dr. Bourla, his mother's freedom was purchased by a bribe paid by her wealthy Christian brother-in-law to Salonica's top Nazi SS officer. Her father and three of his brothers found each other after the war had ended in the old city.  

Dr. Bourla's says his parents' account of their gruesome memories of Nazi occupation motivated him to lead a positive life, despite his family's past, cocooned in the darkness of Germany's horrific occupation of his homeland.

The irony of Pfizer's decision to ally with a Germany company to create a vaccine that saved countless lives is not lost on Dr. Bourla. He credits his parents with engraining a spirit of forgiveness and thankfulness in their children. 

"They never spoke to me about revenge," Dr. Bourla recalls. "They never told us that you should hate those that did that to us.  The way their stories always ended was a celebration of life. 'We were almost dead and now we are alive.  Life is wonderful.'"

These lessons are worth celebrating on this Thanksgiving and throughout our lives. 

Infrastructure Bill: Don't Fall For The Media Hype

President Biden and his media chorus are singing the praises of the Infrastructure Bill, calling it a "monumental step forward for the nation."  Although publicly flogged as a massive investment in roads and bridges, the $1.2 trillion package designates 9.1% of the funding to surface infrastructure projects.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi's cheoragodhy for the bill in the House floundered over months of often bitter Democrat in-fighting until a gaggle of Republicans pirouetted and joined deadlocked Democrats, who were unable to muster enough support from their splintered party to waltz to final approval.   

Thirteen of 214 House Republicans gave the legislation a thumbs up. In the Senate, 19 GOP members, including leader Mitch McConnell, raised their hands in support of the massive spending bill, while 31 colleagues demurred.  GOP renegades will be rewarded with pet projects for their states.  

The 2,702 page bill, weighing a hefty 28 pounds of paper, parcels out $110 billion for roads and bridges.  But don't be fooled.  Included in those billions of dollars are millions in funds for transportation research at universities and construction of highways in Puerto Rico. 

For perspective, Texas spent $15.3 billion in 2020 on just highways.  In the next 20 years, the state's Department of Transportation estimates it will require another $239.2 billion to keep up with growth and development. That $110 billion, divided among 50 states, is political window dressing.    

That $1.2 trillion number also is misleading.  Even Democrats concede the bill contains about $550 billion in new spending.  The remainder, nearly $700 billion, funds  existing infrastructure laws that are bundled into the legislation, such as reauthorization of the Highway and Mass Transit bill.

Here is a summary of new spending, focusing on the big ticket items:

• $66 billion for railroads.  The spending covers upgrades and maintenances of the Amtrak passenger rail system and funds for freight rail safety.  However, there is no money for high-speed rail.
• $65 billion for the power grid. The legislation provides for updating power lines and cables as well as money for cyber security to prevent hacking of the grid.  Clean energy funding is also included in the bill.
• $65 billion for broadband. The bill funds expansion of broadband service in rural areas and low-income communities.  About $14 billion would provide subsidies to low-income households to cover the cost of internet service.
• $55 billion for water projects. A large chunk of the funding, $15 billion, will be used for lead pipe replacement.  Native American tribal communities will get billions to provide clean drinking water in their communities.  
• $47 billion for climate change and cyber security. Included in this spending is money to address flooding, wild fires, coastal erosion, droughts and other extreme weather events.
• $39 billion for public transit. The bill allocates money to provide for upgrades to public transit systems nationwide.  In addition, there are funds to help make public transit more accessible for seniors and disabled Americans.
• $25 billion for airports.  The funding for air traffic control towers and systems is just $5 billion, far short of what experts estimate is required to update critical facilities.  The remainder of the funds are for upgrades and expansion to airports.
• $21 billion for the environment. These funds are designated to clean up superfund and so-called brownfield sites, abandoned mines and old oil and gas wells.
• $17 billion for ports. At a time when the administration is grappling with the supply chain disruption at U.S. ports, the funding is a drop in the bucket.  About one-half of the funds would be sent to the Army Corps of Engineers for port infrastructure.  Additional monies would go to the Coast Guard, ferry terminals and the reduction of truck emissions at ports.
• $7.6 billion for electric vehicle charging stations and $7.5 billion for electric school buses. Those charging stations will mostly benefit upper income earners who can afford pricey electric cars. The school bus project targets bus fleet replacement in low-income, rural and tribal communities.

