Not sure how a ban would work but I know how progressive corporate tax rates would work. Maybe with a top marginal rate of 90% for really excessive profits.
Don, and we need to try calling it a "luck tax" since it is luck that got most of the very rich where they are. Some talent may be present, of course, but the fact that they could use their talent and not be dismissed is often luck. Any "luck tax" would leave those people still with more money and resources than they could ever use in many lifetimes. It's time for We the People to stand up to and for the lucky and give them a powerful way to share their luck beyond their wealth bubble.
Even with talent, there is still a great deal of luck as far as the time and place of one's birth. And wealthy Americans should thank their lucky stars that they are able to do business in the greatest economy in the world. Gee, I'd think they would want to give back generously to the country that enabled their success.
In addition to a "luck tax" on the parents, we could impose a "third base tax" on their dividend babies. Those kids go to private K-12 school, have tutors prepare them for exams, are legacies into elite universities, use parents professional contacts to get their first job (at 6 figures), use their trust fund to purchase their first mansion, claim they worked hard to get where they are and then inherit tax free their parents assets.
I think AMERICANS could "get down" with a "Luck Tax!" Lucky to get born a useless billionaire? 25% tax on your LUCKY BREAK. NOT your "earnings," but your INHERITANCE.
We Americans could easily recieve: 1) Universal Income, 2) Universal Free HIGHER education, AND 3) Universal FREE healthcare. America would be awash in TRILLIONS of tax dollars each and every month!
Daniel, I like calling it a Lucky Break Tax. (Americans are too fond of luck to appreciate a tax on that commodity, and they won't pay enough attention to the details to separate out the issues. It's like calling the federal estate tax, one of the historically most progressive taxes we have, the Death Tax. While 99% of Americans won't have to pay it, the name freaks them out and they oppose it even though it's to their great benefit.) Or maybe the Lucky Rich Kids Tax. Let's be specific as well as graphic! Great idea.
Placebo prices are the worst! Science found up to 60% of anxious people are cured by placebo! When 60% of Americans are cured by the fascist placebo the cost of anxiety goes all the way up to $MAGA (aka "total authoritarian takeover")
...so face your fear "with the joy of rejection desensitization"... especially if that's voting blue in a MAGA precinct in a swing state!
Catherine, Trump would never make it anywhere but here. Wherever he would go, they would have to hide him away because his dementia would cause enormous trouble and give them someone else to put on their medical rolls. Besides, they wouldn't speak English sufficient for Trump to communicate.
Hello Peggy... Epstein's old Jet is leased out of CA... It is owned by a Charter Air Co, out of Orange County... I don't believe it could make it to Moscow... Apparently his 2nd Hand 757 had mechanical issues flying into Montana... Not Surprised... Putin would treat him well... Madoro would not...
Citizen, the truth is, Trump is in the throes of dementia. I suspect he won't be so far gone after the election that he can't stand trial and face serious consequences. Some prisons do have assisted care units for old and disabled prisoners. The people who should be accompanying Trump to prison are his handlers who have lied to and tricked the American people for years and used Donnie to do it. He did like being used too.
Trumpet 🎺 is in the throes of pulling off a Plan “ B” he didn’t think he would get elected the first time ; Kamala Harris is not and easy target 🎯 as Hillary and President Joe Biden were. Personally I trust President Joe Biden to better care for our democracy than anyone else.
That is a moot point now.
Trumpet 🎺 is a “Liar And Coward “ Trumpet used the lame excuse and more than a likely a bribe to a doctor to escape the Draft.
Trumpet 🎺 is a Calculating Transaction oriented personality. He only really cares about himself everyone else is expendable. Mark Cuban WAS a Trump supporter until he got to know the Donald Trumpet for the conniving con man and me first guy. Now that’s a common reaction to trumpet 🎺 from those including Mike pence , Scaramucci, etc…
After DJT's defeat in 2020... Howard Stern, who knows DJT personally, told DJT not to start any new businesses as it would just fail as all his other Businesses... DJT had wanted to start a new TV Channel.... Truth Social is kept afloat by Russian Money... Howard Stern also made the observation that the MAGA Mob should go to Mar-a-Lago, and see that none of them were like the people that are there...
I'm scared Trump will drop out, or the GOP will kick him out, and we'll have Nicki Haley running with Elon Musk. Tragically, half the voters will go for that kind of ticket. What happened to Biden could happen to Trump in the next 80 days. Pray that Trump stays the course. We can beat him. I don't know if we can beat Nicki Haley.
Cancel the student loans. That's price gouging too. We were never designed to be a class mobile society. Somehow we over came that for a while but the oligarchs (the founders were poor English aristocrats ) are back
References - Join us at the DebtCollective. org and White Trash by Nancy Isenberg
Apportionment of jfk jr for the bureau of Indian affairs to shepherd Cherokee &pawnee nation in Pryor Oklahoma to make Canoo.com a successful vehicle manufacturer by controlling nonindian Tony Aquilla from reckless spending of company money! Uleysess Grant passed this in 1870 with a Republican Congress to protect the Indian in their enterprise plus safeguarding the Army and government contracts. Plus advance funding for wining the government GSA awards with help for quick fulfillment of the contract!
You're "great source" is the weirdo who never let facts get in her way. She writes articles like "Obama should be put in a cage" & "Democrats are pigs". She tries to assert the lie that Bibi shouldn't have ALL of the blame. He is the one pulling out of the attempted cease fire dealings & attempts to get hostages back.
So you idiots want to blame Biden & expect him to do what? He has a very experienced team of experts on this. Bill Clinton came the closest to doing a two-state solution. It is the ONLY way to end this. Yet Bibi keeps pretending that HE gets to decide that they won't have the 2-state solution because he & his right wing extremists don't want it. Furthermore, he was trying to & had plans to take over Gaza & rule over it.
Do you people think screaming at our government is going to end this? It won't. You ignorantly think if the U.S. stops giving Israel aid/weapons, Bibi will stop, but you are wrong. That will send a message to Iran, & Iran wants to eradicate Israel. That will pull the U.S. into WWIII.
Meanwhile she...& her readers don't understand the difference between people that will run the government smartly, with good conscience, & responsibly with those that would give all the tax money to the 1%, a fascist committing crime in front of the whole world that tried to overthrow our government & put people in jobs like the EPA...to NOT do the job & allow pollution. Ignorant people that can't understand that difference or think it's "just as bad" are too ignorant to waste time debating. There is no debate. So I think YOU are the one lazy, who can't do a modicum of research & think you can drop her propaganda everywhere to get more readers in service of your agenda. So now you can sit down & STFU!
Tom...are you high?? You must be. So let's get this straight I need strong meds because YOU have Rick Wilson (a GOP HACK!) & Krugman on a reading list? No son...it doesn't quite work like that. YOU are the one that started with the STFU, aren't you? So, in fact...though you project your extreme over-the-top anger over Gaza at me, it is you that needs to get a grip & grow the fk up. Calling Biden's team childish names & stupidly whining about withholding aid, isn't going to get this done. As I explained earlier with Iran in the mix now...it is bigger than that. Furthermore Bidi is unstable.
Oh yes...lulz...the "great" Reagan & Bush. Please spare me the fawning over two of the MOST corrupt presidencies before Trump. Give it a rest. Furthermore, W Bush called Bibi & encouraged him to keep dropping bombs & doubling down on his extreme, wrong, & inhumane policies. Bibi will be shown door in the next election. You again are missing some key understanding on this aid thing. Let's say Biden does what you suggest...who's to say that Bibi won't go to China for support, or Putin? Then what?
