To the editor:

I find it interesting that every country that had elections recently voted out the current governing party in favor of the opposite party primarily based on the economy. Did you know that in the USA, no president, whether republican or democrat, has ever been reelected during periods of high inflation?

Yet, presidents have very little to do with the economy other than nominating the chairman of the federal reserve. Additionally, the only course the Fed can take to try to bring inflation down is by raising interest rates.

The rising price of food is due to a combination of factors such as pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, wars and the weather that affect supply and demand. These things are not within the control of the government.

Egg prices are high because of the shortage caused by the avian flu.

The ongoing drought, which has led to crop failures and reduced yields, has increased feed costs. This has forced ranchers to reduce their cattle herds. High demand and fewer cattle caused the price of beef to rise.

Brazil and Vietnam are two of our biggest exporters of coffee to the U.S. Both countries experienced periods of extreme drought followed by extreme flooding causing the price of coffee to go up. These are just a few examples.

Droughts, floods and heatwaves have led to crop failures and reduced yields around the world. The more erratic our planet becomes the more prices will likely continue to rise.

It’s every voter’s responsibility to educate themselves before casting their vote. Yet, here we are.

Ronnie Benware

Queensbury