OPINION:
Michele Tafoya, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Minnesota, said one way Americans could deal with rising gasoline prices is to “maybe” “take one less trip to Starbucks and so that gas goes a little further.”
Are Americans supposed to say thank you, Michele?
This is akin to the oft-used quip from politicians of both parties who sell a new fee, or a new tax, or a new cost to taxpayers as simply the price of one cup of Starbucks coffee.
If you just give up that daily Starbucks coffee, then we can provide this service, they say.
The problem with such narratives coming from the political class is that it stinks of elitism. It doesn’t matter if it’s coming from a Democrat or a Republican or someone from another party: it still stinks.
Many citizens don’t pay $6 a day for a cup of coffee. But they do pay $6 for a prescription co-pay — or for their children’s milk and cereal — or for new socks for their loved ones — or for the fee for their kids’ class trips — or for a new t-shirt from Walmart — or for any number of necessary or desired items that don’t include premium coffees at Starbucks.
Many Americans don’t even take trips to Starbucks at all.
It’s not good enough for government officials to express sympathy for growing costs that are impacting their constituents.
They also need to stop adding to the burden of the growing costs to constituents.
Even better — they need to stop pretending like they’re feeling the pain of the growing costs of their taxpaying constituents, while still spending, spending, spending the dimes and dollars of their taxpaying constituents.
Politicians are public servants.
They should act like that.
It’s “frustrating” and “hard” for consumers to deal with rising gas prices from the war on Iran, Tafoya said, during an interview on KWAM radio in Tennessee with host Todd Starnes, The Hill reported.
So what to do, what to do?
“I think right now,” she said, “at least just kind of keeping a stiff upper lip. Maybe you take one less trip to Starbucks and so that gas goes a little further.”
Gee, thanks.
As if citizens didn’t already know that. As if Americans couldn’t already figure that out.
Tafoya may be a Republican, which already makes her better for America than any Democrat. She may even be an excellent candidate for Senate. But she carries within a bit of the elitism that has become problematic for almost all of today’s politicians — the idea that a) Americans are stupid and need government to tell them how to solve problems and b) that the American taxpayer works for the bureaucracy, rather than the other way around.
Americans don’t need politicians to tell them how to drive, when and whether to buy Starbucks coffee and how to spend and save. Americans can take care of their personal finances just fine.
But one look at the national deficit and it’s clear that it’s the political class that needs the help.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.
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