Report: High Grocery Prices

April 13, 2025
Seal SD Liberty

Report: High Grocery Prices, Border Chaos, and the Road to Recovery Through Property Tax Reform

Incredibly High Grocery Prices (2020–2024)

  • Egg Price Explosion: Eggs hit $6.23 per dozen by April 2025, a 60% increase from the previous year, as noted in a recent X post [Post ID: 0]. That’s not just breakfast—it’s a budget breaker!
  • Food Inflation Trends: From 2020 to 2024, food prices soared—peaking at a 12% annual increase in August 2022, though they cooled to 1.4% by November 2024 (Web ID: 3). Still, the cumulative damage left families reeling, with grocery costs up 25% since 2019 in places like Denver (Web ID: 15).
  • Real Impact on Families: In Colorado, a Denver household spends 11.7% of its budget on food—54% on groceries, 46% on dining out (Web ID: 15). That’s a heavy burden when wages haven’t kept up, forcing parents like Angeles Gutierrez to ask their kids, “Do you want to eat or have fun?” (Web ID: 15).
  • Progressive Policy Failures: The Biden-Harris administration’s Inflation Reduction Act (2022) threw $369 billion at green tech, but did zilch for grocery prices—progressives let food inflation run wild while families struggled to afford eggs (Web ID: 0).
  • South Dakota Context: South Dakotans feel this pinch too—local farmers face rising costs for feed and labor, driving up egg and grocery prices, while property taxes ($954 million in 2021-22, SD News Watch) add another layer of pain for small businesses and families.

Border Chaos and Its Fallout (2020–2024)

  • Massive Influx: Over 8 million illegal crossings since 2021, including 900,000 “got-aways,” flooded the U.S., overwhelming communities far from the border (Web ID: 1, Lamborn, 2023).
  • Colorado Gang Takeover: In Aurora, Colorado, the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) seized control of multiple apartment complexes—Aspen Grove, Whispering Pines, Edge at Lowry, and now the Jewell in Denver (Web IDs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 23). They’ve turned these properties into hubs for drugs, prostitution, and violence, with residents reporting shootouts, scalding attacks, and extortion (Web IDs: 2, 3, 6).
  • Resident Terror: Cindy Romero, a former Aurora resident, recorded armed TdA members patrolling her complex, forcing her family to flee in August 2024 after frequent shootouts (Web ID: 6). Another resident, a new mom, was burned with boiling water while pregnant, going into early labor from the stress (Web ID: 3).
  • Local Denial: Aurora officials downplayed the crisis—Mayor Mike Coffman called it “isolated” to a “handful of complexes,” and interim police chief Heather Morris denied gang control, despite evidence of TdA graffiti, shootings, and kidnappings (Web IDs: 1, 4, 11, 17). By January 2025, the Edge at Lowry was ordered closed after TdA members kidnapped and pistol-whipped two people (Web ID: 8).
  • Progressive Complicity: Progressive open-border policies under Biden-Harris let TdA seep in among 1 million Venezuelan migrants, with ICE confirming gang members were released after crossing (Web IDs: 2, 12). Aurora’s “sanctuary city” stance hollowed out police resources, leaving residents defenseless (Web ID: 1).
  • Liberty Violation: This chaos violates Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution, which guarantees protection against invasion—progressive policies turned Aurora into a warzone, not a sanctuary (Web ID: 1).

Ending the Debate: Progressive Policies Failed

  • Economic Pain: Inflation hit 7.1% in 2022, with eggs now at $6.23/dozen (Post ID: 0)—progressives let prices soar while families chose between food and fun (Web ID: 15). Their Inflation Reduction Act was a corporate handout, not relief (Web ID: 0).
  • Border Chaos: 8 million illegal crossings since 2021 (Lamborn, 2023) brought TdA gangs to Aurora, terrorizing residents with violence and drugs (Web IDs: 1, 2). Progressives ignored the invasion, violating constitutional protections (Web ID: 1).
  • Liberty Crushed: From lockdowns to open borders, progressive socialists trampled on economic freedom, personal safety, and constitutional rights—South Dakotans deserve better than this failed experiment.

Road to Recovery: Fix Property Taxes

  • South Dakota’s Burden: Property taxes hit South Dakotans for $954 million in 2021-22 (SD News Watch), a crushing load on top of high grocery prices and border-driven crime fears.
  • GRT Solution: My Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) plan ends property taxes, saving homes and businesses—South Dakota’s $1.5 billion sales tax revenue (SD Dept of Revenue, 2023) and $109 million surplus (South Dakota Searchlight, 2023) ensure schools and services stay funded without federal strings.
  • Liberty Restored: By ending property taxes, we free South Dakotans to afford groceries, secure their homes, and live without fear of gang chaos—liberty means keeping what’s yours, not funding progressive failures.

Snarky Commentary: Progressive Socialists Posing as Americans

  • Egg on Their Face: Eggs at $6.23/dozen (Post ID: 0)—progressives let inflation scramble your budget while they scrambled for green tech handouts. Liberty means affordable breakfast, not socialist pipe dreams!
  • Border Betrayal: TdA gangs took over Aurora complexes, burning moms with boiling water (Web ID: 3)—progressives call it “compassion,” I call it chaos! Where’s their “sanctuary” when South Dakotans need safety?
  • Tax Tyranny: $954 million in property taxes (SD News Watch)—progressives love taxing you into the poorhouse while they let gangs run wild. Liberty’s not a tax bill, but try telling that to these posers!
  • Fake Americans: These progressive socialists pose as patriots, but they’ve sold out our borders, wallets, and freedom—time to end their charade and take back South Dakota!

Conclusion

High grocery prices—like eggs at $6.23/dozen—and border chaos, with TdA gangs terrorizing Aurora, Colorado, prove progressive policies have failed. Inflation, open borders, and government overreach have violated liberty at every turn, leaving South Dakotans struggling to afford basics while fearing for their safety. It’s time to end the debate—progressive socialism doesn’t work. Let’s start the road to recovery by ending property taxes with my GRT plan, saving homes and restoring liberty. Join me at the Liberty Forum, April 19th, 2:00 PM, First Assembly of God, Rapid City, to fight for a freer future! Share if you’re with me! #OdomForLiberty #SouthDakotaStrong #TaxReformSD #FreedomFirst