A.G. Gancarski
Supply chain snarls could grinch the holiday season, but Florida’s Governor believes there’s still time to save Christmas.
Gov. Ron DeSantis got nasty in Niceville about potential threats to children, of which he has three of his own, not receiving toys for Christmas because of issues with shipping and domestic imports.
“You see all of these problems with the shipping and not being able to get goods. We don’t even know if the kids will get toys for Christmas,” DeSantis said during a press conference to unveil a grant at Northwest Florida College in Okaloosa County.
DeSantis said Sunshine State ports could “handle it” and “get things out,” echoing a push by the Florida Ports Council to increase activity at Florida ports in the wake of issues in California and elsewhere offloading imports.
The Governor said he was “concerned about some of the things you see coming out of Washington … all the inflation,” comments designed to resonate as inflation is at a 13 year high.
“We’re pushing in the right direction,” DeSantis said, and the state is positioned to “beat back some of those headwinds” of macroeconomic trends.
These comments, dire warnings about Christmas and giftless youth notwithstanding, are a measure more optimistic than previous comments about inflationary “headwinds” over which DeSantis said the state is powerless.
“Those are, I think, are beyond our control at the state level,” the Governor cautioned during a news conference in Bay County last Friday.
“And just building things, everything’s more expensive,” DeSantis groused. “People want to come and build homes here. It’s harder to build them because it’s harder to get the materials. It’s more expensive and everything.”
“They said that this was not going to be something that was sustained. Yet we see it. It’s sustained. It’s real,” DeSantis said.
These worries are nothing new for DeSantis. When signing the budget this summer, he warned of what was to come.
“And look, in the last 15 months, this federal government has added more to the debt than we’ve ever seen since World War II in such a short period of time. And my view on that is something’s got to be done. There’s got to be — the bill’s going to come due somehow. Whether it’s higher interest rates, higher inflation, I’m not sure, but it is a concern when you look around and see the gas prices.”
Supply chain shortages and increasing prices are large part because container ships are stranded at ports and unloaded goods are waiting for trucks, leading to delays that have caused a longer than expected bout of inflation. The rising costs are eating into worker pay, creating a drag on growth and driving Republican criticism of President Joe Biden just as his multitrillion-dollar tax, economic, climate and infrastructure agenda is going through the crucible of congressional negotiations.
Ports are also just one piece of the puzzle, Biden says. The country needs more truck drivers, private retailers to step up and better infrastructure, as well as a supply chain that can less easily be disrupted by pandemics and extreme weather. The President is trying to use the predicament as a selling point for his policy plans that undergoing congressional scrutiny.
The White House is responding to this backlog by finalizing an agreement for the Port of Los Angeles — one of the nation’s major entry points for consumer products — to become a 24-hour, seven-days-a-week operation. The hope is that nighttime operations will help to break the logjam and reduce shipping delays for toasters, sneakers, bicycles, cars and more.
Retail and shipping companies like Walmart, FedEx and UPS have also agreed to help relieve the backlog, committing to unload during off-peak hours.
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Material from The Associated Press was used in the article.
12 comments
tjb
October 14, 2021 at 12:07 pm
Who had ownership of 12 of the 15 months, where the national debt vastly increased, — the Trump Administration?
I DeSantis taking a shot against Trump and Biden?
“
ScienceBLVR
October 14, 2021 at 12:27 pm
Wow, DeGrinch has no limits does he? Let’s whip up hysteria about NO TOYS for Christmas!! Oh My! Truthfully, it seems Christmas has gotten so over the top for my grandchildren.. even with presents stacked everywhere, I always feel like I need to get more.
I remember as a middle class kid in the Midwest, we got one big gift like a bike, a few games, and the inevitable clothes, mittens, or shoes. My parents could have afforded more, but it was just not the expectation. I think our kids today could make do with a few less toys. But how about if DeSantis starts caring about things that are truly much more important and vital to Floridians.. that would be a real Christmas Miracle.
Frankie M.
October 14, 2021 at 10:14 pm
No need to cancel Xmas Ronnie. Leave that to the demonrats. Here’s what I tell my kids: Santa’s on a budget this year. If they ask why I tell them it’s because he had a bad year at the track. No surprises!
Danielle Bowman
October 15, 2021 at 1:17 am
Da grinch is the one that wrote the article not disantis you could tell clearly which way the airhor was leading too.
There is a major issue right with
Imports ( which sadly is 90% of our Goods) this is a fact we should of kept on with trumps plan to manufacture more things here in the USA
Cliff Gephart
October 14, 2021 at 12:56 pm
We need to vote this clown out. He’s a disgraceful moron and an embarrassment to Florida.
Danielle Bowman
October 15, 2021 at 1:19 am
Really i think your confusing him with Gavin Newsom. Disantis represents how most of us Floridians feel….
If you dont like it here you could always move to California
Steve Hadley
October 15, 2021 at 7:39 pm
Almost 48% of Fl voted for Biden in a big Red state.
Linwood Wright
October 14, 2021 at 1:00 pm
“And look, in the last 15 months, this federal government has added more to the debt than we’ve ever seen since World War II in such a short period of time. And my view on that is something’s got to be done. There’s got to be — the bill’s going to come due somehow. Whether it’s higher interest rates, higher inflation, I’m not sure, but it is a concern when you look around and see the gas prices.”
HIGHER TAXES ON CORPORATIONS AND THE 1% TOP EARNERS
Robert Airoldi
October 14, 2021 at 10:13 pm
The oil companies lost 1 trillion dollars in 2020 from the pandemic. Prices are higher a) making up loses b) more demand c)OPEC is not upping their pumping. Converted to US dollars people in the UK are paying $5.79 per gallon.
Steve Hadley
October 15, 2021 at 7:46 pm
Gas prices are high because OPEC has cut production to increase the barrel price which is now at $84. In June of 2020 oil was $23 a barrel. Do you realize that American Oil companies export 35% of the oil produced in this country.
Tom Palmer
October 14, 2021 at 9:46 pm
WTF is wrong with this young man?
tjb
October 15, 2021 at 11:07 am
Boris, did you say that the materialistic aspect of Christmas toys trumps the celebration and remembering of the birth of Jesus Christ.
You and DeSantis may have something in common.
Comments are closed.