Speaking at a press conference at Los Angeles and Long Beach ports, Buttigieg conveyed that while the supply chain crisis will continue throughout the pandemic, he celebrated the transportation of goods over Christmas.
“As long as the pandemic persists, as long as we are making up for decades of past disinvestment, we are going to see impacts on shipping times and shipping cost,” Buttigieg stated. “When there is an issue affecting ports here, you will feel it as far away as my Indiana hometown. “Not only is this about the presents under the tree, this is about essential goods like medical goods that are needed in this moment of continued public health challenge,” he went on.
Buttigieg saluted the shipment of goods over the Christmas season as “an extraordinary achievement,” hailing the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach who “processed 14 percent more containers compared to those processed in 2018 over the same time period,” according to the Hill. “One of the reasons why Christmas was not in fact canceled is that ports like L.A. and Long Beach moved record levels or goods, allowing an all-time record high in terms of retail sales this holiday season,” he declared.
MUST WATCH: GIANT EMPEROR TRUMP FIGURE AT ITALIAN FESTIVAL
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti further praised Buttigieg as the “man who saved Christmas.” However, photos around the nation painted a much bleaker picture showing empty grocery store shelves.
MUST WATCH: AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTER MOPS THE FLOOR WITH CLIMATE ACTIVISTS
As CNBC noted, the supply chain crisis has severely impacted the top grocery chains, with Albertsons, Kroger, and Walmart falling below stock value. “Albertsons shares fell 9.75% to $28.79 at market close, after the company detailed the supply chain challenges and inflated costs it’s seeing on its earnings call,” said CNBC. “The dive in its stock occurred even though the grocer raised its fiscal 2021 forecast. Shares of Kroger fell about 3%, while Walmart shed less than 1%.”
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON SET TO ESTABLISH "GAZA CAMP" AFTER BEING DENIED FOR LACK OF LEADERSHIP
Back on December 22, White House chief of staff Ron Klain shared a New York Times article and declared that supply chain problems were “an over-hyped narrative.”
In fact, on that same day, President Biden declared that the supply chain crisis had been solved: “Earlier this fall, we heard a lot of dire warnings about supply chain problems leading to a crisis around the holidays, so we acted. . . . We brought together business and labor leaders to solve problems. And much — you know, the much-predicted crisis didn’t occur. Packages are moving. Gifts are being delivered. Shelves are not empty.”
THE ISRAELI RAFAH INVASION PLAN HAS THE WHITE HOUSE IN A TIZZY
With the holidays over, many told CBS46 they thought things might look a little better, yet still, empty shelves persist.
Discover alternative ideas that will make you think
Engage in mind bending debate
Earn points, rise in rank, have fun