Oh there will be a two-state solution. Period. It's the only way to keep peace. I don't have to make excuses to deflect from genocide. I just dropped you some key information about the genocide IN THIS COUNTRY. Did you get that? The only one who is lazy, pathetic, & ignorant is you, so while swearing at me & calling names you whine about the same, hypocrite.
You can stop dropping Johnston's junk on here for me to read, dupe. It's not that much of a stretch to call out republicans who have enabled & continue to enable fascism, now is it? It is not equivalent to any & all complaints you have against Biden. My argument is not now, nor has it ever been "my side sucks less".
I haven't picked a side in your imaginary debate/argument that you're having with the whole world, but YOU are so obsessed with your viewpoint on Gaza that you don't say one thing about the Jarod Trump genocide of Blue states. THAT is more cowardly, ignorant, pathetic, & fked up than anything I've seen so far.
So either you address that point or you sit down & STFU for all time. You like to pick n' choose which genocides you get upset about. Yes, it was attempted genocide, but nobody knows how many people died because of it before the vaccine, however it happened here, in the U.S. It should at least be something you'd bother to look at, but I guess it's easier & more acceptable to blame Dems/Biden. I hate to wake you up...but right now, we are facing a fascist threat & if you don't recognize that then you are truly a lost cause.
In Oregon if you shop at Kroger or Safeway you will pay up to twice as much as you pay at WinCo, employee owned chain. They don’t need the big advertising dollars. Word of mouth fills the store.
Andy - I usually find that when the term "should" appears in a discussion of economics or finance, it means that the proposition could use some fact-checking. It is true that some food retailers are employee-owned, but regardless of the ownership model, all grocery stores face cost and competitive pressures. Consider the following:
1. The typical larger sized supermarket stocks between 25-35,000 SKUs (Stock-keeping units, aka "items"), usually with a dozen or more units per sku, every one of which has to be stocked my hand. Labor is one of the retailer's greatest costs, along with cost of inventory and rent.
2. Only a small portion of the cost of a pound of butter or a quart of milk goes to pay the producer -- the farmer, dairyman, fish processor or rancher -- but that doesn't mean the retailer gets to keep the difference as his profit. The retail grocery business is run on very low margins - well under 5% net margin (after tax): 3% would be exceptional. Consolidation (growing bigger, with large chains swallowing up smaller ones and independents) is generally how the retailers survive and thrive.
3. Stores face competition -- most stores of equal size in a given market all carry the same mix of items, and the same or comparable brands. They compete on service and price; a few distinguish themselves as low-priced sellers -- discount chains like Aldi and to some extent Trader Joe's -- by carrying a smaller selection or focussing on so-called private label goods.
4. I don't pretend to have a magic formula to bring food costs down, but I can point at some factors that have brought some costs up:
Eggs - Avian Flu that required destroying millions of birds, and higher cost of feed
Beef, Pork, Dairy -- Tighter environmental and processing standards, consolidation of meat-packing plants + higher feed costs
And always, everywhere in all businesses, the rising cost of labor, rent and higher borrowing costs.
5. Obviously there is more to the picture than these few examples. Global supply chain disruptions added greatly to shipping costs for a year or so.
6. Last, while the pandemic shutdown affected food production & distribution less than other industries, nothing exists in a vacuum. The greater demand for labor probably gave low-wage food industry workers a chance to look for better paid jobs with better conditions.
Like most people, I feel the pinch of food costs which feel like they are 50% higher than they were 4 years ago. Like most people I wish prices had not gone up so much -- and feel that they "should" have come down since then. But they haven't. If a new administration can somehow lever prices downwards without putting people out of business, I'd be fine with that, but I am, frankly, not going to hold my breath.
R Hodsdon, food prices would have gone down after the pandemic when the supply chains functioned. The corporations began buying the grocery chains until they had a monopoly. Once they controlled them all, they continued to raise their prices post pandemic not because of competition, consolidation, labor wages or anything else. They raised the prices to pad their stockholders pockets as well as their own. Those monopolistic corporations must be broken up. Lena Kahn is working very hard to do just that!
“like” Peggy - You said what I was thinking about the corporations taking advantage of the pandemic and supply chain problems. They still have not lowered their prices since we have come out of the worse part of the pandemic and the supply chain was fixed because they don’t have to. However, as usual, you explained it better than I could - so thank you.
You are so very welcome, Anon! I look forward to electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz so they will continue what President Biden has started. Guardrails back in place, monopolistic corporations brought to heel by Lena Kahn and the wealthy having to pay their fair share of taxes!! It is a work constantly in progress; however, Democrats get the job done. Vote Blue, America!!
PEGGY, I agree that is part of the picture, but it is not the whole story. Breaking up monopolies sounds good — it really allowed innovation and lowered prices for a while when Ma Bell was split up, right?. Food retailing is highly localized. We all shop stores right near where we live and work, plus the occasional trip to Costco etc. The cost of setting up and running a supermarket is high, and vertically-integrated operations which have centralized administration & finance, plus a solid network of distribution centers serving a ‘critical mass’ of stores in their region in order to make it as efficient as possible.
Unfortunately, capitalism + human nature mean that retailers have the final say on what they charge for things. They are not shy about raising prices when they see an opportunity to do so.
So what’s the ‘solution’? Free-market folks will say, “Competition”, and that is one aspect. Laws and enforcement against anti-competitive behavior are also part of it. Anti-monopoly laws are a judgement call: we want the efficiency (and potentially lower cost to consumers) provided by large corporations, but we don’t want monopoly control. So what do we get? A mish-mash of regulations overlaid on the usual difficulty of running a complicated business enterprise. Consumers should complain about prices that are “too high” to their food store managers and encourage legislators and regulators to “look into industry practices” — hold hearings, consider legislation, and take malefactors to court.
I understand how exhausting always looking at the bigger picture is but I do appreciate that there are people who think through the little details and I agree, the reality is our immensely complicated system that is global capitalism has resulted in this outcome and short of a unlikely revolution I think the current situation of endless price increases as corporations consolidate further and further is the state of things for the foreseeable future so im just trying to enjoy myself where I can and hope you do the same. Cheers.
Andy, when Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are elected, corporations will have to face the music so to speak. Kahn will continue to break up the monopolies and many of the guard rails that were put in place to prevent what these rapers of the American people have done will be reinstated. I hope made into law.
The rural town in which I shop has a Walmart, a Safeway and a City Market (Kroger). It is not a wealthy community, and people come from miles around. I can't tell you how annoying it is to overpay for food that by the time it reaches the market is often spoiled or close to it.
Safeway, Vons, Ralph’s,Pavillions, Kroger and soon Albertsons are all owned by the same company. I live in Los Angeles and the only grocery store not owned by Kroger’s is Trader Joe’s. Which has much better prices.
Vons and Safeway battled it out here in Southern California about twenty years ago. I don’t remember which one won the fight but the winner then bought the loser. When I moved to Northern California it was Safeway down in Southern CA it’s still Vons. They are all the same.
Anyone from the South know if they still have Piggly Wigglys?
