As the American consumer fills up his or her gas tank, the credit card is charged with a new pain. Gasoline prices jumped almost 40% during the last year, diesel is at the verge of an all-time high. As working families tighten their belts, executives in the petroleum industry fill up their wallets.
The root cause for this economic shock is none other than the President Trump himself. President’s warmongering policy towards Iran has created a severe supply shock in the world’s oil markets, spiking up the prices with devastating consequences. Ordinary Americans are the ones who bear the brunt of the impact.
When it comes to the fallout from a Trump foreign policy, the public is becoming increasingly dissatisfied, with over 60% of voters approving of the job Donald Trump is doing in relation to energy costs.
While working families sacrifice to make ends meet, executives in the oil industry are enjoying the record-breaking profits. With oil prices hitting the roof, the profits of the refining giants have skyrocketed.
Such is the state of things in the Trump’s America, where the president does not care to make a distinction between the public and the profiteering elite. In pursuing his warmongering agenda, Trump has demonstrated the true colors, favoring the wealthy and powerful at the expense of the public.
Key Earnings Highlights (Q2 2026)
ExxonMobil: Reported a profit of $14.5 billion.
Chevron: Recorded $12 billion, marking one of its highest quarterly profits on record.
Shell: Posted $9.8 billion, more than doubling its earnings compared to the same period in the previous year.
The 2026 gubernatorial race between Governor Hochul and Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is an important choice, for northern New Yorkers … let’s review Bruce Blakeman’s proposed budget plan. Let’s look at what it would mean for families, farms, and small businesses. With Blakeman’s emphasis on his proposed spending and fiscal conservatism, the tax and trade policies he espouses threaten to raise New York’s budget deficits and affect the competitiveness of the state’s economy. Here are five ways Mr. Blakeman’s fiscal and trade policies may hurt the budget and the economy of New York.
“Flat-Tax” Plan Would Underfund New York’s Budget and Families
Bruce Blakeman has advocated for a flat income tax rate of 22 % for New Yorkers in his proposed fiscal policy, yet the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance estimates that the progressive income tax code responsible for funding education, transportation, and the state’s health-safety net now generates $84 billion for the state budget each year.
A flat-tax system would generate an estimated $12‑15 billion in the first year (Brookings Institute, 2025 fiscal simulation). For northern counties that rely heavily on state aid for school districts and road maintenance, this shortfall could translate into $200-$300 million less in local school funding than the current income tax code.
Reduction in “Growth Fund” Threatens Broadband Access For Rural New Yorkers
In his proposed budget, Blakeman plans to reduce the New York State Economic Development Fund by 30 % to rein in spending. The current fund allocates $2.5 billion towards small-business grants, broadband expansion, and renewable energy projects for a state where 30 % of rural areas lack broadband access.
Reduction of the fund by 30 % would lead to a $750 million in grant money, jeopardizing the NY Rural Broadband Initiative, which is projected to add $1.4 billion loss in economic growth over a five-year span, according to the NYC Economic Development Corporation, 2025. This would adversely affect the competitiveness of northern New York, where broadband access is a barrier to entry for modern farmers and tele-health services.
Advocacy For Trump-Era Tariffs Will Harm New York’s Economy
Bruce Blakeman has expressed his support for the Trump administration’s “America-First” trade policies that involve imposing higher tariffs on steel, aluminum, and specific agricultural products to reduce the trade deficit and protect domestic manufacturers from foreign competition.
While Trump’s (Mr. Blakeman’s) position is designed to benefit the manufacturers in the “Rust Belt” region of the state, steel tariffs of 25 % have already led to an $8 billion increase in production costs for manufacturers in upstate New York, according to a 2024 report by the New York Department of Labor. Additionally, higher tariffs on Canadian dairy and grains will result in higher feed costs for New York’s dairy farms, which will suffer as a result of the increased costs in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and disrupted supply-chains.
Mr. Blakeman support of tariffs on steel/aluminum manufacturing firms in upstate will face higher costs and reduced competitiveness to other manufacturers. This will lead to reduced job-growth in manufacturing, as well as higher tax revenues for the state.
“Balanced Budget” Leaves Out Costs Of Reductions In Social Services
While Mr. Blakeman’s proposed fiscal policy promotes a “balanced budget,” his proposed cuts to social services such as a 20 % reduction in Medicaid funding would lead to higher uncompensated care costs for hospitals and a rise in uninsured rates in New York. The state’s Medicaid expansion currently provides coverage to more than 500,000 low-income residents in the Adirondack and Mohawk Valley regions, according to the New York Health Policy Council.
