Letter to the Editor: She's Baaaack!

To The Editor,

Gaslighting according to WebMD “happens when one person convinces their target that they're remembering things wrong or misinterpreting events. The gaslighter tries to manipulate the other person and presents their own thoughts and feelings as the truth.”

There have been examples of gaslighting recently in Valerie’s column entitled “Money, Money, Money” and a response from GB, (Gerald) who always seems to have something to say.

Valerie tried to make us believe that grocery prices have leveled off or decreased because Trump is an economic genius, (my assertion). Anyone who has bought groceries lately knows otherwise. I responded to her claims with real world examples of how prices continue to rise countering her contention that everything is great now because Trump claims it is.

Then comes Gerald who did not answer in any sensible way. His answer; shop at Sam’s Club and Walmart for cheaper prices. His statement came out the same day as the report that whole sale prices increased in July to a level not seen in three years and the economists, who actually know something, stated that the increase could be the first results of the Trump tariffs with an inflation as a possibility in the coming months. I included that information in my response to him. So, what does he do? Claims that I am ignorant and do not understand economics.

To the chagrin of readers who do not like me to include sources that back up what I say, I have included several citations that explains how whole sale prices do affect the consumer. I included conservative sites like Barron’s and Fortune so I wouldn’t be accused of using more progressive site or fake news. Who is it that needs the economics refresher?

My blurb about $1.98 gas was sarcastic to those who believe Trump that gas can be bought for that low price when no one has been able to find that gas station in the U.S. But Trump said it and so has to be true. Gaslighting for sure. The same people who believe that gas if $1.98 somewhere probably believes that the countries with tariffs importing goods into our country pay the tariffs when it is the American consumer that will be left holding the bag. But Trump said the opposite it so it must be true!

The axiom “time will tell” is so appropriate in this case. If the economists are correct and this is the start of the effects the Trump tariffs leading to higher prices and inflation, time will tell. Anyone can gaslight but that will not change the ultimate result. Time will tell.

Biggest wholesale-prices jump in three years is clearest sign yet that Trump’s tariffs are costing Americans - MarketWatch

Another tariff warning sign as wholesale inflation surges unexpectedly in July | Fortune

July Wholesale Prices Surge Most in Two Years as Businesses Pass Through Tariff Costs to Customers - CTOL Digital Solutions

July’s Wholesale Prices Are Out. What Is Means for Consumer Costs. - Barron's

Wholesale Inflation Spikes in July as Tariffs Hit the Economy | Personal Finance | U.S. News

Rosemary Schwartz

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GB August 20, 2025, 6:55 pm DL (attention seeker) There you go again yapping about fiction and making it the reality you live in. It's humorous to watch how you try to convince the rest of us, it is our reality as well. Just because you believe something does not make it reality. I'm confident you would struggle to find a way out of a corn maze in the same way you struggle with interpreting reality and real events. I am equally confident you would argue anything with anyone conservative to the point, if I told you the sky was blue, you would sarcastically argue it was in fact PINK and then try to convince the rest of us how smart you are because it is pink. Most of us just shake our heads. It's comparable to arguing with a mushroom. What's the point?

GB August 19, 2025, 6:37 pm RS, You still owe John an apology for mocking his military service. Further, you should apologize to every veteran in Benton County.

GB August 19, 2025, 4:36 pm Rosie.. You really need to get a job. It would be a lot more productive for you instead of constantly whining and ranting against everything Trump. No one except DL finds any value in the endless (Trump Is Bad) whining. It gets old. It's like listening to an old cow mooo constantly after her calf was seperated.

DL August 19, 2025, 2:45 pm GB, Why do you insist on proving your lack of knowledge about government functions. When a country (such as ours) imports goods from other countries, it's not just random things that country threw on a boat and sent it our way. No, everything that comes into our country, was ordered by someone in our country. So, when our country is applying tariffs to imports from (lets say, China). China does NOT pay that tariffs to our country. If that was the case, they just wouldn't send it until our country removes the tariff. When those imports come onto our shore, the people (companies) that ordered that product, pay our government the amount to cover the tariff. Then, those people, have to decide if they are going to pass down that cost to the consumers (us). That answer is usually YES, or at least some portion of the tariff. Your statement about our companies moving over seas, because those countries are charging tariffs, is a complete lack of how governments work. You really should choose to sit out these complicated subjects.