I haven’t seen or heard of a Piggly Wiggly since I moved to the south in 2003 (Florida and Georgia). Publix, Aldi’s, Walmart and fading Winn Dixie. WD used to be big, but struggles to stay open now. Too bad also.
Progwoman, have y'all considered a co-op? Maybe starting a Farmer's Market. Is there any of your neighbors that grow vegetables or fruit? Perhaps some fruit and vegetable stands. Also, you might consider U-pick fields. Maybe you could form a group or committee to write Aldi's, Save-A-Lot, or Ollies since you did say people come from miles around and ask them to consider putting in one of their stores in your area. I am sorry about your situation. Food prices are ridiculous! Lena Kahn will hopefully put a stop to the monopolistic corporation's price gouging! Vote blue, America!
That sounds like Aldi's down here in the south! Word of mouth has helped a lot of us find affordable groceries without stepping foot into one of these corporation stores! Hahahaha! I just remembered that song by Tennessee Ernie Ford "Sixteen Tons". I'm not going to owe my soul to the company store!
Joshua, Aldi's is a privately held company so no stock purchases or franchise opportunities are available. The Albrecht family founded it in Germany over 40 years ago. They are committed to bringing high quality affordable groceries to consumers.
I start my food shopping at Aldi, then Winn-Dixie, then PUBLIX.
Even Aldi prices have gone up but they remain the best price for most items , their Chocolate is outstanding and some of those beers are pretty darn good…
I have bought and been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Steak. Particularly the more expensive priced are outstanding . I pre soak the steak in a balsamic glaze (target) then let the steak rest for ten minutes actual clock time. Really Really Good!!!
Citizen J, so far I have not purchased anything I didn't like at Aldi's. It's a great store with really good prices compared to the corporation stores. I also shop at Sav-A-Lot because their meat prices are very affordable! You're right, the chocolate is absolutely delicious and so is their ice cream! Their wine selection is really good, too! Consumers can find places that do not costs as much as the corporation stores, it just takes time.
It's still a corporation. Publix is a private corporation that is employee owned. Aldi's owner is one of those dreaded billionaires. Publix is committed to high quality and service. Customers have a choice (there is plenty of competition.) At Publix, you can get fresh-baked bread, hand-made subs, and they do not get stocked out of ground beef - which happens at Aldi's. On the other hand, Aldi's prices are generally lower.
A company refers to an individual or group of individuals who conduct commercial business practices to earn a profit. Company is a general term without legal recognitions, regulations and permissions. A corporation is always a company but not all companies are corporations. Aldi's is a closely-held private company NOT a corporation. If you intend to argue, why not research what you are arguing about? Also, have you met Stan from Vladivostok? You two might hit it off! Vote blue, America!
That is wrong. Aldi's is a Gmbh - a limited liability company (i.e. owners/shareholder) are only liable for the capital they have invested or accumulated. Some private companies are not incorporated - and the owners have unlimited liability - e.g. Lloyds of London (although this structure is being phased out apparently.)
This is a good explanation of what it means to be incorporated
"To incorporate or not? That is the question many self-employed workers and entrepreneurs starting a new business ask themselves.
Those still hesitant about incorporating their businesses should know that incorporating comes with many advantages. If you want to grow and hire people, a corporation is by far the preferable structure.
Incorporating offers several advantages over sole proprietorships.
Owners benefit from limited liability
Ownership interests are easier to transfer
The life of the corporation can extend beyond that of the founders."
In Florida, Publix is employee owned, but is generally more expensive. Floridians afford Publix 50+ percent market share in many markets because it has high service levels and unique offerings.
I guess having high service levels, broad selection, full deli and bakeries, on site phamarcies doesn’t factor into this dubious goods store. Who can blame the employee owners from donating to Republicans, when the alternative is extreme idiocy?
Washington too - they have a pretty good footprint. You can tell the employees are excited to help you and they take your suggestions for brands and other new things they could offer - to heart. Love these guys.
GA - plus the bulk foods, they're great! We've been shopping there for 30 years. It (prices) shocks me when I run up to Albertsons for something I forgot or want.
Great News indeed! It’s about time! After the pandemic I thought it was temporary, or just due to corporations losing money over less demand? People working from home changed the demand but obviously that’s not the real reason! It’s criminal and they shouldn’t get away with it!
Very true. Corporations used the pandemic to raise prices due to 'market demands'. After the pandemic ended, very few if any lowered prices to pre-pandemic prices. Now we have to deal with monopolies.
One thing I've noticed, is when Democrats are in office, prices rise. When Republicans are in office, prices stabilize or drop (talk about election interference). Corporations control the price and therefore are responsible for high, low, or no price changes. Monopolies make it easier for corporation to do this and the customer is left with no choice.
This is why they should be subject to a windfall profits tax. Such a tax would discourage speculation, protect workers, consumers, small businesses, and would replenish the treasury.
We could all stop eating beef for the rest of the year.. and anything with soy beans or fructose corn syrup.. the beef industry is one of the biggest contributors of the climate issue.. i recall Nixon instructed earl butz to make it so that food prices never affect an election; that is when corn and soybeans became big, and we can track rising american health issues from that time on.. corn and soybean product contaminate nearly every food product we buy.. just ask a person with soy allergies how hard it is to find soy free food..
Soy allergy person here. I can vouch for that. I have to read all labels, ask restaurant waiters ingredient questions they and the cook don’t know answers to, and pass on free food at community and neighborhood events.
My wife is exactly in the same boat.. took us a while to figure it out.. the biggest argument we get is “its not cooked with soy oil! We use vegetable oil! “ duh
It is because all of the unnecessary ingredients the crap, that they put into our foods to make the taste better or last longer, the dyes, the bugs that they grind up in it, the preservatives will kill ya. This all started in the 70's. There needs to be more regulation in the food industry, they need to take all of the fake crap out.
My heart doctor (transplant MD) said when the American diet is moved overseas people develop heart & other health problems. He strongly recommends the Mediterranean diet.
Yep totally agree with you. I don't eat processed foods. For convenience when I don't have time, I do eat Amy's Frozen dinners, there are no chemicals in the product, a little more pricey than Banguet or Marie Calendar's, but no chemicals, just real food.
I don't eat beef but we eat beyond beef and impossible beef burgers, and use impossible beef to make a delicious shepherds pie. I actually find it tastier and easier to cook than a cow.
Beyond also makes Beyond Sausage, just as good, but cooks quick, about 20 to 30 seconds a side.
The problem as I have heard it is that changing a plant product to a high protein meat substitute takes a lot of processing with chemicals I don't wish to eat, one way or another.
we don't have any problem with soy. Soy is a legume Soybeans are part of the pea family of vegetables, which are also known as legumes. Other examples of legumes include beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts.
What is with this allergies, I never heard of so many allergies until the last couple of years.
Years ago my wife took a home test and is convinced that she has a gluten allergy, but she will eat hamburger buns with no problem.
I think a lot of these allergies are fads, and invented, Unless you have to carry an epipen, as I do, a wasp or bee will kill me in 20 minutes, rethink your allergies.
The only reason I have a bee sting allergy is that when I was 13 I ran into a thicket of wasps and was stung around the head by a swarm, that set me up, for 40 years when a wasp stung me on the foot, and my leg swelled, an aid station was only 100 ft away.
Do you take into account the chemicals they use to turn it into an edible product? The same thing with Stevia. It is a harmless plant until they process it with all kids of poisons an it becomes toxic.