The removal of this funding would raise uncompensated care costs for hospitals by an estimated $1.2 billion and raise insurance costs for the average New Yorker by 1.5 %, according to a 2025 study by the New York Hospital Association. This will negatively impact the state’s $1.7 trillion economy by reducing consumer spending power and increasing personal debt.
Pension Reform Threatens To Underfund State Workers’ Retirement Plans
Mr. Blakeman’s proposed pension reform, which would raise the retirement age for state employees from 62 to 68, and increase employee contributions to the pension fund, threatens to exacerbate the funding gap for the New York State Common Retirement Fund, which is currently 84 % funded.
The combination of increased retirement age and higher employee contributions will increase turnover of experienced teachers and public employees in northern New York, affecting educational and municipal outcomes for the region.
Bottom Line for Central and Northern New Yorkers
With the proposed fiscal policies of Bruce Blakeman threatening to reduce revenue-generation for the state, increase costs for manufacturers and farmers, and reduce access to essential services, many northern New Yorkers are concerned that Mr. Blakeman’s plans will hurt the state’s economy more than help it.
The reality of Donald Trump’s doomed war with Iran is catching up with the general American population. A seemingly quick and easy military mission that was supposed to stabilize the region has blown up in the troubled president’s face, causing the price of diesel to skyrocket to $6.32 per gallon today, as reported on October 6, 2026. The situation with the fuel price is a typical example of how Trump’s policy has affected everyday Americans.
Diesel fuel is an essential part of the American economy because it powers most trucks, tractors, and ships. Nevertheless, the Trump administration seemed to care little about the potential chaos that the conflict in the Mideast could bring. The US Energy Information Administration states that prices at the pump “are determined by crude oil prices, refining costs and profits, and taxes and duties in the country of destination, with the freight rates on crude oil also being a factor.” Additionally, the EIA warns that geopolitical issues could “result in the restriction of crude oil trade routes and petroleum product shipments,” which are already restricted by the Mideast conflict.
It is evident that the Trump administration’s involvement in the Mideast affair was the cause of the diesel price increase. The American president’s disdain for Iran resulted in the latter being blockaded or heavily militarized in essential trade ports such as the Strait of Hormuz. With the disruption of oil transportation routes, the already high prices of fuel increased as oil became more expensive due to restricted trade.
It is possible to state that Donald Trump’s adventurism in the Mideast led to the supply chain malfunction, which pushed the prices of diesel to unprecedented levels. The Trump administration cared little about the potential economic fallout of the war, or even planed for it.
It is the middle class who suffer the most from the diesel price increases. They represent a significant part of the population that uses this type of fuel for commuting and other daily activities. As a result, ordinary Americans pay for the war with Iran through higher prices at the pump and an overall higher cost of living, with supply chains disrupted and prices inflated.
As the midterm elections near their conclusion, the advocacy organization Tech Oversight Project is urging Democratic lawmakers to exploit an issue on the rise: artificial intelligence server farms. The Republican-backed One Big Beautiful Bill Act included full expensing provisions for certain business property that critics calculate handed substantial tax breaks to large-scale data center developers.
According to the group’s internal briefing, obtained by POLITICO before publication, these data centers increase the everyday costs for citizens while the companies hosting them reap government subsidies.
The facility boom, which has fueled the explosive growth of AI, has become a lightning rod for voters in this year’s closely watched elections.
“There’s a lot of bipartisan unhappiness with data centers right now,” Haworth said. “The National Republican Senatorial Committee literally warned in the summer that a data center fight in Ohio was already hurting the Senate campaign of Jon Husted. It could be a warning sign to the entire country of what folks really want in an election.”
Democrats are zeroing in on the issue as a way to score political points against Republicans, accusing them of crony capitalism and favoring tech companies at the expense of everyday Americans.
“This line of attack will certainly exacerbate the perception of the walled-off relationships between Washington and Silicon Valley. It fails to address the real-world impact of these facilities on cash-strapped families who can’t get the relief they need from elected officials,” Haworth argued in the briefing. “Democrats should capitalize on the populist outrage being stoked around the country by pushing the message that the companies should pay for the electric loads they create, not homeowners and businesses.”