RS August 19, 2025, 12:46 pm Johnnie, So smarty pants, enlightened us on how to slow inflation? According to Trump everything is great, inflation down like it never has been before. When job reports showed a major decrease, Trump fires the person who gave the report because liddle Trump doesn't like bad news.So if we are to believe Trump everything is great which it is bad or great?

JS August 19, 2025, 12:08 pm Rosey The question remains--what would you?? You attack me for things I have never said or wrote. blah blah blah

ME August 19, 2025, 6:19 am Tariffs tariffs tariffs You can say it, but can you explain it? Cuz if you could, you'd understand why we place tariffs on individual goods and classes of goods from various countries, and vice versa, and not blanket tariffs on entire countries. But go ahead and cut-n-paste the MAGAt explanation anyway.

GB August 18, 2025, 10:24 pm RS, Clearly you are the one who doesn't have a clue. Every country we trade with has put tariffs on our goods for decades! You act like the balloon went up because we are now doing the same thing to them? Really? How do you think all of our American companies ended up operating in other countries? It was to avoid their tariffs on us, among other policies. Have you ever been to another country outside the USA? Heck, it doesn't even appear you have been to Walmart. Gas prices might not be down to $1.85 yet like you whine about but I'd much rather pay what we are now for fuel than we did under Biden. He made Russia filthy rich selling their fuel around the world, even to us! Yet not a single complaint from you over the incompetent fool we now know was too tired to do anything and his freak show of a staff were running rampant with the autopen. Yet silence from you. Not a lot of credibility is any of the whining you post now. Sometimes people would appear smarter if they stayed quiet rather then popping off a bunch of nonsense. You should still try Walmart or Sam's Club. You might like it well enough to be a door greeter. Just saying hello to people just might make you a happier person.

RS August 18, 2025, 8:15 pm GB-What are you talking about? If you can't defend your stance do us a favor and stop writing. IL-I challenge you to prove that these sources are wrong and were not said by economists. It is easy to say that my sources are not credible but if you can't prove your contention you have nothing to say. John, So your idea is to put on these hefty tariffs to solve inflation. All that is doing is taking money away from the consumer and giving it to the government to pay for those tariffs once the companies raise prices to cover their costs. That is a design for increased inflation. I may not know all the answers to our economic problems as you do but I know when there is a bad idea and how that will hurt people like me on a fixed income. Rosemary Schwartz

GB August 18, 2025, 7:30 pm RS, You speak about Trump putting tariffs on all these countries but did you not know that all these other countries had had tariffs on our goods for years??? Surely you know that. Where is your rant against all these other countries? That would of course include you having to rant against Communist and Socialist Governments and the Europeans..

IK August 18, 2025, 6:12 pm Plus: Everything you find on the internet is absolutely true. Right?

JS August 18, 2025, 5:28 pm So Rosey what's your solution to the inflation situation? Critism is easy anyone can do it. Solving the problem is what is needed. What would you do if you had the powers of governance? We are all waiting for your wisdom.

DL August 18, 2025, 5:22 pm GB, That's as feable of a reply as you've ever authored. You, once again, failed to offer anything to counter the (5) cited article in the original letter. You wished that an American citizen would "self deport", more commonly known as moving. You also implied that your cult leader is never wrong, or to blame, for anything. Makes me think of the photo of 900+ people lying dead, that believed the same of Jim Jones. I'm sure you're dreaming up ways to blame Jimmy Carter for the inflation that we are sure to see, in the coming months and, God forbid, years.

GB August 18, 2025, 11:17 am At least it was peaceful for a while...I thought just maybe she self-deported to Ireland or something. Regardless, here we are with another hate-filled rant blaming Trump. I'm shocked! Not..

Opinion : Letter to the Editor: She's Baaaack!

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