While Harris's proposal is welcome and commendable, it's enforcement will rely on 1/ Congress not stopping it, and 2/ SCOTUS not undoing it. The Senate and House must become Democratic for our hopes to be realized. She and Walz must emphasize this.
The Republicans have got to realize what an anchor trump is. As long as he is in their ears they will never get anything done. He is a dementia has been, hopefully he will go to prison for a considerable length of time and the Republicans will move on to somebody else.
Julie, the only thing that worries me is who they will move on to! If it is people like vance, they will never go back to being the republican party it once was!
I shopped grocery outlet in Lakeport California last week and got 299 a pound challenge butter. Four days before that I was over at Safeway in Lakeport and it was 699 pound the same brand.
Eggs are cheapest here at 499 a dozen clover brand brown eggs believe it or not. Out of Sonoma county. Up in Oregon they were able to get eggs back down to $1.99 and 219 by the time I was moving away a year ago, 2023 July. It’s obvious who’s gouging. It’s a huge corporation that got all those damn tax breaks. Don’t get me started.
But OK since you have Pomo pumps, the tribal gas station that anybody can go to, but it’s just right across from one of the well from Robinson, rancheria and upper Lake, California, has gas generally at 4:29 to 469 while all of the Chevron will be 40 and $.60 higher per gallon then Po pumps. 2 miles down the street. Make it make sense .
Brown eggs, white eggs, spotted eggs, color of the shell makes no difference.
Everything sold on the island on which I live arrives by ferry, after a long trip by truck, as a consequence quite expensive, from gas to electricity as well.,but the peace , quiet, clear clean skies, air and nights, not to mention the lack of stop lights, and now the installation of round- abouts make it worth while. Winter to summer max 17 degrees f to 84 degrees f.
It is, I am trepidacious about mentioning it, just no room for an influx of people. No industry other than tourism, celebrities and retired. A wealthy neighbor who owns a winery, bought up all the land he can see from his house, and hires live in laborers, to maintain it and work the grapes, and make the wine.
He offered to buy me out, as well,and we said no way. We would have to replace the property, and couldn't afford the replacement, not by cashing it out.
No complaints,other than lung cancer, 7 years in remission, pre diabetes, under control by diet, my annual wellness exam on Aug 7th, full blood panel, all normal, kidney function normal, blood pressure 118/68, not bad for an 85 year old, and I am not on any meds other than metformin.
Modern medicine has come a long way! Congratulations on your remission! At 72, I have no complaints. First thing in the morning I determine if there are any new aches or pains and celebrate when there aren't any! Stay well, William!
oh ok. I didn't realize that. all I remember about Trader Joe's is they give you health care. I just went there for the first time in years due to other grocery prices
Walmart has spelled the end of small businesses in many communities. Amazon went further to eliminate competition with national and international chain department stores - Sears, Kmart, JC Penney and others.
So far, all we've seen of Kamala over the past 3 plus years has been a reflection of President Biden's efforts. Now we will have an opportunity to become aware of our future President's positions on so many things Ms. Harris was unable to voice her opinion on in the past. The lies the Republican are spreading concerning how "they" feel her possible administration would look are all false. Kamala is an intelligent, well-spoken politician. Two things Trump will never be. That is why he hangs around Musk. Elon is a man who has everything while Trump is a man who "wants" everything Elon has.
I LOVE it! Oh My the momentum in our campaign gets better & better! I lamented so many times on your Substack how irritated (to put it nicely) I am about price gouging, shrinkflation, and corporate greed (all one and the same).
Methinks— the times they soon will be changing…. 🎶 🎵 🎶
Ditto your remarks. I can't stand the way manufacturers have a stranglehold on the public. Their inflating prices, shrinking of their products while charging more when will it stop? When the Democrats take over! Go Kamala! 💙💙💙
Thanks Julie. I cannot stand it either. I hope most Independents will join us and am excited about all of the new voter registrations. Truth be told we must not sway…. We must not thinking we have clinched this. I worry about “over-confidence.”
It makes it kind of obvious when reading organic eggs and grass feed beef from small farms (not part of the big corporate market) is cheaper than Walmart. We also see lower prices at Aldis and avoiding big brands.
Good job, Professor, for spreading the truth far and wide!
Not sure how a ban would work but I know how progressive corporate tax rates would work. Maybe with a top marginal rate of 90% for really excessive profits.
Don, and we need to try calling it a "luck tax" since it is luck that got most of the very rich where they are. Some talent may be present, of course, but the fact that they could use their talent and not be dismissed is often luck. Any "luck tax" would leave those people still with more money and resources than they could ever use in many lifetimes. It's time for We the People to stand up to and for the lucky and give them a powerful way to share their luck beyond their wealth bubble.
Even with talent, there is still a great deal of luck as far as the time and place of one's birth. And wealthy Americans should thank their lucky stars that they are able to do business in the greatest economy in the world. Gee, I'd think they would want to give back generously to the country that enabled their success.
In addition to a "luck tax" on the parents, we could impose a "third base tax" on their dividend babies. Those kids go to private K-12 school, have tutors prepare them for exams, are legacies into elite universities, use parents professional contacts to get their first job (at 6 figures), use their trust fund to purchase their first mansion, claim they worked hard to get where they are and then inherit tax free their parents assets.
I think AMERICANS could "get down" with a "Luck Tax!" Lucky to get born a useless billionaire? 25% tax on your LUCKY BREAK. NOT your "earnings," but your INHERITANCE.
We Americans could easily recieve: 1) Universal Income, 2) Universal Free HIGHER education, AND 3) Universal FREE healthcare. America would be awash in TRILLIONS of tax dollars each and every month!
Daniel, I like calling it a Lucky Break Tax. (Americans are too fond of luck to appreciate a tax on that commodity, and they won't pay enough attention to the details to separate out the issues. It's like calling the federal estate tax, one of the historically most progressive taxes we have, the Death Tax. While 99% of Americans won't have to pay it, the name freaks them out and they oppose it even though it's to their great benefit.) Or maybe the Lucky Rich Kids Tax. Let's be specific as well as graphic! Great idea.
90% of people who go to college could qualify for the "luck tax" you are not as bright as you think.
Either are you. 90%...get outta here with that nonsense.
As it used to be back in the 50's!
Placebo prices are the worst! Science found up to 60% of anxious people are cured by placebo! When 60% of Americans are cured by the fascist placebo the cost of anxiety goes all the way up to $MAGA (aka "total authoritarian takeover")
...so face your fear "with the joy of rejection desensitization"... especially if that's voting blue in a MAGA precinct in a swing state!
TRUMPETS PLAN “ generation “@B”
Trumpet 🎺 is on Plan B ; he now knows that he will not be Elected to anything and Kamala Harris will win.
What does this mean ???
It Means that Trumpet 🎺 is only keep up appearances of Running for Office .
Plan “B “is to appear as Incompetent, Deranged, Old Man if not in the lowe’s throes of Dementia , on the Verge of Dementia.
Trumpets 🎺 Alzheimer’s defense his plan to never spend a day in jail.
He Appears To Be Very Successful:
“Just Ask Anybody”
Revoke his passport before he heads to Russia or Hungary (or maybe after he leaves the US)
Catherine, Trump would never make it anywhere but here. Wherever he would go, they would have to hide him away because his dementia would cause enormous trouble and give them someone else to put on their medical rolls. Besides, they wouldn't speak English sufficient for Trump to communicate.
