 How high is US inflation? According to Statista.com, month-to-month inflation was 7 percent in December 2021. Ouch! That was up from 6.8% in November, 6.2% in October, and around 5% in the summer. About a year ago, month-to-month inflation was officially 1.4%.
In many cases inflation makes sense; COVID-related production shortages and delivery delays have skewed the usual supply/demand ratio. But are some businesses taking advantage of us? Absolutely. Fortune reports that corporations are boasting about increased profits during the pandemic. Also see the NPR report at https://www.npr.org/2022/01/12/1072295047/inflation-is-still-surging-and-some-democrats-see-one-culprit-greedy-companies. Local examples: Near Fukiu headquarters in California a 7-11 is selling Crystal Geyser water for $3.49/gallon... and an Extra Space Storage raised month-to-month rent by 33% just in time for Christmas 2021. It seems that both examples qualify as price gouging, no? In most US states, laws explicitly prohibit price gouging. When a company acts illegally, the Department of Fukiu recommends that you 1) notify your county's district attorney and 2) contact your state's attorney general. Both offices may have online forms for speedy reporting. Haiku inspired by someecards.com |