By Samuel Strait, Reporter at Large – July 16, 2021 With inflation on the rise, closing on seven percent in June alone, where will Americans go to keep up? Looks like the Federal Government has an answer for you. With the impending passage of an explosion in new spending, $4,100,000,000,000 plus an additional $1,700,000,000,000 oh how federal government legislators like big numbers, nearly $6,000,000,000,000 the Democrats in the Congress are riding to the rescue. Of course this is all borrowed money, that needs to be paid back eventually, likely to the tune of $12,000,000,000,000 including interest, no need to worry as in six months of the new administration our national debt will approach $35,000,000,000,000. How's that for an accomplishment? It really does not end there as inflation will likely add significantly to that number as the dollar takes a negative plunge as well. Of course not to be be out done, the Democrats in the California State Legislature are busy making sure that when taxes raise at the federal level, California can be assured of a similar movement of raising taxes at the State level to pay for the Governor's recent gifts to some of the State's citizens as well as a growing number of those that are not. Seems payment to Californians as part of the Federal "American Rescue Plan" will pay up to $300 per child 0-5 and $250 6-17 per month to help pay some of the impending tax increases through at least December. Where would we be without the "benign" assistance of our governing bodies. Maybe not nearly as far in debt as Democrats would like us to be in. Naturally the delivery from the grasping clutches of our State and Federal governments did not go unnoticed by our local dictators, as continued raises in pay might be in jeopardy without local attention. Already, County, City, the Harbor and now the CFPD have seen to their respective payroll increases with new taxes purported to be for "OUR BENEFIT". With increases in recycling costs, the DNSWMA has seen fit to raise their rates, quite possibly seeing the way recently to fatten that move with yet another. The local school district has been seen to look at two, yes two mechanisms to fatten their budget. $47,000,000 in a local purposed bond measure for 2022, and, if that was not enough an increase in a local development fee, for a District that is shrinking, not growing. Go figure. Lets be reminded of the recent purchase of the District's "New" Health and Human Services provider building on Marshal Street. Guess the services provided by the County's Health and Human Services falls short of what is expected at the woefully under funded school district which wishes to tap into the largess of Public excess. So, here we are now, six months into the current federal administration under Joe Biden, not much change in governance at the State level except increasing crazy, and the constant grasping for more money at the local level, can we honestly say we are better off? Can we say that our dollars reach as far as they did last December? What will the future hold as we careen down this rock strewn path of ever increasing wasteful spending, increasing inflation and meaningless government over reach? Have we had enough yet?