Since he currently has a very tenuous grasp of English, I can't imagine him succeeding in any other language.
Lol
Rich people don’t go to Jail…
He has said he would go to Venzuela!
I always thought that Putin would build him a Trump Tower in Moscow... I believe that his 757 has enough range to get there...
I thought he was using his pal Epstein's jet? Could that make it to Moscow? If not Venezuela is closer!
Hello Peggy... Epstein's old Jet is leased out of CA... It is owned by a Charter Air Co, out of Orange County... I don't believe it could make it to Moscow... Apparently his 2nd Hand 757 had mechanical issues flying into Montana... Not Surprised... Putin would treat him well... Madoro would not...
Well, he can. Who's gonna stop him? Certainly not you or I, right?
I would even help him pack!
buh-bye!!
"chef's kiss"
Citizen, the truth is, Trump is in the throes of dementia. I suspect he won't be so far gone after the election that he can't stand trial and face serious consequences. Some prisons do have assisted care units for old and disabled prisoners. The people who should be accompanying Trump to prison are his handlers who have lied to and tricked the American people for years and used Donnie to do it. He did like being used too.
Trumpet 🎺 is in the throes of pulling off a Plan “ B” he didn’t think he would get elected the first time ; Kamala Harris is not and easy target 🎯 as Hillary and President Joe Biden were. Personally I trust President Joe Biden to better care for our democracy than anyone else.
That is a moot point now.
Trumpet 🎺 is a “Liar And Coward “ Trumpet used the lame excuse and more than a likely a bribe to a doctor to escape the Draft.
Trumpet 🎺 is a Calculating Transaction oriented personality. He only really cares about himself everyone else is expendable. Mark Cuban WAS a Trump supporter until he got to know the Donald Trumpet for the conniving con man and me first guy. Now that’s a common reaction to trumpet 🎺 from those including Mike pence , Scaramucci, etc…
Trumpet 🎺 is NO GOOD TO ANYONE EXCEPTING HIMSELF.
Didn't Howard Stern foretell this in 2016?
Don’t have satellite radio.
But Howard stern is not Dumb.
After DJT's defeat in 2020... Howard Stern, who knows DJT personally, told DJT not to start any new businesses as it would just fail as all his other Businesses... DJT had wanted to start a new TV Channel.... Truth Social is kept afloat by Russian Money... Howard Stern also made the observation that the MAGA Mob should go to Mar-a-Lago, and see that none of them were like the people that are there...
I'm scared Trump will drop out, or the GOP will kick him out, and we'll have Nicki Haley running with Elon Musk. Tragically, half the voters will go for that kind of ticket. What happened to Biden could happen to Trump in the next 80 days. Pray that Trump stays the course. We can beat him. I don't know if we can beat Nicki Haley.
Elon Musk was born in South Africa so he is unqualified to be president of the US.
Haley is unacceptable to MAGA.
They are spineless politicians all.
Cancel the student loans. That's price gouging too. We were never designed to be a class mobile society. Somehow we over came that for a while but the oligarchs (the founders were poor English aristocrats ) are back
References - Join us at the DebtCollective. org and White Trash by Nancy Isenberg
Apportionment of jfk jr for the bureau of Indian affairs to shepherd Cherokee &pawnee nation in Pryor Oklahoma to make Canoo.com a successful vehicle manufacturer by controlling nonindian Tony Aquilla from reckless spending of company money! Uleysess Grant passed this in 1870 with a Republican Congress to protect the Indian in their enterprise plus safeguarding the Army and government contracts. Plus advance funding for wining the government GSA awards with help for quick fulfillment of the contract!
What does this have to do with the price of food?
Perhaps nothing, but I am glad to hear it,and my thanks for Junior sharing. We need more news like that, we already live in a vacuum.
JFK Jr.? I don't think so...
Wrong column.
You mean RFK jr? Or JFK former president?
That isn't truth...that's a right wingnut.
I just did, asshat.
You're "great source" is the weirdo who never let facts get in her way. She writes articles like "Obama should be put in a cage" & "Democrats are pigs". She tries to assert the lie that Bibi shouldn't have ALL of the blame. He is the one pulling out of the attempted cease fire dealings & attempts to get hostages back.
So you idiots want to blame Biden & expect him to do what? He has a very experienced team of experts on this. Bill Clinton came the closest to doing a two-state solution. It is the ONLY way to end this. Yet Bibi keeps pretending that HE gets to decide that they won't have the 2-state solution because he & his right wing extremists don't want it. Furthermore, he was trying to & had plans to take over Gaza & rule over it.
Do you people think screaming at our government is going to end this? It won't. You ignorantly think if the U.S. stops giving Israel aid/weapons, Bibi will stop, but you are wrong. That will send a message to Iran, & Iran wants to eradicate Israel. That will pull the U.S. into WWIII.
Meanwhile she...& her readers don't understand the difference between people that will run the government smartly, with good conscience, & responsibly with those that would give all the tax money to the 1%, a fascist committing crime in front of the whole world that tried to overthrow our government & put people in jobs like the EPA...to NOT do the job & allow pollution. Ignorant people that can't understand that difference or think it's "just as bad" are too ignorant to waste time debating. There is no debate. So I think YOU are the one lazy, who can't do a modicum of research & think you can drop her propaganda everywhere to get more readers in service of your agenda. So now you can sit down & STFU!
Tom...are you high?? You must be. So let's get this straight I need strong meds because YOU have Rick Wilson (a GOP HACK!) & Krugman on a reading list? No son...it doesn't quite work like that. YOU are the one that started with the STFU, aren't you? So, in fact...though you project your extreme over-the-top anger over Gaza at me, it is you that needs to get a grip & grow the fk up. Calling Biden's team childish names & stupidly whining about withholding aid, isn't going to get this done. As I explained earlier with Iran in the mix now...it is bigger than that. Furthermore Bidi is unstable.
Oh yes...lulz...the "great" Reagan & Bush. Please spare me the fawning over two of the MOST corrupt presidencies before Trump. Give it a rest. Furthermore, W Bush called Bibi & encouraged him to keep dropping bombs & doubling down on his extreme, wrong, & inhumane policies. Bibi will be shown door in the next election. You again are missing some key understanding on this aid thing. Let's say Biden does what you suggest...who's to say that Bibi won't go to China for support, or Putin? Then what?
Oh there will be a two-state solution. Period. It's the only way to keep peace. I don't have to make excuses to deflect from genocide. I just dropped you some key information about the genocide IN THIS COUNTRY. Did you get that? The only one who is lazy, pathetic, & ignorant is you, so while swearing at me & calling names you whine about the same, hypocrite.
You can stop dropping Johnston's junk on here for me to read, dupe. It's not that much of a stretch to call out republicans who have enabled & continue to enable fascism, now is it? It is not equivalent to any & all complaints you have against Biden. My argument is not now, nor has it ever been "my side sucks less".
I haven't picked a side in your imaginary debate/argument that you're having with the whole world, but YOU are so obsessed with your viewpoint on Gaza that you don't say one thing about the Jarod Trump genocide of Blue states. THAT is more cowardly, ignorant, pathetic, & fked up than anything I've seen so far.
