School’s out for summer and everyone is ready for a vacation. And who can blame them? The world’s been through a lot, so it makes sense that travel demand is up 86%. But with skyrocketing inflation on everything from the pump to plane tickets to groceries and more, who can afford to go anywhere besides the neighborhood pool?
As a Biden-inflated economy gets ready for Americans to hit the road this summer, it’s important to put these rising costs in perspective. America’s favorite summer travel movie “National Lampoon’s Vacation” provides a great comparison to what the average family of four might be facing on their annual trip.
In 1983, when Clark Griswold packed up his mint-green, wood-paneled station wagon to drive his family from the Chicago suburbs to the amusement park “Walley World” in Southern California, the world was a lot more affordable. Clark paid an average of $1.22 per gallon for gas. When you adjust for inflation that’s $3.61 – which is still a dollar cheaper than it is today. It’s a trip of about 2,121 miles to Southern California, stopping over in Kansas to see Cousin Eddie. With the station wagon getting about 25 mpg, Clark would have roughly paid a roundtrip gas total of $207, or $612 when you adjust for inflation.
But in President Biden’s 2022 economy with gas prices reaching a record high average of $4.98 per gallon, Clark’s moose-focused odyssey would require a roundtrip gas bill of about $845. And that’s just the fuel tab, not to mention all the other expenses for the trip. The average hotel rate runs about $146 a night, daily tickets to Disneyland are $104 a person, and no telling what they would spend on food, drink and other miscellaneous costs, like souvenirs. All totaled, Clark could potentially spend more than $4,500 on a seven-day trek with two-day passes to “Walley World” (provided it’s open).
Overall inflation in the last year is up 8.3%. Food costs are up 9.4%, air travel has risen 33% and overall energy costs are up 30.3%. This has many Americans questioning whether they have enough for the routine grocery and utility bills, let alone money left over for a family trip to Disneyland.
Petroleum makes up 96% of everyday consumer items like soap, electronics, medicine and more; with the price of oil remaining high, it has a resounding rippling effect on everything else. President Biden and Washington Democrats could ease the pain at the pump and slow the rising inflation across-the-board, if they would simply unleash American oil and natural gas.
Instead, Biden placates his green allies by kneeling to Venezuela, OPEC+ and other hostile nations to produce more abroad. Biden is leaving taxpayers to suffer with this inflation, and it has many Americans echoing Clark’s famous line, “Where’s the Tylenol?”.
A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as the 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Prior to his time at the Commission, Christian served seven sessions in the Texas House of Representatives, accumulating a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. Christian is married to his wife, Lisa, and together they have three daughters and five grandchildren. You can learn more about Chairman Christian here: https://rrc.texas.gov/About-Us/Commissioners/Wayne-Christian/.