Don’t buy into “greedflation”
Re: “Economy gets stronger, but voters feel bad about it,” Dec. 12 news story
It is reported that corporate America is seeking to maintain its profit margins by raising prices as often as they can despite the fact that profits are well above their traditional levels. This is called “greedflation” and you are a victim of it.
The only way that consumers can stop being exploited is to not buy items that have irrationally increased in price. One of my lines in the sand is that I refuse to pay the standard shelf price of $5.49 for a 10 oz. bag of Tostitos Scoops. I will either wait until that product comes on sale, purchase another brand or go without.
The objective of business is to get as much money out of the consumer as possible. This is the foundation of capitalism. Don’t be a sucker. So long as American consumers continue to pay ridiculous prices for items, companies will continue to raise prices.
Remember, it is the consumer who ultimately determines the price of a product. If you think that the price is too high — don’t buy. Corporations will get the message.
Guy Wroble, Denver
I am not an economist or a politician, but I, as a voter, do know what it is voters feel bad about. I feel bad about going to McDonald’s and paying nearly $6 for a McDouble and a small order of fries that not long ago were $.99 each; going to one grocery store and finding a pound of pecans for $16 or $17 when Costco sells two pounds for $12.99.
When I read that companies such as Pepsi report record profits but still plan to keep increasing prices as long as people keep buying, etc., we know the problem is private enterprise and corporate America who are taking advantage of the pandemic to keep gouging their customers.
Uninformed people need to understand that the economy is healthy, the jobs market is good, inflation is at a near pre-pandemic low, people are earning more money and the government has amazingly managed to avoid a recession.
The government has only one tool to reduce inflation: increasing interest rates. That tool has been so successful that other governments worldwide are copying it to reduce their inflation. Instead of blaming Biden and the government, people need to let the people responsible for the high prices know by not buying their products or services and complaining loudly to them.
Steve Nash, Centennial
U.S. should be all in on fight for Ukraine
Re: “Ukraine: Zelenskyy pleads his case on Capitol Hill with aid in peril,” Dec. 13 news story
My dad flew B-17s over Germany, looking to make the world safe for democracy. He was part of the Greatest Generation, who realized on Dec. 7th, 1941, that foreign tyrannies will involve us whether we ignore them or not. By defeating German fascism and later Russian communism, they ushered in the greatest era of progress ever seen for our country and the world; many never returned home.
My dad’s gone but he would be appalled by our congress’ inability to support Ukrainians and their aspirations of freedom and democracy. And they are fighting and dying for us. Putin casts this as a war with the U.S., with Ukrainians as pawns; he drinks champagne and plots new atrocities as our feckless congress unilaterally surrenders.
These are not the actions of a great nation, the leader of the free world, but of a puny, short-sighted country, so self-absorbed that we can’t function. It makes me ashamed to be an American; we can do better.
Peter Sanford, Englewood
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