In a time when gasoline has hugged the $5 a gallon price, and everything from food and clothing to furniture seems to be climbing in cost, sometimes it makes sense to flip the script.
That’s what Genesee County Legislator John Deleo did for the traditional prayer before Wednesday’s meeting.
Instead of posturing for divine guidance, he simply asked for some comfort.
“We ask you to look over us,” he said in the Old Courthouse chambers. “Inflation, the state of the nation … are taking a toll on us. People are finding it harder to buy food, or gas to go to work.”
In a June 10 article, “Inflation Sped Up Again in May, Dashing Hopes for Relief,” The New York Times pointed to high inflation and the Federal Reserve’s attempts to control it as contributing to “a sour economic mood.”
“Consumer confidence, which has been sinking since last year as households shoulder the burden of higher prices, plunged to a new low in a report out Friday,” the article stated. “President Biden’s approval ratings have also suffered, and Wall Street economists and small-business owners increasingly worry that a recession is possible in the next year.”
No wonder Deleo put away the platitudes and took to straight talk. The pressure is mounting, he said, and he asked the “heavenly Father” to keep people in His care.
“And give them the strength to get us through this,” the legislator said.
He also tacked on a plea that, instead of turning water into wine, that there are other, more valuable commodities to focus on.
“Let’s go with gas and diesel,” he said.
2022 File Photo of Genesee County Legislator John Deleo during a county meeting. Photo by Joanne Beck.