Buried in Section 13002 is a proposal for a pilot initiative for a national motor vehicle per-mile user fee.The stated purpose is to test the feasibility of monitoring how much each car travels, a harbinger of Democrats plan to levy a tax on every mile a person drives.  That should worry Americans. 

While Democrats are taking victory laps, the funding doesn't address America's pressing problems: the rising cost of gasoline at the pump; spiraling food prices; chaos at the southern border; and empty shelves at virtually every store that sells groceries, home goods, electronics, clothes and more.

Wall Street may be popping champagne corks, but average Americans on Main Street are wondering how this helps their economic situation, when inflationary prices are eroding the purchasing power of every dollar.  Democrats claim this spending will actually reduce inflation. Insert laughter here.

Despite the bill's tepid public reception, Democrats are agog.  The Department of Transportation and other agencies will be responsible for divvying up a chunk of the billions assigned to the bill's priorities. Of course, this is by design so the administration can base spending decisions on politics.  

With Democrats controlling all the levers of government, the Blue States will be rewarded along with the districts of party members who are facing reelection in next year's mid-terms.  That 's just the way Washington works, regardless of the party in power. Incomprehensibly, voters don't seem to care.   

On the heels of infrastructure, Congress is wrangling over the Build Back Better Act, which contemplates almost $2 trillion in spending. The legislation has allegedly been pared from the $3.5 trillion price tag announced earlier.  A trillion here. A trillion later.  Soon it becomes real money.

While the Build Back Better Act lurches toward approval, the administration's runaway spending continues. Millions of dollars in more stimulus checks will be dispatched this month.  Eligible families will be sent checks of $300 for every child under six and up to $250 for each kid aged six-to-17.  

This gusher of spending worries few Americans because too many believe the government has an inexhaustible supply of money. Just tax those 614 American billionaires and we can relax comfortably waiting for our next government check. No one seemingly worries about deficits or the national debt.  

At some point the government will run out of people to tax to fund this excess.  It will be a rude awakening for a nation addicted to checks from their government's printing presses.  Unless spending is reigned in, an inflationary shock wave will rattle the country, hurting the most vulnerable Americans.          

Veteran's Day: America's Forgotten War Heroes

Charles Hagemeister was drafted in the Army in 1966 while on break from the University of Nebraska.  Like many college-aged students during the Vietnam War era, he figured it was inevitable his number would be called. While a few students fled to Canada, the Nebraska native didn't dodge his duty.  

After training as a medic, Specialist Fourth Class Hagemeister was assigned to the 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam's Dinh province. On the night of March 20,1967, his platoon came under heavy fire from an enemy armed with rifles, machine guns and mortars. Americans were hemmed in on three sides.

During the ferocious firefight, Hagemeister raced through a hailstorm of bullets to rescue two seriously wounded comrades.  As the battle raged, the 21-year old crawled forward to render aid to his platoon leader and several other wounded soldiers, ignoring the constant enemy barrage.  

At one point, Hagemeister seized a rifle from a fallen soldier and shot and killed a sniper and three enemy soldiers attempting to encircle his position. Not done, he took out an enemy machine gun before securing help from a nearby platoon to evacuate the wounded on the battlefield. 

For his "heroics and selfless actions at the risk of his life," the Army awarded the Nebraskan the Medal of Honor.  Hagemeister was one of scores of soldiers cited for bravery during the Vietnam War, which lasted from 1964 to 1973.  But few Americans know their names or have heard of their heroism. 

Regrettably, America treated its Vietnam War veterans with contempt.  By the time many returned home from the jungles in Southeast Asia, Americans were war weary.  The conflict had become a political flashpoint with many focusing on war atrocities rather than on those who served with distinction.

An anti-war movement, birthed on college campuses, whipped up antipathy for those who wore the American uniform during the conflict.  Service members were labeled murderers and baby killers. Waves of demonstrations attracted crowds of up to 100,000 as the protests rippled across America.  

Returning Vietnam veterans were greeted with scorn. Instead of parades and civic celebrations, they were spat upon, jeered and confronted with derogatory signs.  One returning Vietnam veteran, 21-year-old Steven A. Wowwk, will long remember his reception when he landed on American soil.

