Ray Marcano is a Columbus Dispatch contributing columnist.
Vice President JD Vance joined a chorus of people downplaying the increased costs of gas, electricity and food bills when he told Americans not to gripe about the little thingsearlier this month.
That chorus is tired, they say, of listening to others whine about paying a little more instead of supporting President Donald Trump’s agenda.
This comes from folks who live a comfortable life in well-appointed homes as they drive $80,000 SUVs to the grocery store before heading to dinner at the finest steakhouses.
That comfort belies the discomfort many Americans feel. In Ohio, the Dispatch reported that about 137,000 people, including 60,000 children, have lost access to SNAP benefits that help
families purchase food.
Six in 10 people, in a Fox News poll, called gas prices a major problem. Even though Ohio lawmakers, in a political stunt, suspended the state gas tax for 90 days, prices still average $3.85 for regular gas and more than $6 for diesel.
Two other polls showed people have cut spending to compensate for higher pump costs, and two-thirds called grocery prices unaffordable.
I could write a column with data that shows how much average people hurt financially, but instead, I’ll tell a story that illustrates the pain.
A woman I know
I know a woman who lost her spouse last year. At 36, she found herself navigating the complexities of death, like figuring out taxes, and the uncertainty of life, such as how she could afford to live without her husband’s income.
She quickly got a full-time job and knew she would need a second one if she couldn’t find an apartment that fit her budget.
She caught a break when she found a small place in a quiet neighborhood. She didn’t have a car, so her father gave her his. She had enough financial support from family and friends to raise the first and last month’s rent deposit, pay some joint bills and have a few hundred left for a meager savings account.
Then the price of groceries increased.
Eggs came down, but it seemed everything else went up. So she substituted chicken and sausage for beef, and frozen vegetables for fresh, adjustments made without complaint.
Like so many others, she rarely ate out unless someone else was paying. She got rid of most streaming services but watches the free channels on Roku. With the help of her grief counselor, she was making emotional progress while making the best of a tight budget.
Then gas in Ohio went from an average of $2.79 in January to $4.50-plus in September before decreasing to the $3.80 range. One of the people I know scoffed at the difficulties caused by the price increase and believed the malcontents were full of B.S.
That’s one version.
The other is the woman, who’s more representative of America. She cringes when the tank that used to cost about $33 to fill now costs $50 or more. She wonders, over a month, where the extra money will come from and discounts the piddling savings – maybe $6 a week – from the gas holiday. Maybe she can skip a doctor’s appointment. Maybe she can cut groceries further.
Maybe she won’t drive to grief counseling so she can save a little gas.
I don’t dismiss those who dismiss the pain of others because everyone has a point of view, even if it comes across as heartless.
I simply hope we can be a bit more sensitive to those who don’t have what we do, to those who may have to skip important therapy and cry alone at home.
Ray Marcano is a Columbus Dispatch contributing columnist. The longtime journalist is the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright fellow.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Americans drown in the 'little things' while JD Vance and crew gorge on steak | Opinion
