DeSantis runs on empty by blaming inflation on Biden

Having wrongly ducked any blame for Florida’s increasingly deadly COVID-19 surges, Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to pardon himself for rising costs in the state. Guess who he’s blaming? This month, the governor linked President Joe Biden’s “bad federal policies” to rising inflation. Yet Florida, DeSantis claimed, has no control over prices.

First, let’s fact-check DeSantis. The governor zoned in on gasoline prices. According to AAA Florida, the average price for regular is $3.23 per gallon. “It’s incredible,” DeSantis said, “how much gas has gone up.”

More incredible, however, was the record price in mid-2008 of about $4.50 a gallon. That happened under a Republican president, George W. Bush. Adjusted for inflation, an equivalent price today would be $5.16.

In addition, a year-over-year comparison with 2020 is beyond misleading. Oil demand cratered, and prices dropped sharply as pandemic restrictions hit. Gasoline prices followed.

A more valid comparison is with 2019. In May of that year, with Donald Trump in the White House, prices neared $3. There was no pandemic to disrupt the supply chain. There also was no peep from DeSantis.

But gas prices make a good GOP talking point. So as he runs for reelection and, eventually, the presidency, DeSantis wants the Legislature to suspend the state’s gas tax, which rises to 27.3 cents per gallon in January. The governor hasn’t said how long the suspension would last, though we can assume at least until after Election Day.

Suspending the tax for a year would cost the state about $1 billion. Losing that highway construction money would hurt the state.

But DeSantis has a plan. He would make up for the loss by taking money from the reserve fund. It’s well-stocked — with money from Biden’s American Rescue Plan. So if it happens, call it the Biden Tax Cut.

Decades ago, this might have been a low-cost state. No longer. Most credible surveys place Florida about in the middle when it comes to cost of living. The main reason we do that well remains the absence of an income tax. In other key areas, though, this state scores badly.

According to bankrate.com, Florida has the nation’s highest auto insurance rates and the third-highest property insurance rates. Since 2016, the cost of insuring one’s home has increased 34%.

DeSantis mocked the claim that nationwide inflation is “transitory.” In fact, there’s more chance of the Consumer Price Index going down in 2022 than of insurance costs declining.

The Legislature passed a “reform” bill this year. Even if the law cuts companies’ costs, however, Tallahassee did not require carriers to pass those savings to customers. As the governor might put it, bad state policies lead to more expensive insurance.

DeSantis also has encouraged pandemic-weary residents of the Northeast, Midwest and California to move here. Enough have done so to drive home prices and rental rates to record highs.

Compared to last year, home prices are up 14% in Broward County and 24.7% in Palm Beach

County. In Hillsborough County, the increase is 25.5%. In Lee County, it’s nearly 25%.

Those prices have pushed firsttime buyers out of the market.

Finally, all Florida Power & Light bills for most people will go up more than the rate of inflation in 2022. DeSantis has helped the company become more like an unregulated monopoly than a regulated monopoly.

The governor would have more credibility if he pushed the Legislature to address pocketbook issues. But DeSantis’ priorities last year were the “anti-riot” bill and voter suppression. This year, his priorities are imagined racial grievances of white people.

Florida is becoming unaffordable for many Floridians. It’s incredible how little the governor cares.