Strapped to a gunnery, the wounded Army infantryman peered out the window of his hospital-bound convoy, to see a raucous crowd.  "I remember feeling like, what could I do to acknowledge them and I just gave the peace signal."  In return, the angry knot of protestors raised their middle fingers in salute.

Much of the acrimony was fed by the media, which splashed gory photos on the front pages of newspapers and beamed gruesome television images of body bags, Napalmed villages and crying children. This was a far cry from the news coverage of World War II, which glorified American troops.   

That wasn't the only ignominy.  Returning servicemen were treated shabbily by the Veterans Administration.  Many never received treatment for the post traumatic syndrome suffered in the grisly war.  The VA's institutional indifference was felt by many returning vets.  

Christian Appy, a professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, authored three books on the Vietnam War. After talking to scores of returning American soldiers and researching their level of medical care and support, he concluded:

"The society really was ill-prepared to give these guys what they deserved.  They were not necessarily looking for a parade, but they were certainly looking for basic human support and help in readjusting to civilian life after this really brutal war."

Vietnam was the first major war abroad in American history that ended in retreat instead of victory. The 3.4 million soldiers, sailors, pilots and Marines who served paid a physical and mental price for the bungled decisions by politicians and generals.  These heroes deserved better for their sacrifices.

A total of 40,934 were killed in action.  The in-theater war deaths and missing-in-action amounted to 58,220.  A total of 153,303 wounded service members survived, many thanks to courageous medics like Charles Hagemeister and battlefield doctors. A total of 5,299 died of their wounds.

On Veterans Day, Americans attention is often fixated on World War II because it remains our military's finest hour.  America defeated the axis of Germany, Italy and Japan.  According to the latest count, the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are about 389,000 WWII vets living today.

By contrast, there are about 610,000 surviving veterans who served on the battlefields of Vietnam. It is time for the United States to repay these veterans for their honorable service.  The Vietnam Memorial, built in 1982 in Washington, D.C., was a long overdue recognition for those who served in the war.

However, the United States needs to do more to make reparations for the contemptible treatment endured by those who battled in an unwinnable war. The president and Congress should declare next year's Veterans Day a special tribute to Vietnam War vets and their families.  

Charles Hagemeister unfortunately won't be around to experience his nation's gratitude.  He died In May at the age of 74.  But for the other veterans, there is still time for a nation to honor those who fought in one of the bloodiest wars in the country's history.  

China Dupes U.S. Over Pollution Pledges

Even as the ink dried on the Paris climate accord in 2015, the world's biggest polluter was plotting to ramp up construction of hundreds of new coal-fired plants to meet the swelling energy demand of its 1.44 billion people. Despite its climate pledges to slice emissions, China's pollution has worsened.

Only six years ago, China joined 195 other countries, including the United Sates, in signing a binding treaty to tackle the issue of climate change.  Under the agreement, each country pledged to significantly reduce harmful emissions.  Naive American politicians trusted the Communists' promises.    

Little has changed since that Paris agreement in 2015.  China 's coal burning plants continue to belch carbon dioxide, thus retaining the title of world's largest emitter. The regime is responsible for 30% of all global emissions, according to ClimateTrade.  China releases twice as much CO-2 as the U.S.

President Biden has an opportunity to confront China on its lack of progress at the upcoming Conference of the Parties--nations which ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1994.  Expect China to make empty commitments it has no intention of fulfilling.

The Washington Post, virtually a publicity arm of the Democrat Party, ran a story ahead of the Glasgow, Scotland, confab, tempering expectations.  With China's President Xi Jinping absent, the Post conjectures there will be no substantial guarantees from China on a plan to reduce emissions.  

For once, the newspaper'a assumption is correct.  China always acts in its self interests. To suggest the Communists will do an about face because of a ballyhooed conference, is incredulous.  If President Biden takes a victory lap after the meeting, he has been duped by China just like previous leaders.

Judge China on its actions not its rhetoric.  The independent research firm Rhodium Group released an analysis documenting that China's emissions have more than tripled over the past three decades. China's global emissions reached 52 giga tons of CO-2 in 2019, an 11.4% increase over the last ten years.