“This approach will resonate from presidential races to municipal referendums on data center siting,” she added. That’s because “the facilities’ impacts are both local and national, where government subsidies to the facilities and the resulting local costs are completely indefensible.”
The push appears to be working: After years of rapid expansion and little pushback, lawmakers are starting to take notice. Last month, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) blocked further tax breaks to developers of the facilities, and Gov. JB Pritzker (D) did the same in Illinois last month.
Additionally, the Tech Oversight Project argued that the jobs promised by the data center industry are few and far between compared to the billions in tax incentives given to developers. “Companies promoting data centers often trumpet short-term construction jobs. The permanent staff needed to run a facility upon completion is often minuscule compared to the size of the subsidies given to developers,” Haworth said in the briefing. “Moreover, the companies often use these restrictive NDAs to conceal information about the facilities from the public.”
Tech companies hoping to build new facilities or renovate old ones are rethinking their strategies as bad press mounts and costs skyrocket. More and more companies are investing in building — or, now, buying — goodwill among communities where they hope to open facilities, trying to reassure residents that they won’t hike costs or hurt the environment.
Spreading the idea seems a tough sell: According to Pew Research Center, 60% of Americans would not want a data center in their community. “Among those who said they would not want a data center near their home, 52% said that increased electricity costs would be an important concern. 54% said that environmental damage from data centers would be an important concern,” the analysis found.
BLAKEMAN’S 2026 PLAYBOOK: MYTHS, MATH GAPS, AND A DESPERATE BID FOR ALBANY
New York’s political candidates enter the finial weeks for New York State Governor’s election, the state’s voters have much to consider. The current Nassau County executive, Bruce Blakeman, has a lot to say about Governor Hochul, attacking her relentlessly in the media. However, the closer inspection of Blakeman’s campaign reveals several conveniently ignored truths and an unrealistic tax plan.
Attack Ads: Taxes and Bills
Blakeman’s ads focus on allegations of Governor Hochul increasing taxes and utility bills for New Yorkers by billions of dollars and leaving the state with a bloated budget.
Governor Hochul has not increased personal income tax rates or corporate income tax rates for New Yorkers. In fact, her administration actually accelerated a planned middle-class income tax cut, bringing rates down to their lowest levels in decades.
As for the utility bills, the New York Times reports that the energy rates are indeed raised for the residents purchasing energy from the grid. While utility rate hikes for electricity and natural gas have been approved during Hochul’s tenure, utility rates are regulated by independent utility commissions—not the Governor’s office. Furthermore, campaign ads omit a crucial countermeasure: Governor Hochul personally directed the implementation of targeted energy rebate programs designed to directly offset rising utility costs for low- and middle-income New York families.
The $35 Billion Question: Breaking Down Blakeman’s Tax Proposal
Nassau County Executive Blakeman has proposed what he terms the “largest income tax cut in New York history.” Under his plan, state income taxes would be entirely eliminated for single filers making up to $50,000 per year, and for married couples earning up to $100,000 annually.
At first glance, tax relief is an attractive proposition for working-class New Yorkers feeling the pinch of inflation. However, a deeper dive into the numbers reveals that the proposal is economically unviable. It’s a fairytale!
According to nonpartisan fiscal analyses, eliminating income taxes for these brackets would create a staggering revenue shortfall of upwards of $35 billion. To bridge this multi-billion-dollar gap, Blakeman has vaguely pointed to unspecified spending cuts and the total cancellation of all “migrant-related expenditures.”
The Math Doesn’t Add Up
Fiscal experts and budget watchdogs have pointed out glaring holes in Blakeman’s funding mechanism:
The Scale of the Shortfall: Federal and state allocations for migrant-related services represent a fraction of the overall budget—far too small to plug a $35 billion deficit.
Lack of Transparency: Beyond eliminating migrant services, Blakeman has failed to specify which vital public services—such as education, infrastructure, or healthcare—would face the chopping block to finance the tax cut.
Without a realistic plan to maintain a balanced budget, critics argue that the proposal amounts to little more than fiscal fantasy, risking severe cuts to essential state programs while failing to deliver sustainable economic reform.
A cursory examination of his website does not reveal any specific expenditures that will offset this budget loss. The only apparent solution is to cancel all migrant-related expenses and completely wipe them out of the state’s budget. However, the experts agree that these expenditures are minuscule compared to the 35 billion dollars gap. Secondly, Blakeman does not specify which exact programs and expenditures will be cut: It is entirely possible that the cut will affect general welfare and infrastructure maintenance.
