Re: I'm gonna stop driving for about 6 months

They've been doing that to candy bars for a long time. Reduce the size, keep the price. Then they make a jumbo size or something and raise the price again and start they cycle over.

Republicans think all citizens are as dumb as other republicans.

Most people get annoyed if their income doesn't keep pace with inflation. If food manufacturers don't increase their prices, how are *their* employees supposed to get the same income growth that *we* want? Are manufacturers supposed to eat the increased cost of raw materials, rather than pass them along to the consumer?

That's usually how it works. But the pro-big-business whitehouse has ensured that it's owners and shareholders who've profited. Employees are doing more work for the same amount of money and the same amount of money isn't worth as much as it was. Thanks, Bush!

I'd like 5 minutes in a locked room with Bush as much as you would, but I'm not clear on how he had anything to do with cost increases in the food business, and I'm talking BEFORE the cost of transportation got out of hand, which he *is* directly responsible for.

Not just the food business, every business. He and his repulsivacans fought a minimum wage increase as long as they could. Poor trade policies that support business and not employyes hurt too. Changes to the FLSA (2004?) meant business can exempt more people from overtime pay. Meaning they work more hours for less money.

I'm sure there are more, but those are the first three I can think of.

Well, that's part of it. But, keep in mind that Breyers passed along 7 price increases between 1997 and 2002. I believe the package size decreases began in 2003.

I noticed that with coffee when I was in my 20's. All of a sudden, a pound wasn't a pound any more, first it was 13 oz, then 11, etc. The price (of the can) didn't change, but the contents did.

Even so, I have full coverage on the Supra where I only had Limited before, and it's still costing me $700 less a year.

Nah, we just think Democrats are as dumb as their 'leaders'.

Of course he did. Higher wages mean higher prices, and since labor is usually a business' number one cost, they try to reduce that cost any way possible. So, if you're forced to pay higher wages, then you make up for it by reducing the workforce, which, if you were paying attention, is exactly what happened shortly after the wage increase.

But, thanks to Republicans 'pro business' stance, there was some room to take up the slack, which is why unemployment is still near full- employment levels.

Jeeze, take an Economics course, eh?

And who might those shareholders be?? Do you have a 401K plan from where you work?

How is Bush responsible "directly" for the cost of transportation that got out of hand?

Are you a minimum wage earner? Who are you employed by?

A significant part of the price of oil is based on speculation. Almost every article about oil price increases mentions speculative fears which drive up the price, in the same way rumors of a bad earnings report can drive down the price of a stock before the report is even published.

Other than the occasional hurricane in the Gulf, the majority of "fears" have revolved around instability in the Middle East. Bush's policies have ramped up the instability. Even just his words create fears. His sabre-rattling about Iran would be a perfect example. Mess with stability and you are absolutely responsible for the resulting increases in the price of oil.

Pretty dumb I would say, you still buy ice cream don't you? The coffee roasters showed the way about 15 years ago when 48 oz cans of ground coffee were reduced to 40 oz with no change in price. Ain't bean-counters the greatest of people?

Jack

You're missing the point, nobody is saying that they can't raise their prices. What we're saying is that we aren't stupid, we know why a 3lb can of coffee now weighs 2.5lb. Manufacturers shouldn't think that, just because people buy their product, that they're customers are dumb. Treat people with respect, raise the price of the product if you need to. But don't give less for the same money and think we won't notice it.

Jack

They don't think you won't notice it. Here's what they **DO** know (using Breyers original 1/2 gallon containers as our example): Ice cream is not a staple food product, except for fatsos. It's either an impulse purchase or it's bought for special occasions. They know at EXACTLY what price people will take a pass on buying it if they feel they've already spent too much on a given visit to the grocery store. Down goes the number of units sold.

So yes, they could've kept raising the price to the $4.00 range, but it would've cut their volume. There's a point where raising the price no longer works, and customers are happier with (to pick a random number ) $3.25, even if the package is smaller.

As far as anything sneaky going on, you may notice that the size is printed right on the package.

And yet, the size was printed right on the containers, in full compliance with Federal food labeling regulations.

Hey, watch it! Ice cream is a staple product in this house & I'm not fat! So there! ;-P

Cathy

They know at EXACTLY what price people

You were doing fine in the first paragraph, although I'm not so sure about how much speculation has to do with it as opposed to demand, but in the second you started out about Bush and it's all his fault. The middle east is far more complicated than GWB and he alone has not cause the problem you talk about, it dates back decades. It is like saying that in the last four years humans are totally responsible for global warming. That is not rational.