The Odessa Record -

This past Monday was the annual celebration of freedom from the tyranny of an absentee monarchy. In 2021, the White House tweeted that a Fourth of July cookout would cost Americans $0.16 less than in 2020 and touted it as a victory.

Will there be a similar tweet for 2022? As the United States finds itself in the grip of rising food and fuel costs, it is hard to imagine given the numbers.

The American Farm Bureau Federation reports the average Fourth of July cookout will cost people living on the West Coast $81.12 for 10 people this year. The 2022 cost is up $18.21 – a nearly 30 percent in...