Compounding his economic hypocrisy, Blakeman staunchly supports Donald Trump’s aggressive tariffs and a hawkish war with Iran—federal policies that directly drive up inflation, gas prices, and the very cost of living he hypocritically blames on Albany.
The Debate Over Costs and the Moratorium
Hochul backed a one-year moratorium on new large-scale “hyperscale” data centers in the state that require massive amounts of electricity. According to City & State NY, this pause protects residential ratepayers from footing the bill for grid strains and surging utility costs.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for governor, has blasted the moratorium as “crazy.”
Governor Hochul faces strong opposition from the Bruce Blakeman, who has the resources and determination to win the election. We expect strongest arguments from the both sides of the aisle, but not lies and misdirections.
Sources:
New York State Division of the Budget (Baseline personal income and corporate tax rate records; middle-class tax cut acceleration data).
New York State Department of Public Service / Independent Utility Regulators (Utility rate approval histories and administration energy rebate program documentation).
Independent Fiscal Analysts and Non-Partisan Policy Experts (Cost estimates of up to $35 billion for the Blakeman tax-cut proposal and analysis of state migrant spending vs. total state budget deficits).
Buying a home has become a nightmare for many Americans and the prices of housing are at the peak of the market. Mortgage rates are now above seven percent, which has dramatically reduced the purchasing power of many families.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the median existing home price is at another record high, which is above $400,000. This amount is unattainable for many people, especially when the increased mortgage rates are taken into account. A mortgage payment for an average home is now nearly 80% higher than it was a few years ago. This is due to several events that happened in recent years and were initiated during the Trump administration. Firstly, his tariffs on imported lumber and steel from Canada increased the prices of construction materials, thereby reducing the housing supply. In addition, political and military conflicts in the Middle East tend to increase energy prices, and Trump continued Iran’s economic sanctions. As a result, inflation rates remain high since the Federal Reserve keeps interest rates high. Trump’s tax cuts and deregulation drive the bond yields up and cause mortgage rates to increase.
The combination of these factors has led to the current situation where housing prices are at record highs and buyers find themselves in a tough position. Donald Trump’s solution … call it fake news!
Comparing 30-year fixed mortgage rates during Biden’s administration with the rate today under Trump:
On Tuesday at white house lunch, hosted by President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson, and reported by The Wall Street Journal, executives from the tech industry including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg roundly criticized Anthropic’s Dario Amodei for speaking truth to power and raising concerns about the existential and socio-cultural risks of artificial intelligence.
Amodei defended his position, taking the side of ethics, and Zuckerberg conveniently presented the public with yet another feel-good tech narrative wrapped up in a “feel safe” package.
This particular Washington, D.C. spectacle is yet another example of how President Trump and his people continue to pursue the wrong course when it comes to AI governance.
By promoting a laissez-faire attitude towards the development of such a powerful technology, not only does the administration ignore Washington Post’s call for “safeguarding against existential risk from advanced artificial intelligence,” but it falls short in its responsibility to protect American citizens.
The most alarming part is that it has been openly stated, that Trump and his team are considering their policies from the perspective of big business and not the average American.
By promoting the trickle-down theory of economics with AI, the administration is once again putting profits before people.
After all, who better to ask about the existential risks of the technology than those who are already at the top of the food chain? And most importantly, what could those who care only about profits possibly have to hide by wanting to stifle the free speech of a concerned executive?
President Donald Trump has intensified economic pressure on Iran with new sanctions and blockades, claiming it will strengthen the United States. Instead, record diesel prices are fueling backlash from farm and energy interests, pushing Republican lawmakers from rural states to consider a diesel export ban that cuts against his own policy.
Mr. Trump’s war with Iran has reduced Iranian oil exports and triggered a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, creating a shortage in European and Asian markets. With diesel demand still high, prices have hit record levels, hammering the agricultural sector and driving up the cost of goods and services. As the 2026 midterm elections approach, Republicans risk losing farm voters who blame the President and his party for surging inflation.
Many Republicans in Congress refuse to budge because they rely on big oil money from companies like Exxon and Chevron, which profit when diesel prices soar. Their lobbying power drowns out farmers who are being squeezed by high fuel costs. This GOP loyalty to oil giants over rural voters exposes a blatant hypocrisy that could cost them crucial farm‑state electoral support.
