If the train version worked for Ol’ Benito, someone running for president of the United States might give it a go as a slogan.

Even Mayor Pete might try it because in his alternative universe, there’s no irony or shame. Even though the only way he got his bike to run on time was to hitch a ride close enough to the office in his government Escalade. But as politics goes, it’s never about the results. It’s the impossible vision that matters.

Raise your hand if you know someone who’s had flight delays or cancellations in the past year or two. We’re now at a point where the airport surprise is your flight leaving on time. Our inept transportation secretary would have you blame it on old computers — computers that worked just fine when more folks were flying only a couple of years ago — or the only evil airline in the wild blue yonder known as Southwest. The fact is it’s the entire system and every airline. Yes, the problems include the other airlines Mayor Pete is protecting known as American, United and Delta because he never said a peep about them and their troubles, delays and cancellations in 2022. And as we all know, he had to go into CYA mode after the last fiasco which screwed up every airline with the system crashing and the mayor’s solution was basically control-alt-delete.

I’d like to get to the truth of what’s actually going on with our airline industry — beyond the dumbest pricing structure known to mankind. You see, the initial problems with delays and cancellations with the favored airlines were about weather (where there was little) and then staff and crew issues when, once again, the climate didn’t work as an excuse. Here’s the problem. Weather always affects flying. It has since flying began. But only now it’s doing this? Well, that’s the environmentalist argument, which Pete is happy to make with him being one. But the truer reason is indeed staffing. Fact is, airlines are short-staffed and they don’t have crew hours available at the end of the month or during peak times to staff the fights. Period.

Now I wonder why those same excuses didn’t work for Southwest? They say timing — especially on vaccines — is everything.

Speaking of short-staffed, let’s take a look at the nursing situation. We have a severe shortage, no one denies that. If you do, the proof is in the burgeoning travel nurse enterprise where most of the country’s wage increases could probably be found (or hidden). Now, I’m NOT picking on nurses taking advantage of the income opportunity. I don’t blame them one bit. Government screwed them over when the “pandemic” began and a little “reparation” here is a good thing. You go get yours. Cash in while the spigot is wide open.

That said, how can medical costs be going down when nursing costs are skyrocketing? It’s enough to make one sign on to Obamacare because once we see our hospital bill, meeting the deductible seems reasonable at 10 grand or more. But that’s the current solution. Travel nurses. Oh, and the ongoing subsidies for positive patients. It certainly isn’t from recruiting folks who want to be nurses because they’ve made it impossible for certain folks to participate in nursing programs. Nothing like declaring an emergency shortage — well, government is great at that — and limiting your employee pool at the same time.

To put it plainly, the only solution the feds have is to throw money at it. It’s the easiest solution when you, and only you, own the presses. An honest presidential candidate would use the slogan, “Spend all you want, we’ll print more.”

But let’s get to the source of the problems. There are two: 15 days to slow the spread and Operation Warp Speed. Because they’ve set the playing field for what is called freedom in America anymore — and the reasons Trump should go away. Every success and every problem Americans have achieved or faced since 2020 falls under this tyranny. And while it’s a softer tyranny right now, it doesn’t mean it won’t come back 10 times harder once our elected and bureaucratic betters find their next emergency. I can assure you, there are more than a few folks working on the next emergency as I type. Pass me the tin foil, I’ll make my own kepi.

Unless we fully rescind and outlaw every mandate related to COVID, there will always be a shortage of airline crews, hospital staffs and the worker pools in general. And this includes everything from “vaccine” mandates to free money for not working to subsidies for states and counties who are all on the federal, feral, free-money teat.

Try getting a job flying without a vaccine. Try going into nursing school without one in your state. Try working for the feds without one. Even with one, they still make you stay home for days if, heaven forbid, someone you were 50 feet from coughs and comes up positive on the roulette wheel of testing. And you thought that went away. Mandates have created this shortage and problem, whether enforced any longer or not.

Until mandates and emergencies are fully eradicated, there’ll always be a supply disruption with everything the feds have their fingers in. Sadly, that’s almost everything.

Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.