Joe Concha slams Democrats for inflation messaging: They think Americans 'are stupid'
The Fox News contributor joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how Democrats have tailored their messaging to favor government spending.
Critics slammed a Bloomberg Opinion tweet Saturday that said inflation hurts most people making "less than 300k," adding that people should take the bus, stop buying in bulk and should "try lentils instead of meat."
The tweet also read, "nobody said this would be fun." The March 13 op-ed from Teresa Ghilarducci, headlined, "Inflation Stings Most If You Earn Less Than $300K. Here's How to Deal," says that public transportation prices are only up 8% compared to 38% for gasoline.
To avoid inflated meat prices, Ghilarducci suggested pivoting to vegetables.
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A woman shops for groceries at a Whole Foods supermarket in New York on May 18, 2010. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton )
"Though your palate may not be used to it, tasty meat substitutes include vegetables (where prices are up a little over 4%, or lentils and beans, which are up about 9%). Plan to cut out the middle creature and consume plants directly. It's a more efficient, healthier and cheaper way to get calories," the op-ed said.
Sports writer and analyst Barrett Sallee recalled some of the many excuses for inflation Americans have heard over the past few months, in reaction to the Bloomberg tweet.
"'Inflation is transitory," Sallee tweeted. "Inflation is due to COVID. Inflation isn't really a bad thing. Inflation is caused by Putin.' These are all things that were said over the last 12 months."
President Biden and other members of the administration have put the blame on Putin, calling it "Putin's price hike." Inflation hit another 40-year high in February, rising to 7.9%.
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Matt Rinaldi, chairman of the Republican Party in Texas, said on Twitter that he doesn't think "'get rid of your car and eat lentils instead of meat' is a winning message for Democrats."
Former Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson joined several people on Twitter in saying, "eat cake!"
"Basically the elite want normal people to ‘own nothing and be happy’ about it," Robby Starbuck, a Tennessee congressional candidate, also tweeted.
"Complaining about the price of gas? The elite say, #LetThemEatLentils," a Republican Congressional candidate for Rhode Island, Jessica De La Cruz, said, noting that she was in favor of a temporary suspension of the gas tax.
A customer shops at a Sam's Club in Bentonville, Arkansas, June 4, 2009. (Reuters/Jessica Rinaldi)
Ohio state Sen. Michael Rulli, R-33rd, suggested turning off "the money printer."
Joseph Mallozzi, a Canadian film producer and writer, joking provided a few more suggestions. "Win the lottery," he said, adding "coincidentally drop in on your friends around meal time." He also suggested canceling Bloomberg subscriptions.
James DePorre, CEO of Shark Investment Management and Real Money contributor, said that only 1% of the population makes over $300,000 a year.
Ghilarducci also suggested "rethinking" a pet's "costly medical needs." "It may sound harsh, but researchers actually don’t recommend pet chemotherapy — which can cost up to $10,000 — for ethical reasons," she wrote.
Matt Whitlock, a former Republican communications director, criticized this point, adding, "The Biden economy is rough."
President Biden and other members of the administration have put the blame for inflation on Putin. (Getty Images)
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An investigative writer for the Associated Press, Kat Stafford, criticized the suggestion to take public transportation. She argued that many Americans, especially those living in communities of color, "have suffered from underfunded or nonexistent mass public transportation for years."
"There’s a real transit inequity issue in America. It exists right here in my hometown of Detroit. When I covered city hall, I spent hours at city council meetings where I heard residents complain and beg for improved bus services and access," she said, adding that suburban counties surrounding Detroit have rejected proposals that would increase public transportation.