So either you address that point or you sit down & STFU for all time. You like to pick n' choose which genocides you get upset about. Yes, it was attempted genocide, but nobody knows how many people died because of it before the vaccine, however it happened here, in the U.S. It should at least be something you'd bother to look at, but I guess it's easier & more acceptable to blame Dems/Biden. I hate to wake you up...but right now, we are facing a fascist threat & if you don't recognize that then you are truly a lost cause.
In Oregon if you shop at Kroger or Safeway you will pay up to twice as much as you pay at WinCo, employee owned chain. They don’t need the big advertising dollars. Word of mouth fills the store.
Every grocery chain should be employee run and not for profit. Something as essential as food should not be controlled by private corporations at all.
Andy - I usually find that when the term "should" appears in a discussion of economics or finance, it means that the proposition could use some fact-checking. It is true that some food retailers are employee-owned, but regardless of the ownership model, all grocery stores face cost and competitive pressures. Consider the following:
1. The typical larger sized supermarket stocks between 25-35,000 SKUs (Stock-keeping units, aka "items"), usually with a dozen or more units per sku, every one of which has to be stocked my hand. Labor is one of the retailer's greatest costs, along with cost of inventory and rent.
2. Only a small portion of the cost of a pound of butter or a quart of milk goes to pay the producer -- the farmer, dairyman, fish processor or rancher -- but that doesn't mean the retailer gets to keep the difference as his profit. The retail grocery business is run on very low margins - well under 5% net margin (after tax): 3% would be exceptional. Consolidation (growing bigger, with large chains swallowing up smaller ones and independents) is generally how the retailers survive and thrive.
3. Stores face competition -- most stores of equal size in a given market all carry the same mix of items, and the same or comparable brands. They compete on service and price; a few distinguish themselves as low-priced sellers -- discount chains like Aldi and to some extent Trader Joe's -- by carrying a smaller selection or focussing on so-called private label goods.
4. I don't pretend to have a magic formula to bring food costs down, but I can point at some factors that have brought some costs up:
Eggs - Avian Flu that required destroying millions of birds, and higher cost of feed
Beef, Pork, Dairy -- Tighter environmental and processing standards, consolidation of meat-packing plants + higher feed costs
And always, everywhere in all businesses, the rising cost of labor, rent and higher borrowing costs.
5. Obviously there is more to the picture than these few examples. Global supply chain disruptions added greatly to shipping costs for a year or so.
6. Last, while the pandemic shutdown affected food production & distribution less than other industries, nothing exists in a vacuum. The greater demand for labor probably gave low-wage food industry workers a chance to look for better paid jobs with better conditions.
Like most people, I feel the pinch of food costs which feel like they are 50% higher than they were 4 years ago. Like most people I wish prices had not gone up so much -- and feel that they "should" have come down since then. But they haven't. If a new administration can somehow lever prices downwards without putting people out of business, I'd be fine with that, but I am, frankly, not going to hold my breath.
R Hodsdon, food prices would have gone down after the pandemic when the supply chains functioned. The corporations began buying the grocery chains until they had a monopoly. Once they controlled them all, they continued to raise their prices post pandemic not because of competition, consolidation, labor wages or anything else. They raised the prices to pad their stockholders pockets as well as their own. Those monopolistic corporations must be broken up. Lena Kahn is working very hard to do just that!
“like” Peggy - You said what I was thinking about the corporations taking advantage of the pandemic and supply chain problems. They still have not lowered their prices since we have come out of the worse part of the pandemic and the supply chain was fixed because they don’t have to. However, as usual, you explained it better than I could - so thank you.
You are so very welcome, Anon! I look forward to electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz so they will continue what President Biden has started. Guardrails back in place, monopolistic corporations brought to heel by Lena Kahn and the wealthy having to pay their fair share of taxes!! It is a work constantly in progress; however, Democrats get the job done. Vote Blue, America!!
Peggy - “Like”
Same thing happened with bank consolidation in the 90s.
PEGGY, I agree that is part of the picture, but it is not the whole story. Breaking up monopolies sounds good — it really allowed innovation and lowered prices for a while when Ma Bell was split up, right?. Food retailing is highly localized. We all shop stores right near where we live and work, plus the occasional trip to Costco etc. The cost of setting up and running a supermarket is high, and vertically-integrated operations which have centralized administration & finance, plus a solid network of distribution centers serving a ‘critical mass’ of stores in their region in order to make it as efficient as possible.
Unfortunately, capitalism + human nature mean that retailers have the final say on what they charge for things. They are not shy about raising prices when they see an opportunity to do so.
So what’s the ‘solution’? Free-market folks will say, “Competition”, and that is one aspect. Laws and enforcement against anti-competitive behavior are also part of it. Anti-monopoly laws are a judgement call: we want the efficiency (and potentially lower cost to consumers) provided by large corporations, but we don’t want monopoly control. So what do we get? A mish-mash of regulations overlaid on the usual difficulty of running a complicated business enterprise. Consumers should complain about prices that are “too high” to their food store managers and encourage legislators and regulators to “look into industry practices” — hold hearings, consider legislation, and take malefactors to court.
I understand how exhausting always looking at the bigger picture is but I do appreciate that there are people who think through the little details and I agree, the reality is our immensely complicated system that is global capitalism has resulted in this outcome and short of a unlikely revolution I think the current situation of endless price increases as corporations consolidate further and further is the state of things for the foreseeable future so im just trying to enjoy myself where I can and hope you do the same. Cheers.
Andy, when Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are elected, corporations will have to face the music so to speak. Kahn will continue to break up the monopolies and many of the guard rails that were put in place to prevent what these rapers of the American people have done will be reinstated. I hope made into law.
Andy - Back atcha.
You must have been too exhausted to notice the part about competition.
100% Agree!
The rural town in which I shop has a Walmart, a Safeway and a City Market (Kroger). It is not a wealthy community, and people come from miles around. I can't tell you how annoying it is to overpay for food that by the time it reaches the market is often spoiled or close to it.
Safeway, Vons, Ralph’s,Pavillions, Kroger and soon Albertsons are all owned by the same company. I live in Los Angeles and the only grocery store not owned by Kroger’s is Trader Joe’s. Which has much better prices.
Thanks Marlin. Good to know. I was in Alabama when I was about seven and the name Piggly Wiggly delighted me. It still does.
You aren't the only one that giggles when they see or hear Piggly Wiggly.
Albertson bought Safeway about 10 years ago.
Vons and Safeway battled it out here in Southern California about twenty years ago. I don’t remember which one won the fight but the winner then bought the loser. When I moved to Northern California it was Safeway down in Southern CA it’s still Vons. They are all the same.
Anyone from the South know if they still have Piggly Wigglys?
Yes. Piggly Wiggly is still going strong in Alabama with more than 100 stores. In all, there are more than 500 Pig stores on 18 states.
I haven’t seen or heard of a Piggly Wiggly since I moved to the south in 2003 (Florida and Georgia). Publix, Aldi’s, Walmart and fading Winn Dixie. WD used to be big, but struggles to stay open now. Too bad also.
Progwoman, have y'all considered a co-op? Maybe starting a Farmer's Market. Is there any of your neighbors that grow vegetables or fruit? Perhaps some fruit and vegetable stands. Also, you might consider U-pick fields. Maybe you could form a group or committee to write Aldi's, Save-A-Lot, or Ollies since you did say people come from miles around and ask them to consider putting in one of their stores in your area. I am sorry about your situation. Food prices are ridiculous! Lena Kahn will hopefully put a stop to the monopolistic corporation's price gouging! Vote blue, America!
