[tomder55]

You and me
We sweat and strain
Body all aching
And wracked with pain
Tote that barge
Lift that bale
Get a little dunk
And you land in jail
(Ol' Man River)

So what have we got ? Inflation at a more than 40 year high 8.6% . I'm told next week's producer price index will be well over double digit inflation .It was 11% in May and expected to increase. This along with other factors has caused the stock markets to drop 15% since the beginning of the year . Energy prices are up so high that even if the unemployed decided to rejoin the work force ;they can't afford to drive to the jobs.

The supply chain issues are unsettled. China is slow walking the easing of pandemic restrictions ..But even if the goods can make it to the California ports ,there is trouble brewing there . At the end of the month is the deadline for a new labor contract with the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU) . The union has called on Clueless Joe to intervene in the negotiations
So of course Clueless decided it would be an opportune time to go the California to throw gas on the fire.

WATCH LIVE: Biden speaks on inflation, supply chain issues while at the Port of Los Angeles - YouTube

The job of Longshoreman is NOT what it was in the past (as represented by the lyrics above ). There is some physical labor for some of the workers . But for the most part they are machine operators now .ILWU members include clerks, crane operators, and other terminal workers.The typical ILWU member earns on average about $200,000 per year. The union has traditionally resisted port expansion and modernization even though both are desperately needed to handle capacity issues. Freight transit times have grown from 40 to 50 days up to 120 to 160 or more, all because of the bottlenecks at our ports

What do we get ? Empty store shelves ;idle production lines ,and supply created price increases .What will they get ? Higher wages that will also contribute to inflation.

The union is in intense negotiations with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) which is a non-profit group that represents domestic and foreign shippers .

The responsible message would've been for Clueless to say "Stay at the table, keep working, absolutely no strike, no stoppage, no slowdown. For the good of the country I will take executive action to intervene if necessary . So keep talking " .
Instead ,right on cue , Clueless made a blistering attack on the PMA which he called "a consortium of foreign-owned shipping companies" that was ripping us off.

Congress is about to pass legislation that Clueless will sign that will give the government even more regulatory control. Which again will only serve to increase prices . No easier target than foreigners to blame and to take punitive action against . Except the PMA includes local American terminals ,warehousing businesses ,trucking companies and railroads as well. Does Clueless care ? Nah .

[jlisenbe]

One thing Biden has demonstrated is that he is NOT a problem solver.