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Rising gas prices are on the minds of most Americans these days. Certainly here in West Virginia we've seen a sharp increase in the past week. Somewhere above $4 per gallon seems to be the norm.
And as we struggle on one front, it is important to remember an increase in gasoline prices will eventually mean an increase in other prices.
"I have a feeling when it comes to Grubhub, Uber Eats, (and) DoorDash, they're probably going to have to increase their prices -- which means we're going to have to increase our prices," Briana Mandt, general manager of Stewart's Original Hot Dogs, told WOWK in Huntington.
That is just the start.
Generally speaking, the politically based complaints about increases in gas prices before this past week were not based in economic reality. But now we can, indeed, peg the increase to decisions made by a bipartisan group of elected officials in Washington, D.C. When President Joe Biden announced a ban on U.S. imports of Russian oil and gas -- with the full backing of Congress -- he reminded us what it will mean for our wallets.
"Defending freedom is going to cost," Biden said. "It's going to cost us as well in the United States."
Those who have been shouting for vigorous support of Ukraine and punishing Vladimir Putin for his action must know it does not take military action for one country to sacrifice in defense of another. "The American people will deal another powerful blow to Putin's war machine," Biden said.
He is right. Now we must be willing to endure the results, and be thankful we are experiencing nothing compared to what is being suffered in Ukraine.