That sounds like Aldi's down here in the south! Word of mouth has helped a lot of us find affordable groceries without stepping foot into one of these corporation stores! Hahahaha! I just remembered that song by Tennessee Ernie Ford "Sixteen Tons". I'm not going to owe my soul to the company store!
Aldi’s is a corporation.
Joshua, Aldi's is a privately held company so no stock purchases or franchise opportunities are available. The Albrecht family founded it in Germany over 40 years ago. They are committed to bringing high quality affordable groceries to consumers.
Go Peggy Go !!!
I start my food shopping at Aldi, then Winn-Dixie, then PUBLIX.
Even Aldi prices have gone up but they remain the best price for most items , their Chocolate is outstanding and some of those beers are pretty darn good…
I have bought and been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the Steak. Particularly the more expensive priced are outstanding . I pre soak the steak in a balsamic glaze (target) then let the steak rest for ten minutes actual clock time. Really Really Good!!!
Citizen J, so far I have not purchased anything I didn't like at Aldi's. It's a great store with really good prices compared to the corporation stores. I also shop at Sav-A-Lot because their meat prices are very affordable! You're right, the chocolate is absolutely delicious and so is their ice cream! Their wine selection is really good, too! Consumers can find places that do not costs as much as the corporation stores, it just takes time.
It's still a corporation. Publix is a private corporation that is employee owned. Aldi's owner is one of those dreaded billionaires. Publix is committed to high quality and service. Customers have a choice (there is plenty of competition.) At Publix, you can get fresh-baked bread, hand-made subs, and they do not get stocked out of ground beef - which happens at Aldi's. On the other hand, Aldi's prices are generally lower.
I believe one of the Publix owners contributed to the groups supporting the Jan 6 insurrection.
The the founder of Publix daughter, who has no connection to corporate Publix is a big Republican conservative donor.
Most corporations give to both sides if they give any at all because they can’t afford to have a hostile government in place …
A company refers to an individual or group of individuals who conduct commercial business practices to earn a profit. Company is a general term without legal recognitions, regulations and permissions. A corporation is always a company but not all companies are corporations. Aldi's is a closely-held private company NOT a corporation. If you intend to argue, why not research what you are arguing about? Also, have you met Stan from Vladivostok? You two might hit it off! Vote blue, America!
That is wrong. Aldi's is a Gmbh - a limited liability company (i.e. owners/shareholder) are only liable for the capital they have invested or accumulated. Some private companies are not incorporated - and the owners have unlimited liability - e.g. Lloyds of London (although this structure is being phased out apparently.)
This is a good explanation of what it means to be incorporated
https://www.bdc.ca/en/articles-tools/start-buy-business/start-business/incorporating-business-key-advantages-entrepreneurs#:~:text=Limited%20personal%20liability,liable%20for%20the%20company's%20debts.
"To incorporate or not? That is the question many self-employed workers and entrepreneurs starting a new business ask themselves.
Those still hesitant about incorporating their businesses should know that incorporating comes with many advantages. If you want to grow and hire people, a corporation is by far the preferable structure.
Incorporating offers several advantages over sole proprietorships.
Owners benefit from limited liability
Ownership interests are easier to transfer
The life of the corporation can extend beyond that of the founders."
In Florida, Publix is employee owned, but is generally more expensive. Floridians afford Publix 50+ percent market share in many markets because it has high service levels and unique offerings.
Publix heavily donates Republican, with Matt Gaetz being a top politician funded:
According to Goods Unite Us, Publix Super Markets has a Goods Score of -86 and they donate a high percentage to Republicans. #goodsuniteus
That is bad.
I’m not sure about that ; as I understand it the original founders daughter is a big trumpet 🎺 fan girl. She has contributed heavily to R campaigns .
The Publix Corporation is Not giving support to any political organization.
The founders daughter has no corporate role in the Publix Corporation…
Rich people want to hang on to every dollar and don’t want to fund government operation beyond bare minimums hence they are Regan fans.
Regan took from the poor and gave to corporations and the rich…
It’s even possible I wrong about Publix but …
Maybe 🤔 https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2022/05/25/florida-desantis-notable-billionaire-supporters-koch-publix/9745715002/
I guess having high service levels, broad selection, full deli and bakeries, on site phamarcies doesn’t factor into this dubious goods store. Who can blame the employee owners from donating to Republicans, when the alternative is extreme idiocy?
It’s all good
https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/local/state/2022/05/25/florida-desantis-notable-billionaire-supporters-koch-publix/9745715002/
Washington too - they have a pretty good footprint. You can tell the employees are excited to help you and they take your suggestions for brands and other new things they could offer - to heart. Love these guys.
GA - plus the bulk foods, they're great! We've been shopping there for 30 years. It (prices) shocks me when I run up to Albertsons for something I forgot or want.
Great News indeed! It’s about time! After the pandemic I thought it was temporary, or just due to corporations losing money over less demand? People working from home changed the demand but obviously that’s not the real reason! It’s criminal and they shouldn’t get away with it!
Very true. Corporations used the pandemic to raise prices due to 'market demands'. After the pandemic ended, very few if any lowered prices to pre-pandemic prices. Now we have to deal with monopolies.
One thing I've noticed, is when Democrats are in office, prices rise. When Republicans are in office, prices stabilize or drop (talk about election interference). Corporations control the price and therefore are responsible for high, low, or no price changes. Monopolies make it easier for corporation to do this and the customer is left with no choice.
This is why they should be subject to a windfall profits tax. Such a tax would discourage speculation, protect workers, consumers, small businesses, and would replenish the treasury.
We could all stop eating beef for the rest of the year.. and anything with soy beans or fructose corn syrup.. the beef industry is one of the biggest contributors of the climate issue.. i recall Nixon instructed earl butz to make it so that food prices never affect an election; that is when corn and soybeans became big, and we can track rising american health issues from that time on.. corn and soybean product contaminate nearly every food product we buy.. just ask a person with soy allergies how hard it is to find soy free food..
Soy allergy person here. I can vouch for that. I have to read all labels, ask restaurant waiters ingredient questions they and the cook don’t know answers to, and pass on free food at community and neighborhood events.
My wife is exactly in the same boat.. took us a while to figure it out.. the biggest argument we get is “its not cooked with soy oil! We use vegetable oil! “ duh
Yup, vegetable oil = soybean oil in my opinion
Usually yes its the cheapest oil for food services bottom line, especially in the deep fat fryer.. often tho it can be canola or corn oil
Food allergies are a rather recent affliction, I wonder what is going on.
It is because all of the unnecessary ingredients the crap, that they put into our foods to make the taste better or last longer, the dyes, the bugs that they grind up in it, the preservatives will kill ya. This all started in the 70's. There needs to be more regulation in the food industry, they need to take all of the fake crap out.
My heart doctor (transplant MD) said when the American diet is moved overseas people develop heart & other health problems. He strongly recommends the Mediterranean diet.
Yep totally agree with you. I don't eat processed foods. For convenience when I don't have time, I do eat Amy's Frozen dinners, there are no chemicals in the product, a little more pricey than Banguet or Marie Calendar's, but no chemicals, just real food.
And there is virtually no soy bean product in the US that is not GEO, so we are being hacked over poison food.
