Three causes of ‘unaffordability’

The newest disingenuous buzzword politicians are trotting out like a shiny new trick pony for the next election cycle is “affordability.” They want you to focus on the ever-increasing costs of health care, rent/mortgages, car payments, insurance, groceries and more — as if they are really concerned about working folks” hardships.

Don’t be fooled by this slick talk from politicians who rarely face the consequences of their misdeeds.

I have been paid for more than 50 years (half a century.) to help people with their financial matters. Three major causes of “unaffordability” in our lives are taxes of all kinds (property, income, sales, gas, etc.), inflation and endemic waste that comes from a few who spend other people’s money — all of which are government-controlled.

Obviously, the politicians who are rhetorically wringing their hands about affordability are the ones who directly and constantly pump up the costs of our owning a home, working, spending money that we earn, etc.

Inflation is also a grinding but more insidious sapping “tax” on our earnings and savings. Nobel Prize-winning University of Chicago economist Milton Friedman famously said, “Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon.” Simply, the more money government prints, the less the money you have is worth.

As they take more money from us by raising taxes, Politicians try to convince you that they can spend the money you earn and save better than you can. Scandalous examples of government spending waste (e.g. Minnesota, California, Illinois and others) demonstrate the endemic inaccuracy of their arrogance.

So, when politicians come to you during this election cycle bemoaning “affordability,” please thoroughly check their records for raising taxes, printing more debt and wasting what you entrust to them … thus making our lives unaffordable.

Chris Lauzen

Kane County Treasurer