There is so much to talk about in the world we live in today where do I start? I like beginning here at home and working my way out. Many of the issues we face here in the West Branch Valley are the same across our Great Nation.

First stop, the local grocery store. I cannot believe what a simple trip to the grocer of your choice costs. I can’t imagine having a young family to feed and take care of in present-day America. The prices of Similac and diapers are off the chart compared to when my sons were little.

Now a message directed to the uppity ups at Giant and Weis Markets. Are you absolutely serious? You expect people to pay these ridiculous prices for a cart full of everyday items, and then check them out, pay for them, and bag them? Yes, I know, everybody’s going to self-checkout, it’s the modern world. I agree self-checkout is convenient for a couple of items. But it is insulting to me to expect the customer to do your work because you believe you’ve found a better mousetrap. It is not; it simply eliminates people from the workforce and drives up your profit margin.

I like the people that work at our local Giant and Weis Markets. I enjoy talking to them as I check out, or when I grab some lunch meat at the deli counter. My grievance is not with them, but with upper management and ownership.

But wait, there’s more. Not only do they expect you to ring up, bag, and pay for your own groceries if you do not choose this option they want you to wait an unreasonable amount of time because of staffing cuts. I will never do this. I try to go to the register where a person is working, even if I have one item. I understand what the end game is, profits over people. Self-checkout doesn’t need health insurance. Please don’t give me that BS “it’s the world we live in today, or there’s not enough help, or this is what the people want.” I have yet to talk to one person who wants to wait in line and/or check themselves out during their weekly grocery shopping.

It amazes me they have people managing over self-checkout. Thank you for the help, but if you’re going to have someone on shift why not take care of your customers? I don’t want to be educated on how to work for a corporate grocery store!

It was not a mistake that Wegmans was not mentioned in the above rant. I believe they not only have the best quality and largest selection of food items, but most importantly, Wegmans has figured out the best formula for the shopper. They are well staffed by folks that are neighbors, friends, maybe even family, and provide the best customer service!

Moving right along from checking out to checking the facts. There is a website, http://www.politifact.com, dedicated to fact-checking our fat cat Washington politicians. All politicians stretch the truth — maybe twist the truth, or even flat out lie. This is truly a non-partisan issue. It is very difficult for the American people to know what the truth really is, and what is just flat-out make-believe. This is without even factoring in the fake news of the national media. We need a fact checking system to check the facts of those that are supposed to be providing us the facts. Journalistic integrity has been replaced with media bias by the liars club.

Politifact.com ranks those who serve inside the Beltway in the six categories of honesty by true, mostly true, half true, mostly false, false and my favorite — pants on fire. Or pantsuit on fire in the case of Hillary Clinton. Just kidding.

So, of course, the first name I pulled up was the honorable Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. According to PolitiFact Mrs. Pelosi tells the truth 14% of the time. Without running through all the categories, 66% of the time she tells half-truths or worse. Surprise, surprise. Next up was Senate Minority Leader Mr. Chuck Schumer, whose nickname should be “Up Chuck” because that’s about what I’m ready for every time I watch him. He tells the actual truth 11% of the time. He’s telling half-truths or below 67% of the time. Birds of a feather…

Now onto a quick check in on our federal workers who are being used as poker chips in a high stakes game of winner-take-all politics. It is ridiculous this can even happen in our country. Government shutdown, as far as I’m concerned, has been going on for years. The only difference is now we’re not paying the people who are actually working.

We 100% need to secure not just the Mexican border, but all of our borders. The above-mentioned accusing the President of making up the problem is just mind-boggling. And then trying to sell this poppycock on TV. The fact that the liberal Democrats do not realize the dire straits our country is in regarding this issue tells you all you need to know. Their lying about the strategic significance of the US/Mexican border that separates good from evil is a threat to national security. Disgraceful.

Back to President Trump. He needs to get this solved without penalizing those waiting on a check. He does not understand that many Americans live paycheck-to-paycheck and the problems this creates. Let alone for people that are on his own team – the federal government. There is support out there for President Trump from people I have talked to that are affected by this. However, that will waiver with each passing day. This needs solved, and it needs solved now. The idea of the check will be in the mail — but we just don’t know when — is unacceptable.

God Bless America.