I don't eat beef but we eat beyond beef and impossible beef burgers, and use impossible beef to make a delicious shepherds pie. I actually find it tastier and easier to cook than a cow.
Beyond also makes Beyond Sausage, just as good, but cooks quick, about 20 to 30 seconds a side.
The problem as I have heard it is that changing a plant product to a high protein meat substitute takes a lot of processing with chemicals I don't wish to eat, one way or another.
Beans, lentils, tofu taste good when the sauce is good.
But pinto, red and black beans teste good without sauces. Plus the excellent protein and low cost.
We actually do too.. i like them better than beef.. prob is one is soy based ..
Yes. Beyond is not soy based. They use pea protein. Impossible is soybean based.
we don't have any problem with soy. Soy is a legume Soybeans are part of the pea family of vegetables, which are also known as legumes. Other examples of legumes include beans, lentils, peas, and peanuts.
What is with this allergies, I never heard of so many allergies until the last couple of years.
Years ago my wife took a home test and is convinced that she has a gluten allergy, but she will eat hamburger buns with no problem.
I think a lot of these allergies are fads, and invented, Unless you have to carry an epipen, as I do, a wasp or bee will kill me in 20 minutes, rethink your allergies.
The only reason I have a bee sting allergy is that when I was 13 I ran into a thicket of wasps and was stung around the head by a swarm, that set me up, for 40 years when a wasp stung me on the foot, and my leg swelled, an aid station was only 100 ft away.
We buy lots of Beyond Meat products.
Do you take into account the chemicals they use to turn it into an edible product? The same thing with Stevia. It is a harmless plant until they process it with all kids of poisons an it becomes toxic.
I do eat beef but I love Boca Burgers! Been eating those for quite some time! They are delicious!
YES!!!!!!!!! Gimme my MOUTH BURGERZ please!
Haven't eaten meat in 30 years, but don't think it's helping anything...
It certainly helped the animals you did not eat!
Thank you! Do it Kamala
While Harris's proposal is welcome and commendable, it's enforcement will rely on 1/ Congress not stopping it, and 2/ SCOTUS not undoing it. The Senate and House must become Democratic for our hopes to be realized. She and Walz must emphasize this.
The Republicans have got to realize what an anchor trump is. As long as he is in their ears they will never get anything done. He is a dementia has been, hopefully he will go to prison for a considerable length of time and the Republicans will move on to somebody else.
Elvis
Julie, the only thing that worries me is who they will move on to! If it is people like vance, they will never go back to being the republican party it once was!
Food for thought :)
We've got to loosen Robert up a bit...
I like him as he is.
Same here Laura, I don't know what Jonathan's problem happens to be.
He's right though: shrinkflation sucks!!
Go, Kamala (and Tim) for sure!
Don't forget to block the Albertson's-Kroger merger.
I shopped grocery outlet in Lakeport California last week and got 299 a pound challenge butter. Four days before that I was over at Safeway in Lakeport and it was 699 pound the same brand.
Eggs are cheapest here at 499 a dozen clover brand brown eggs believe it or not. Out of Sonoma county. Up in Oregon they were able to get eggs back down to $1.99 and 219 by the time I was moving away a year ago, 2023 July. It’s obvious who’s gouging. It’s a huge corporation that got all those damn tax breaks. Don’t get me started.
But OK since you have Pomo pumps, the tribal gas station that anybody can go to, but it’s just right across from one of the well from Robinson, rancheria and upper Lake, California, has gas generally at 4:29 to 469 while all of the Chevron will be 40 and $.60 higher per gallon then Po pumps. 2 miles down the street. Make it make sense .
Brown eggs, white eggs, spotted eggs, color of the shell makes no difference.
Everything sold on the island on which I live arrives by ferry, after a long trip by truck, as a consequence quite expensive, from gas to electricity as well.,but the peace , quiet, clear clean skies, air and nights, not to mention the lack of stop lights, and now the installation of round- abouts make it worth while. Winter to summer max 17 degrees f to 84 degrees f.
Sounds like Utopia! Oh for just a little peace and quiet!
It is, I am trepidacious about mentioning it, just no room for an influx of people. No industry other than tourism, celebrities and retired. A wealthy neighbor who owns a winery, bought up all the land he can see from his house, and hires live in laborers, to maintain it and work the grapes, and make the wine.
He offered to buy me out, as well,and we said no way. We would have to replace the property, and couldn't afford the replacement, not by cashing it out.
Sounds to me like you are living your best life! Way to go!
No complaints,other than lung cancer, 7 years in remission, pre diabetes, under control by diet, my annual wellness exam on Aug 7th, full blood panel, all normal, kidney function normal, blood pressure 118/68, not bad for an 85 year old, and I am not on any meds other than metformin.
Modern medicine has come a long way! Congratulations on your remission! At 72, I have no complaints. First thing in the morning I determine if there are any new aches or pains and celebrate when there aren't any! Stay well, William!
DEFEAT TREASONOUS, TERRORIST, and CON REPUBLICONS EVERYWHERE
dude what in the propaganda is this. You sound mentally deranged
Trader Joe’s is a lot cheaper
And many of its workers (if not most) are on strike in protest of low wages.
Not in Medford, OR yesterday. Trader Joe's is our favorite store and going strong up there. No problems & good quality.
oh ok. I didn't realize that. all I remember about Trader Joe's is they give you health care. I just went there for the first time in years due to other grocery prices
Maybe now, but it use to be more expensive than Safeway.
Walmart has spelled the end of small businesses in many communities. Amazon went further to eliminate competition with national and international chain department stores - Sears, Kmart, JC Penney and others.
Amazon is also taking over the food market in certain sectors. You can’t leave that monopoly out of the equation.
Shop at your local farmers markets!
So far, all we've seen of Kamala over the past 3 plus years has been a reflection of President Biden's efforts. Now we will have an opportunity to become aware of our future President's positions on so many things Ms. Harris was unable to voice her opinion on in the past. The lies the Republican are spreading concerning how "they" feel her possible administration would look are all false. Kamala is an intelligent, well-spoken politician. Two things Trump will never be. That is why he hangs around Musk. Elon is a man who has everything while Trump is a man who "wants" everything Elon has.
I LOVE it! Oh My the momentum in our campaign gets better & better! I lamented so many times on your Substack how irritated (to put it nicely) I am about price gouging, shrinkflation, and corporate greed (all one and the same).
Methinks— the times they soon will be changing…. 🎶 🎵 🎶
A.🌻💙🙏
Ditto your remarks. I can't stand the way manufacturers have a stranglehold on the public. Their inflating prices, shrinking of their products while charging more when will it stop? When the Democrats take over! Go Kamala! 💙💙💙
Thanks Julie. I cannot stand it either. I hope most Independents will join us and am excited about all of the new voter registrations. Truth be told we must not sway…. We must not thinking we have clinched this. I worry about “over-confidence.”
That said…. 💙 GO KAMALA 💙
It makes it kind of obvious when reading organic eggs and grass feed beef from small farms (not part of the big corporate market) is cheaper than Walmart. We also see lower prices at Aldis and avoiding big brands.
Ask Jimmy Carter what happens when the government tells private companies how much they can charge.
Brad, price controls are counterproductive, but a windfall profits tax might do the job.
Yes ask every country that has tried that how it worked out. Actually just ask New York and California how that has worked for business