Yale Environment 360 analyzed China's climate ambitions and wrote that "air pollution returned in Beijing with a vengeance, hitting the highest levels this year since January 2019." Steel, cement and heavy manufacturing plants, running on coal power, boosted emissions by 4% by mid-2020. 

In 2019, 58% of China's electricity was generated by coal, according to Yale's study.  By comparison, the United States produces 23% of its electricity from coal.  Last year alone, China built 184 coal-fired plants which will release more carbon dioxide gasses.  

The San Francisco-based think tank Global Monitor and the independent Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air estimated China commissioned more than three times as much new coal power capacity as all the other countries in the world combined, despite repeated assertions to cut emissions. 

America has dramatically reduced its dependence on coal by shuttering 392 coal burning facilities since 2002, a decrease of  38%. The country now operates 241 coal-fired plants and more are being off-lined nearly every year. Meanwhile, America creates 20% of its electricity from renewables.

China defenders--and there are many in Congress--point to the Communist Party's mandate that 40% of the vehicles sold in China must be electric by 2030.  However, few economists believe the goal can be achieved.  Still China apologists offer this mandate as proof the country is serious about climate change.

China's foremost champions are large U.S. corporations, including many with production, assembly or manufacturing facilitates operating in the Communist regime.  The list includes firms such as Apple, Tesla, Boeing, Caterpillar, General Motors, Ford and Honeywell.  

Scores of other firms, such as Nike, Starbucks, McDonald's and Pepsi, depend on the lucrative market for corporate revenue and profit growth. Wynn Resorts' revenues from casinos in Macau alone account for 75.2% of its income. China represents the most lucrative market for U.S. companies.

The reality is these firms cannot afford to offend China by demanding climate accountability.

The silence of American businesses is nothing short of hypocritical considering many of these same corporations are zealots for the progressive New Green Deal initiative in their own country. These corporate behemoths prefer to lecture Americans about saving the planet.  Chinese, not so much.

In fact, these firms are guilty of fueling demand for more energy output in China by investing in the expansion of their operations in the Communist nation. Every new retail store, manufacturing or assembly plant, taxes China's already strained national grid, hiking incentives for more coal power.

Given American businesses' dependence on China for growth and profits, does any reader believe Mr. Biden will hold China's feet to the fire over it climate promises?  Never happen. The U.N. goal of reaching "net zero" greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is constructed on quicksand commitments.  

That's why this latest climate summit will be a carbon copy of those held over the last two decades.  Much fanfare, little results. Expect Mr. Biden to double down on reigning in U.S. emissions.  But global CO-2 emissions will continue to spiral because China has no intention of honoring its pledges.    

Mr. Biden: Vaccine Mandates Will Not Stop Virus

During the COVID-19 scourge last year, the nation's leaders cheered first responders, nurses, doctors and healthcare workers.  Politicians saluted their courage for risking exposure to the deadly virus to treat the infected. Some died after tending patients. A grateful country celebrated them as heroes.

Today vaccine mandates, dictated by the Biden Administration, are turning these heroes into villains. Many city mayors are vilifying firemen, police, emergency responders and healthcare workers who refuse to be vaccinated.  Hundreds are resigning and scores are being fired for refusing to get the jab.

In most cases, cities deny religious and medical exemptions. The intent is clear: Capitulate to the vaccine mandate or leave your job. This authoritarian approach is being justified because of the continuing Coronavirus toll.  Regardless, America has turned its back on those who saved lives.

Mr. Biden also wheedled the Defense Department to mandate vaccinations for military service members, effecting 1.5 million troops. Four senators introduced a bill prohibiting the military from dishonorably discharging troops who refuse the shot. The president says he "strongly opposes" the bill.

Dwight Stirling, CEO of the Center for Law and Military Policy, says service members' refusal to take the shot will likely result in "adverse administrative action" that may include a written reprimand, a derogatory performance review, demotion or in extreme cases, an involuntary discharge.

Since COVID began, 52 service members have died of the virus. In the two wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, 6,817 military troops were killed. More than 52,000 were wounded. Wars are more dangerous to military members' health than the virus.  No more wars would save more lives than a vaccine shot.  

