Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) at an Event in Portland Last Year..

There is one issue that most people can agree on – its not about Trump, climate change or Israel’s Genocide in Gaza.  It is that the price of food at the grocery store is excessive – and its probably not just inflation that is causing these excessively high food prices.

“Americans are facing sky-high food prices, caused by excessive price gouging by food and grocery giants.  A small group of players dominate those industries:  four grocery retailers account for over a third of national grocery sales and four food companies control more than 60% of sales in most grocery categories.  As a result, consumers are spending more of their income on food then they have in the past 30 years,” according to a statement released as part of a press release last week from the office of Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-lst District ME).

For this reason Congresswoman Pingree has joined a bicarmeral group of her colleagues in encouraging the Biden-Harris Administration to use its executive authority to lower food prices for famillies.  In a letter to President Biden last week, this coalition noted how corporations have been raking in record profits while families are being hit with higher costs for groceries, and it outlines several executive actions that the Biden Admdinistration should take.

While some corporations may point to rising inflation, grocery price increases have OUTPACED INFLATION, with families payig 25% more for groceries as compared to before the pandemic.  These higher prices hit low-income families the hardest.  In 2022, the bottom fifth of the income spectrum spent 25% of their income on groceries, compared to less than 3.5% for the highest fifth.’

“Americans across the political spectrum have pointed to the cost of food and groceries as their top concern related to inflation,” wrote the lawmakers in their letter last week to President Biden.  “……the American people are relyiing on you to combat corporate greed and higher food prices.”

“Why do you think the “Portland Press Herald” hasn’t reported this news?” wonders this blogger.  “Maybe they just think that this story is not ‘sexy’ enough to sell  more  newspapers.   Or maybe the editor just believes – “let them eat cake.”