Pres. Biden needs to address grocery prices and rent

[Wanderlust988]

They are the reason traditional Dems are upset. The grocery prices effect the middle and lower classes more than the rich so that's why you have such dispirited Dems at the moment. I don't really ever hear anything from the WH about grocery prices. Gas prices are stable, so that's not it.

Yes, it's nice that people have jobs, but when you overpay for inflated groceries it almost doesn't matter. I think most people don't blame him for the prices, but he needs that Bill Clinton moment "I feel your pain..." He needs to press Congress for more SNAP money. He needs to call out the CEO's of companies like PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, KraftHeinz, Kellogg, etc. which are price gouging consumers. He just needs to ADDRESS the issue. We know he can't wave a magic wand, but just do something.

I think the WH thinks if you don't say anything, then it'll just simply fade away in time. That's not true. It also doesn't help that he has no adequate voice on economic matters. Our Treasury Secretary is not up to the task for TV. Yellen is smart as a whip and knows her stuff, but she is not a good media spokesperson.

If he loses the election, this is why. Those un-informed voters will always say groceries and rent were cheaper under Trump, even though prices are up all around the world.

[TwilightZone]

1. He's been doing that for months.

You might want to catch up.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-19/biden-seizes-on-consumer-costs-as-winning-issue-for-reelection

https://www.cnbc.com/2023/11/27/white-house-supply-chain-bidenomics-wins.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/01/us/politics/biden-food-prices.html

https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/grocery-stores-should-cut-prices-costs-ease-biden-white-house-says-2024-02-02/

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/23/biden-food-shrinkflation-sotu-00142773

[OAITW r.2.0]

4. Biden's not doing enough. LOLOLOL

Give him a bullet-proof Congress and see what happens.

[betsuni]

7. Yes he has, a lot, thank you. Whining about Biden not doing something, he does it, it's ignored or

not enough, more lecturing about the things he should do that HE IS DOING.

Do people think he's stupid? Sitting around the White House watching reality TV shows and eating crackers? Every time I hear BS about Democrats ignoring the working class and economic issues (it was the Democratic Socialists of America today) I want to scream.

[PortTack]

15. ☝️☝️☝️☝️☝️

[Scrivener7]

27. But he does need to pound this fact in his speech to counteract the message people are being given by the MSM.

He has done a lot.

Many people don't know that.

[Wanderlust988]

49. This is not enough.

Trump is sucking all the oxygen from the media. So far, we only have about 4 or 5 instances of Biden talking about prices in the past few months. That is not enough!! This needs to be weekly. We are in a dire struggle against MAGA and he needs to be out there showing the Biden that everyone came to love in 2020.

We can all put our heads in the sand and act like everything is wonderful, but poor and middle class people are suffering with the groceries and rent right now. He needs to be more of an advocate vocally. Once a month is not going to cut it.

[BamaRefugee]

2. Definitely.

Pundits are always using the tried and true term of “kitchen table politics” and trust me this is hitting everybody right at the kitchen table right now, grocery prices are at a 30 year high and those people are sitting at the kitchen table with less food on their plates, in apartments that should cost $1000 a month but it’s costing $1800 a month at least in Los Angeles area.
Bragging about how great the stock market is doing is not going to mean a thing to these people and there are millions of them all over the United States right now.
TFG Is going to come up with some absolute bullshit phrase that’s unfortunately going to ring true in these peoples heads and they’re gonna fall for his lying promises and it’s not going to be good for us.

[brewens]

55. TSF never says what he would do about high prices and rent and no one even asks him. No MAGAt

could tell you. It's like they pretend the corporations would be afraid to gouge us if Trump was squatting in the White House. How do they figure that?

[walkingman]

3. What can the he do? Any suggestions?

[Septua]

6. Boycott PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, KraftHeinz, Kellogg, etc...

..as much as you can tolerate. In the absence of gouging, supply-demand drives pricing.

Crude oil dropped to near nothing in 2020, then once demand took off, it went to $100+ and gas went up. Today it's $79 which is still a little high.

If you didn't know, 2023 was a record year for US crude production, making this country the top producer in world. So much for the Trump talk that we aren't drilling enough.

[walkingman]

18. Just reading that OPEC is going to further limit supplies in order to raise the price

of oil. Just another reason that I think we need to call out Saudi Arabia for what they really are and have been for decades. Personally, I think it should be an incentive to wean ourselves off of fossil fuels. The cancer of the planet.

[Barry Markson]

47. President Biden is in a re-election campaign

A campaign that means life or death for our democracy for the cripe's sake!

He needs to be out in person on the stump speaking to crowds, glad handing folks, kissing babies and slapping backs.

Statements released by the Whitehouse and slickly produced videos from some podium on a sound stage don't whip up supporter enthusiasm.

Sure he's busy with domestic and international problems but there's little that can't be accomplished aboard Air Force one or the back seat of The Beast!

