With President Trump’s folie à deux hitting center stage, many are wondering who is actually the President as Elon Musk has been taking center stage and virtually usurping Trump’s victory. As I write today, the Dow Jones is down over 550 points with all of the MAG 7 in the red. Musk is in his typical demagogue fashion as he and Vivek Ramaswamy leer out from their billionaire mansions screaming that they need more foreign workers whom are subservient and their need supercedes that of US citizens whom are qualified, but require that their rights be protected. And as the 119th Congress is poised to begin with one of the smallest margins for Republicans in history, it is a foregone conclusion that nothing will get done. When you throw in a crypto regime investment strategy and the obvious targeting of benefits for anyone other than billionaires and corporations, you have a recipe for an early recession.
In recent years, and even more since the election, the cost of living has surged, creating significant challenges for blue-collar workers who form the backbone of our economy. From groceries to housing, nearly every aspect of daily life has become more expensive, straining the budgets of hardworking families. Key factors like the recent egg shortages, rising fuel prices, escalating lumber costs, soaring rents, and increasing power bills paint a stark picture of economic pressure.
Eggs and meat, once the staples of affordable nutrition, have become a symbol of rising food costs. A combination of avian flu outbreaks, supply chain disruptions, and increased production costs have led to skyrocketing prices. These changes have not been isolated to eggs alone. Bread, milk, meat, and fresh produce have all seen price hikes, pushing many blue-collar families to make tough choices about their grocery budgets. Fuel prices remain a volatile contributor to economic strain. Blue-collar workers, especially those in industries like construction, manufacturing, and logistics, depend on affordable fuel for transportation and equipment operation. Rising costs at the pump not only cut into take-home pay but also increase the cost of goods, creating a double burden.
Utilities, too, have seen significant cost increases. Rising energy prices, driven by higher natural gas costs and grid infrastructure updates, have led to larger power bills. Blue-collar workers who already stretch every dollar face tough decisions between keeping the lights on or addressing other pressing financial needs.
Lumber, a key material for construction and home improvement, has experienced unprecedented price increases in the past few years. This has made homeownership and renovations less accessible to the average worker. For those in construction trades, higher material costs also mean tighter project margins and reduced job opportunities as customers scale back their plans. Housing has become another area of concern. Rent prices have risen sharply, outpacing wage growth for many workers. This has forced families to allocate more of their income to housing, leaving less for essentials like food, transportation, and healthcare. For blue-collar workers, who often have less flexibility to work remotely or relocate, these pressures are particularly acute.
Adding fuel to the fire are the hundreds of billions of dollars sent abroad and used domestically to feed, house, and provide schooling and medical care for illegal aliens. And while the Industry continues to deny their use, it is self evident in many of the sanctuary cities that order mills are using their services.
For blue-collar families, these rising costs have a compounding effect. When essential goods and services become more expensive, disposable income disappears, leading to difficult trade-offs. As the National Association of Mortgage Field Services (NAMFS) Executive Director continues to celebrate their profit margins, blue-collar contractors have yet to see a penny of increases over the past three and a half decades. Miller’s celebration is detailed below as seen on his LinkedIn account and posted to rub salt in the wounds of blue-collar families.
The rising cost of food, fuel, housing, and utilities is an economic storm disproportionately affecting blue-collar workers. These individuals, who contribute so much to society through their labor, deserve solutions that acknowledge their struggles and provide meaningful relief. Without action, the widening gap between wages and costs risks eroding not just individual well-being but the stability of communities as a whole.