The president's expansive mandate includes all business employers with more than 100 workers, who are required to be vaccinated or test weekly for the virus.  At a time when firms are having trouble hiring workers, this will exacerbate the problem. There are currently 10.5 million job openings. 

Airlines, an industry hit hard by job vacancies, are facing a December 8 deadline for workers to be vaccinated.  Unions have balked and protests by Southwest Airlines employees signal trouble ahead. Airlines are struggling to maintain schedules with reduced crews. They can't afford employee losses.   

This president, whose poll numbers on handling the virus are underwater, is no doubt concerned about reversing what has been an alarming rise in deaths this year after he promised to tame the pandemic and return to normalcy.

Since January 1, there have been 353,000 Coronavirus deaths, eclipsing the total fatalities during 2020 when 352,000 Americans died.  Unlike today, last year Americans had no access to vaccines until December 11. This month COVID deaths surged past 700,000, another grim milestone.

A study released last month by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tracked more than 600,000 Coronavirus cases in 13 states from April through July, and concluded the unvaccinated are 11 times more likely to die from the virus if they are infected then those who received the vaccine.  

Those numbers underscore the need for vaccinations. Selling the message of protecting your health should be straight forward. Americans want to be educated and armed with information so they can make their own health decisions.  The majority of informed Americans  are opting to take the jab.

After many communication missteps by the administration, Mr. Biden in frustration decided to coerce Americans into getting vaccinated. This is a reversal from his stance on December 4, when the president-elect said Americans would not be forced to take the vaccine. Another broken Biden promise.   

As a result of Mr. Biden's plan of vaccination intimidation,  your personal health is now the government's prerogative.  You do not have a choice.  If you want to keep your livelihood, you must surrender your freedom to make your health decisions.

Will it work?  There are reports more Americans lining up to get the shot. The CDC estimates an average of 785,133 vaccine doses are being dispensed every day.  But at what cost to freedom?  And is the Unity President further dividing America into two camps: the vaccinated and unvaccinated?         

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the administration's resident COVID sage, recently told National Public Radio (NPR) that researchers "have estimated that around 70% to 85% of the country needs to be immune to the Coronavirus for COVID-19 to stop spreading through communities and peter out."

Latest figures from the CDC show 57.7% of Americans have been fully vaccinated, meaning they have received two doses of the vaccine.  By any measure, the progress toward Dr. Fauci's goal of vaccinating 70% to 85% of the population is proceeding at a snail's pace.

Months from now it will be revealing to learn if the Biden dictate significantly moved the needle on vaccinations. Even if it works, the president's actions will be studied by politicians invested in government control.  Meanwhile, there are privacy and religious freedoms that have been trampled.

New lawsuits are sprouting against the mandate, although none have prevailed so far.  In the latest, 24 plaintiffs filed a lawsuit against the government, asking a temporary restraining order.  The lawsuit claims religious and medical exemptions have been ignored.  

Many medical elitists who lobby for the mandate believe some Americans are just too dumb to decide for themselves to get the vaccine. Some Americans have to be forced against their will for the good of the country.  But that logic is a slippery slope that may lead to loss of personal health decisions.  

For those who agree with the mandate, consider this: Cancer and heart disease are the leading causes of deaths in the U.S., killing 1.289 million last year, far more than COVID.  The cost of hospitalization and treatment burden hospitals, run up billions of dollars in bills and create untold human suffering.    

Under the Biden health doctrine, a future president in consultation with health experts may decide the way to save lives is through elimination of health risks, such as obesity and smoking, major contributing factors in cancer and heart disease. 

An executive order would follow mandating businesses and municipal, federal and state agencies, test workers for obesity and smoking. Unless those employees lose weight and quit smoking, they would be removed from their jobs. The medical community would be first to jump on board.  

Don't shake your head and guffaw that it could never happen.  Many made the same assumption about a vaccine mandate for Americans. Did anyone really believe the U.S. government could force people to give up their jobs for failure to comply with a vaccination requirement?    

The Singapore experience with Coronavirus serves as a cautionary tale for the administration pursuing an autocratic strategy to arrest COVID. 

When the Singapore government rolled out its vaccines, it undertook an extensive propaganda campaign, targeting the most vulnerable in the population.  It worked. About 84% of Singapore's population of 5.6 million have been vaccinated.  The virus should be over, right? Wrong.

