I can’t be the only one staggered by the economic numbers being released daily, but maybe, people are just numb to it since after-all, it is only on paper right? On one-hand, I listen to those praying/demanding for an extension to rent relief so they don’t end up on the street, adding to an already overwhelmed homeless population. I understand. I drive by these mobile homeless camps daily. I say mobile because the authorities swoop in with PPE protected help assisted by equipment to erase all memory of the encampment—until days later when it magically reappears blocks away. Considering these poor souls, I get a knot in my stomach thinking about it and how desperate it could become if all the renters are evicted and they all start competing for social services. Then I see all the “Now Hiring” signs and realize many of those “poor soul’s” fearing eviction only do so because they will be losing their pandemic unemployment benefits and face the terrible tragedy of having to go back to work. I personally know of people pocketing tens of thousand of dollars while sitting on their couch streaming Netflix while businesses already decimated by the pandemic, can’t find employees now to reopen. The government continues to debate relief programs to give out more money while promoting an infrastructure bill to rebuild our bridges and roads and designed to provide work for thousands of Americans. I agree with rebuilding our infrastructure, it is in dire need of help, but saying it will provide jobs…we have millions of jobs that go wanting because we are paying those people to stay home, so what will the difference be?

On the other-hand, I see those whose lives were not financially impacted at all. The biggest issue they endured was being forced to work from home and therefore unable to spend any discretionary income outside the home. All the money earmarked for entertainment, vacations, shopping etc. sat in the bank, just waiting for the vaccine. That day has arrived and shortages are everywhere. As an economist said, “It is like everybody woke up at once and decided they wanted to dine-out, shop in stores, buy a new car and go on vacation at the same time. We couldn’t crank up the economy that fast.” The housing market continues to defy all odds and grow by double-digits even though there is little inventory. Those with the cash have the power. This includes businesses like Blackstone that are purchasing thousands of homes with the seeming intent of creating a generation of renters, or at least pushing the prices up even further so the only option for many will be renting. I feel sad that the American dream of home-ownership keeps slipping away.

So I find myself somewhere in the middle. I didn’t win, but I didn’t totally lose either. I still make no sense of how our economy keeps chugging along, or how anything actually gets done. No workers and a shortage of microchips has halted production of everything from toasters to F-150’s. A/C units are on backorder and its 115 degrees in Portland. It is harder and harder for me to put on a neutral face. During the pandemic, one “camp” got sent to time-out while the other took charge. Initially I had hoped for some reconciliation between these two groups for the good of our country, but the “new” side demanded their agenda just as badly as the other side had. And then you have vaccines. At the hight of the pandemic it was considered the “Holy Grail” and we all talked about how everything would be better once we had it. So we have it; have had it since January, and yet it is almost July and only half of our population chose to receive it. What the hell? I see a future with not only Covid and its variants but the reemergence of measles, small-pox and who knows what else because uneducated people choose to ignore the science. Maybe I should just consider myself lucky and acknowledge I have no control over the rudder and enjoy the ride.