The Punishment of Tariffs

 Temps here in Central PA took a little crash dive last night dropping to 18 (F).  That chilly willy.  Starting tomorrow, they will begin warming up.  By Wednesday forecasters are predicting we'll be in the mid 60s (F), if only for a day.  Let's be honest here, Spring has got to start sometime, and I'd prefer it sooner rather than later.

I got an upper body workout in yesterday before going to work.  It felt good.  Not too much will be done today as I'm heading down to York for lunch with my friend Betsy.  That doesn't mean I won't get a ride or free weights in when I get home, just that it's not very likely.  

When I got to work yesterday, I was told I was late and, indeed, I was.  The two afternoons I work during the week my start time is 2 PM.  Saturdays it's 1 PM.  Even though I've had this Saturday schedule for over 3 years, all of sudden it doesn't feel natural, so when immediately after I punched in, I change my availability for Saturdays.  Now I will start at 2 PM, like the other two afternoons I work.  I suppose I'm entering the age of uniformity.

The store, itself, was only semi-busy.  Without giving any proprietary information away, I can tell you that we are not going to make plan this week.  It is my understand that this is district wide situation.  I can also tell you that we have not hit our budgeted sales once since the Orange Anus was elected.  Our President's Day appliance sale has always brought in great sales figures and those few days stand out, this year they flatlined.  On a graph, last year's sales were a mountain and this year's sales are a desert plain.

And then there are the protests.  I find them rather pleasing.  So far, except for the outside the Tesla showroom in NYC yesterday, they've been peaceful.  And the townhalls, too.  Republicans are still holding them, but they are becoming more and more contentious.  The GOP is not used to their own party members objecting.  They don't seem to understand that they owe these people their jobs.

As I was looking over headlines this morning, I saw in Reuters that the Orange Anus is modifying one of the tariffs in regard to lumber.  Even though it is American lumber that is being exported to Canada and Mexico, it is going to be taxed when that wood is imported back into the United States as furniture.  The minute I saw that I realized that these tariffs are how Orangie is meting out punishment to those countries who disagree with him.  He is going to make them pay.  The fact that this will financially hurt Americans is not even part of the equation.