The number of new cases recently reached 3,900 this month, one of the worst daily totals since the start of the pandemic in the island-state.  Currently, infections are running an average of 3,217 a day. Daily deaths have also spiked, reports the Singapore government. There is a lesson for America. 

The goal of zero cases and zero deaths is unachievable.  The virus will continue to mutate. Mandates will not change that. Vaccines work but until a population achieves immunity the virus will linger.  No government can protect every citizen from a virus.  If it could, influenza would be no threat today. 

Americans' healthcare decisions are not the providence of government.  As abortion proponents remind: Our bodies, our choice. The vaccine mandate is the first step toward total government control of our health.  That is a freedom no American should be forced to forfeit.    

America's Looming Economic Disaster

When the September jobs report was a cataclysmic clunker, President Biden rolled out his teleprompter to read a prepared statement reassuring Americans the fragile economy is making headway.  "Jobs are up, wages up, unemployment down--that's progress," the nation's chief executive boasted.

While the economy has improved since the pandemic throttled growth, the distance from the current situation to the robust expansion of 2019 is a far, far galaxy away.  Any growth would beat 2020 when the economy contracted 3.5%, the largest decline in 74 years.  

Mr. Biden is right.  America is better off today than March of last year. However, before he took office, the economy had righted itself with 4.1% growth in the final quarter.  A steady recovery was underway, as American businesses were allowed to reopen. That rebound has continued at rocky pace.

Mr. Biden's view of the economy from the Oval Office is out of step with main street America.   Consumer confidence, a key predictor of spending, has plunged more than 19 points since its peak in June, according to the Conference Board.  Consumers are clearly not feeling Biden's optimism.  

Nagging supply chain bottlenecks, spiking inflation and millions of unfilled jobs are dragging down American businesses and hurting consumers.  Dismissing these as temporary is betting against trends that began in the first quarter of this year and have worsened.

Many U.S. businesses, both large and small, rely on parts, including microchips, as well as assembly for cars, appliances, cell phones and computers (to name a few) from overseas suppliers.  Foreign factories ship these items by planes, container ships and trucks to ports and warehouses in this country.

During the pandemic, major disruptions occurred in the supply chain as overseas factories and manufacturing plants for goods, such as clothing, textiles and furniture were shuttered.  Reopening these firms has been slower than expected while demand has skyrocketed.  

This imbalance between demand and supply is creating scarcity and driven up prices. Costs for these goods are passed on to consumers, which fuels inflation.  This supply chain turmoil is aggravated by the lack of workers in the U.S. to unload ships, stock warehouses and transport goods.

The September report highlighted this dilemma. Despite the president's upbeat economic assessment,  the economic added 194,000 jobs, 306,000 below expectations. American companies cannot find workers to fill these openings.  This labor shortage is strangling businesses' efforts to meet demand.     

At the end of June, job openings in America leaped to 10.1 million, the highest level ever recorded, according to the Department of Labor.  Job placement firm Indeed estimates there are now 10.5 million job openings, an indication scare labor is becoming a fixture of the U.S. economy.  

The mainstream media downplays the shortage as one that impacts only low-paying jobs in leisure, hospitality and restaurants exclusively.  This is untrue.  There are 1.6 million unfilled jobs in those industries, but there are also 1.5 million in the critical healthcare and social assistance segments. 

Every business has been hamstrung in hiring people, despite generous wage increases to lure workers.  Businesses in retail, wholesale trade, education, trucking and the information industry cannot find employees to fill their jobs. The trucking industry needs 68,000 drivers to fill jobs.   

Many out-of-work people have been receiving stimulus checks as well as extra federal and state unemployment benefits.  Some states are ending their programs, but continuing federal government benefits incentivize workers to remain on the sidelines, particularly impacting small firms.

A second issue is the vaccine mandate imposed by private and government entities, leading to firings and resignations. The mandate is exacerbating the critical job situation. A December 8 deadline looms for many businesses, including airlines. Already thousands of workers have been fired or resigned.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Department of Labor do not track the number of jobs lost due to the vaccine mandate for political reasons.  However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows 10.3 million people left their jobs in September, a distressing signal for businesses.

