Show J Political snow job iob Members of our U. U S. S Congress have bemoaned the low public opinion of our National Legislature Unfortunately Unfortunate Unfortunate- tely te- te ly the collective members of Congress haven't done much to change that low opinion If anything they have hav tended to tomake tomake tomake make it worse Consider for example the recent Congressional ssi na uproar over the inflationary inflationary 1 6 price e hike by the steel t rJ T fes ssi ris bf r indignation indig dig nation ran all the way from name- name calling to tova a a demand for a full-fledged full investigation Warren Brookes a distinguished feature feature feature fea fea- ture writer for the respected Boston Herald American says that he doesn't recall any politician raising an eyebrow eyebrow eyebrow eye eye- brow when the United Auto Workers s signed their heir contracts just a month I before thus raising the labor costs on automobiles by more than 63 billion That tidy sum newsman Brookes reminds reminds reminds re re- re- re minds us is is- not just 2 2 times or 4 times or six times but TWELVE times the total size of the steel price hike Translated into cost per car that figures figures figures fig fig- ures out to a rise in price pe per car of about 1800 1600 because of the increased cost f steel But the price of labor is going up over oyer per car Why no Congressional outcry Could it be because because because be be- cause Big Labor forked over more than 48 million in political contributions in the last election Frankly continues continues' Brookes we dont don't remember a single po politician from eith either r party complaining when the Teamsters raised total trucking-labor trucking costs by more than 11 billion over the next three years That's That s 22 times as much as the steel price hike Wasn't that inflationary And elAnd what about the rubber workers workers' who just added al ns billion to the price of tires Wa a ht t that hat inflationarY inflationary inflation inflation- ary too These same politicians while complaining complaining complaining com com- bitterly about a mere half billion billion billion bil bil- bil- bil lion dollar increase in the price of steel quickly forget that Social Security taxes went up last January 4 billion and will go up another 4 billion this January January- and that Congress raised government spending by almost 50 billion last year and next years year's budget will go up another another another an an- other 50 billion And now these same members of Congress Congress Congress Con Con- gress who socked it to us to the tune of 50 billion have the audacity to complain because the steel companies increase prices by a mere half billion Informed and concerned Americans Americans Americans Ameri Ameri- cans are well aware that the chief cause of inflation lies smack-dab smack in the middle of the halls of the U. U S. S Congress and Senate If the members of Congress want to enjoy a better public opinion then they had better start doing something something something some some- thing to earn it- it it and quickly |