Critics say the President’s Iran policy is less about security and more about staging a confrontation with Tehran to distract voters. They argue his hardline moves have failed to explain to voters why Iran was a looming threat, but a political tactic to distract from stubbornly high prices for everyday goods and services because of this tariffs.
For farmers and American’s, it means that prices of commodities and services are about to rise again. The President’s and Republican’s current course of action will be detrimental for the country, we need change!
Tariffs, escalating conflicts, and soaring closures reveal a painful economic reality for American agriculture.
by Winston Wendell
In the 2024 presidential election, farmers in America voted overwheming for Donald Trump, betting that the president would stand by their interests. However, an objective review of Trump’s activity as a president demonstrates that his policies have diverged significantly from the interests of the rural population. The president’s support for free trade undermined the position of farmers, resulting in substantial losses.
His foreign policy, which started a war against Iran, contributed to the current panic in the world markets. Causing oil to skyrocket. The Trump administration has pursued a policy of imposing high tariffs on imports, which have led to the loss of foreign markets for many farmers. Clearly the president’s policies do not support farmers’. For example, family-owned farms are disappearing as enterprises with vast resources swallow up small players or they just go bankrupt.
Trump’s high tariffs resulted in billions of dollars in payments to farmers by the Treasury Department from our tax dollars increasing the national debt. His foreign policy has also affected agricultural production in the country, as Canada is a leading producer of fertilizers in north America have now been tariffed.
In the 1948 presidential race, Harry S. Truman warned voters not to back populist candidates in the West.
Truman warned farmers that Republicans are trying to “put a pitchfork in the farmer’s back.” The presidential candidate emphasized that he would fight to protect the integrity of free enterprise against monopolies and tariffs. Thus, Trump’s actions in the direction of protectionism and provocative foreign policy destroyed the positions of farmers, family-owned farms in particular.
Farmers who voted for Trump in the hope of improving the situation in the their lives were clearly deceived by Donald Trump, and it is clear that they have not learned the lesson of history.
How a Needless Conflict Is Crushing American Family Budgets
By Winston Wendell
Gas prices in America have once again reached a breaking point. For many families, the prospect of filling up their cars is an unbearable prospect. Energy prices directly impact the global economy, and its repercussions are being felt by ordinary families. As an essential good, increases in its price effectively act as a tax on all other goods and services.
The devastating impact of this development is felt most strongly by middle-class families. Yet, what many people fail to understand is that this crisis is a direct result of an avoidable conflict engineered by Donald Trump.
During the 2024 election campaign, US president Donald Trump courted working-class voters by promising to ease the rising costs of living. Voters were promised that a Trump administration would be good for the economy and energy prices would plummet. Many were drawn to his populist rhetoric and pledged their vote to the former president, hoping that he would deliver on his promises.
They delivered their votes, but not much else.
With little provocation, the President decided to embark on a geopolitical and military adventure in Iran. By fueling a senseless war, Trump pushed global oil prices to a record high, devastating families that trusted him to restore stability to the economy.
This development is an unforgivable betrayal of the middle-class voters that placed their trust in him. Ordinary Americans that believed in his populism are now faced with the ugly reality of Trump’s presidency. With every visit to a gas station and a grocery store, they are reminded that their president is responsible for their financial struggles.
These people know that they were misled and their trust betrayed. They understand that the America First rhetoric masked Trump’s recklessness and irresponsibility as a leader.
For the American middle class, there is no justice. For everyone else, there is at least some form of redemption.
During the 2024 campaign, commentators, economists, and analysts warned of the potential economic ramifications of Trump’s presidency. They spoke of skyrocketing energy prices and a possible inflation crisis. Throughout the election race, they were dismissed as irresponsible and unworthy of attention.
Now, as the damage is being tallied, these commentators can finally take a deep breath and say: “we told you so”.
American families deserve better leadership than what they have been offered during the 2024 campaign. They deserve better than a foreign policy fueled by ego and a domestic policy of perpetual war and division.
The price for Trump’s vanity and incompetence will be paid in higher gas prices and unbearable costs of living. It is only fitting that those that promoted this vision of America, MAGA, are held accountable. Voters must understand that a vote for a Trump and Republicans are a vote for higher taxes and budget deficits. The electorate needs to hold the president and his Republican Party enablers in Congress responsible for the manufactured crisis at home and abroad.