Mr. Biden pointed out the labor shortage is boosting wages for workers.  However, wage growth in lagging behind increases in prices. Over the last 12 months, the  Consumer Price Index (CPI) has ballooned 5.4% while Americans' wages rose 4.6%.  The CPI does not include food and fuel. 

Food prices hit their highest level in a decade in September as prices surged 32.8% in the 12 months through September, according to the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations.  An increase of this level has not been seen since 2011.  

The Labor Department's August inflation report, the latest one available, showed prices for meat, poultry, fish and eggs climbed 8% over last year, but that is a jump of 15.7% since August, 2019.  Beef prices have leaped 12.2% over the past  year and bacon soared 17%.  

Food is not a discretionary expenditure for consumers.  While Washington may view this as just a temporary blip, Americans are feeling the pain right now.  A rosy view of the future will not solve today's crisis, which is hardest on low-income households.

Consumers are also feeling the pinch at the gas pump. In 2019, the average price of regular gasoline was $2.25 a gallon, according to the American Automobile Association.  In some states, prices were below $2.  The average price today is $3.28 and rising.  A year ago the price was $2.18.

For perspective, the cost of filling a 15-gallon tank has spiked from $33.75 in 2019 to $49.29 today.  In a month, the average driver is paying nearly $200 for gasoline.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates energy prices have soared 24.8% over the past 12 months, while gasoline jumped 42.1%.  

Crude prices are fueling the increase in the price at the pump. Prices for a barrel of crude oil passed $80 at the end of September.  Bank of America predicted a cold winter could push the price of crude to more than $100 a barrel, the highest level since 2014. 

Unfortunately, energy prices may deliver another gut-punch this winter.  Natural gas used to heat millions of American homes is ratcheting up to new highs.  Natural gas prices have risen 47% just since the beginning of August.  Demand at home and globally is outstripping supply.  

Much of America's economic pain is self-inflicted.  Continuing stimulus payments, increased unemployment benefits and child care government checks have made work look less attractive by comparison.  The government has played a large role in the labor shortage.

Fuel costs are a direct result of the administration's pledge to eliminate fossil fuel.  The government cancelled a major oil pipeline, halted drilling on government lands and all but ended fracking.  The result is less investment in domestic oil exploration and drilling and more dependence on foreign oil.

Food prices too are effected by hikes in gasoline, diesel and jet fuel which are used in the transportation of  produce and other grocery items to stores across the U.S.  Farmers are also paying more for fuel. All those costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices.  

Politicians and markets are adopting a cheerful view that things will gradually return to normal as supply and demand are perfectly aligned. Early predictions were that would happen before the end of the year.  Now economists and even the administration are forecasting early next year.

Meanwhile, American consumers don't have the luxury of waiting until 2022.  They are suffering under an inflationary bomb that is destroying their purchasing power. Runaway inflation will shove the economy over the cliff, crushing growth. Ignoring the evidence is a recipe for economic disaster.  

Education Wars: Parents Versus School Boards

Heated debates over curriculum between concerned parents and local school boards are fueling a thunderclap of upheaval across the nation. School board members and education leaders, who for decades pleaded for more parental involvement, are now trying to muzzle parents.

Loudoun County, Virginia, currently is the epicenter of opposition to the teaching of Critical Race Theory (CRT), a doctrine that blames America's systemic racism for oppression based on the color of a person's skin. Adherents believe every institution in the nation is infected with endemic racism.

When raucous crowds began showing up at Loudoun school board meetings, they were stonewalled by pompous school board members who had grown accustomed to dictating decisions without interference. The nerve of parents to insist they be informed about what their children are being taught.

Media fact-checkers, such as USA Today, are providing air cover by insisting Critical Race Theory is not being taught in most schools.  By the media's definition, CRT is a legal framework for examining laws in our society.  Schools do not have courses on Critical Race Theory, they contend.

This is a charade because the schools are teaching that racism and white supremacy exist in America, while castigating white privilege. These are the same tenants that underpin Critical Race Theory. Calling it a different name is just a ruse by educators to avoid accountability for indoctrination. 

