Dean Jepson: Can’t blame Obama for high beef prices
Re “Minimum wage won't cover steak “ (Letters, May 24): I must laude the 81-year-old supplementing his Social Security income with a minimum-wage job. Maybe not his plan for the “Golden Years,” but he’s doing what he can. It’s unfortunate the price of beef is limiting his shopping to chicken, but it is hardly President Obama’s fault.
Until this year, there has been a severe drought in Texas, and we all know what California is going through. It takes about 3 years to get cattle ready for market; under current conditions, expensive for ranchers. Hogs take six months and chickens less than two months, a less-risky investment. There is a higher demand for beef at restaurants, so prices have skyrocketed. It’s capitalism, not Obama.
As a retired senior, he might want to thank FDR for the Social Security program and Lyndon Johnson for Medicare. More importantly, remember that no government program that has become “privatized” has wound up costing consumers less in the long run. The current trillion-dollar student-loan debt is the latest example. The plutocrats, who dump millions to GOP candidates, have been salivating at the thought of snatching the billions in Social Security and Medicare. Be careful not to vote against your own best interests.
Dean Jepson, Turlock
This story was originally published June 8, 2015 at 6:56 PM with the headline "Dean Jepson: Can’t blame Obama for high beef prices."