Furthermore, the National Education Association (NEA) has endorsed the teaching of Critical Race Theory to K-12 students.  The lobby explicitly used the term Critical Race Theory.  Teachers unions have stopped short of support for CRT, but they are defending teachers who embrace the doctrine.   

Critical Race Theory isn't the only concern of furious parents.    

Last week Loudoun parents and residents rallied outside the school board headquarters to signal their outrage at a policy allowing transgender students to use restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity and requiring teachers to refer to students by their preferred pronouns.

The crowd was addressed by a former elementary school physical education teacher who was suspended by the Loudoun school system for speaking out against the policy when it was originally proposed. The Virginia Supreme Court sided with a judge who ordered the teacher be reinstated.  

Parents are fed up with being ignored by school boards. They feel empowered to confront the powerful. Their anger bubbles over at school board meetings.  Most have been loud but peaceful. There have been a handful of over-publicized incidents of rowdy behavior, resulting in police intervention. 

The media creates the image of out-of-control parents by highlighting a single video of police wrestling a belligerent parent to the ground. Network broadcasts run old clips of parents standing and shouting at school boards to be heard.  Apparently, raising your voice is a criminal offense in America.  

The parental uprising in Loudoun turned political when candidates in Virginia's gubernatorial race waded into the issue.  Former Democrat Governor Terry McAuliffe ignited a firestorm for his remarks during a debate with his Republican opponent. Here are McAuliffe's comments:

"I'm not going to let parents come into schools and actually take books out and make their own decision," he said. "I don't think parents should be telling schools what they should teach."  His opponent Glenn Youngkin retorted, "I believe parents should be in charge of their kids' education."

Now the National School Boards Association (NSBA) has joined the brewing squabble.  On September 29, the NSBA sent a letter to President Biden calling for "immediate assistance" to protect our students and school board members who were susceptible to acts of violence" and "intimidation."  

In its letter, the school board group cited "angry mobs" of parents protesting local board actions, including the wearing of masks and other COVID restrictions.  The NSBA characterized the ongoing protests as "domestic terrorism." Last summer's riots were peaceful protests, right?

Yet in the very same letter the NSBA piously claims it is open to discussion.  "Local school board members want to hear from their communities on important issues and that must be at the forefront of good school board governance and promotion of free speech," the letter says.

This statement smells like a cow patty.  If school boards embraced parental input, there would be open and honest discussions of curriculum before implementation.  Teachers unions and local boards want to operate as walled fiefdoms without scrutiny from parents. Free speech is verboten.  

Biden's Department of Justice bowed to the pressure of the NSBA, directing Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate "threats of violence" at school meetings.  This heavy handed approach contradicts Mr. Biden's campaign commitment to keep the DOJ out of politics.

What's appalling is the DOJ refused to deal with the domestic violence in the summer of 2020 when mobs torched police buildings, looted stores and battled with police.  Mr. Biden, who supported the protests, apparently believes parents are the real criminals, not those who brazenly break the law.  

Will the DOJ investigate charges of educators blacklisting parents and bullying students whose parents oppose the curriculum?  Of course, not.  Teachers unions will block such a probe.  In  today's America, disobedience to autocratic doctrine will be punished. Freedom to disagree is an outdated notion.        

While Loudoun is the focus of today's headlines, school boards from Michigan to Kentucky to New Hampshire and New York are feeling the political heat from parents.  Children's education curriculum is a boiling issue that likely will spill over into the mid-term elections.

In Gallup's latest poll on education, 54% of Americans are either somewhat or completely dissatisfied with the education their kids are receiving.  Polling has shown growing levels of dissatisfaction over the past two years.  Tin-eared politicians avoid addressing this issue at their own peril. 

Every American parent should have a voice in their children's education. Parental involvement should be welcomed as a healthy sign of democratic participation in their children's education.  For too long, educators and boards have not been held accountable and thus resent any inference.

This is wrong.  un-American.  It is a sign educators and boards view themselves as banana republic dictators above reproach by those who pay their salaries and finance their schools. Sicking the FBI on parents is a deliberate tactic to bully them into remain silence.

When legitimate dissent is outlawed, it resembles one of the main features of a Marxist regime.  No speech is tolerated unless it adheres to the ideological doctrine of the ruling government.  Any opposition is met with police force.  That is where America is headed.