People need to see and hear their President. Tfg is sucking all the air out of the room.

[Wanderlust988]

12. He should have a WH meeting w/the CEO's of the largest dozen food companies and grocery stores

And dress them down. He can call in the CEO of Wal-Mart, Kellogg, Pepsi, Coke, KraftHeinz, Nestle, Target, Kroger, etc. etc., and talk to them about the price situation and tell them to do more to lower their damn prices. The gravy train needs to come to an end. At least he would be looking like he's hearing the public and that he's at least trying, even if it doesn't work.

My point is that people appreciate EFFORT. Look like you're trying to do something. Show people you care. If Bill Clinton was president, we all know he would be visiting people and sitting in their kitchens talking about how he feels their pain. Clinton was a master at kitchen table issues.

[walkingman]

19. Agreed, I think we should give greater power to the FTC in order to pursue the

price gouging and shrinkflation that is happening and then using the profits to fund stock buybacks.

[BootinUp]

5. Things are trending better. Takes more time

Then we like to recover from a global financial calamity.

[jcgoldie]

8. prices are not going to go down

It takes people a couple of years to accept the new normal. Thats where we are. What value do you think there is in calling additional attention to the issue?

[Tickle]

16. Lots of people can't afford

the new normal

[LenaBaby61]

9. Dems have tried passing anti-gouging bills .....But the PUTIN PARTY OF TRUMP AIN'T HAVING IT .....

And 4 Dumb-ass Dems sided with the PUTIN PARTY OF TRUMP

House Dems pass gas price-gouging bill that faces uphill battle in the Senate.
Four Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the measure.

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-dems-pass-gas-price-gouging-bill-faces/story?id=84806090

He wants a go at shrink-flation also:

Democrats' 'Shrink-flation' Bill Would Crack Down On Practice At Grocery Stores
Dave Jamieson
Thu, February 29, 2024 at 9:28 AM PST

https://news.yahoo.com/democrats-shrinkflation-bill-crack-down-172807453.html

President Biden's trying, on top of all he's done/would like to do but the PUTIN PARTY OF TRUMP is in the way of course, and the Orange PUTIN PARTY GUY piece of shit is telling his peeps to try to tank the economy, the stock market, border bill and most in the corporate media keep talking about President Biden's age 🙄, yet PUTIN-ASS LICKER & PARTY COMRADE RAPIST TRUMP is 77 years old & out here threatening people, vowing to be hitler's retribution, slurring, lying, not stating anything from his PLATFORM-- a PLATFORM that's non-existent in the PUTIN PARTY OF TRUMP. He's glitching regularly also @ his kkklan rallies & repeating AGAIN that he's running vs Pres. Obama--melting down right before our eyes

[Earth-shine]

14. Your points are valid, but they would be better understood without the unnecessary emphatics and profanity.

It's a matter of choice. You can write clearly and be understood, or just rant and be mistaken for someone with maturity issues.

[Tickle]

17. Thank you. NT

[Scrivener7]

31. I thought that post was fine. Yours is the one that made me roll my eyes.

[elocs]

34. Too many DUers think that using profanity makes them sound profound or emphatic

when there are 8 year old kids who use the same words. It's lazy writing and the sign of a limited vocabulary even if that's not true.

[Elessar Zappa]

41. Lol

[yagotme]

46. I do wish posters would refrain from cursing in their titles.

Our computer is in the living room, and my wife and I are raising our granddaughters, and I have to be careful about the screen I have up when they're walking around. Some language in the titles is pretty foul, and I have to make sure it's not up when they go by.

[LenaBaby61]

60. Excuse me, but l only have a one mother and one damn father.

And you're neither. l'm a grown ass woman. Gawd, some of these self- righteous folks, l swear

[Earth-shine]

10. I can't speak to the rent issue. It's intermingled with complexities like insurance and taxes.

This year, our condo HOA fees went up by $250/month. Some of the other condos in the community had HOA increases of $400.

We're stuck with this. But as for groceries, one can shop smart.

Our standard-bearer supermarkets here in Southern Florida include Winn-Dixie and Publix. In general, both have outrageous prices.

Also in the neighborhood are Costco, Aldi, and Walmart. When I walk into Aldi, it's like going back in time. The everyday price of spinach is 1/3 that of W-D and Publix.

Much as I hate them as a corporation, Walmart beats W-D and Publix for food shopping on prices.

Costco is kind of its own thing. It's not a traditional supermarket. We often get great deals on high-quality food items there.

Prices in restaurants, even fast food places, have gone up a lot.

[LenaBaby61]

11. You're in Floriduh: The land of rotten ass, racist DeathSantis & his tall boots, his evil big-eyebrows wife ....

God Bless you

3 sets of friends want OUT of that place, but they're older and stuck.

[Mossfern]

57. I am a landlord

I own a small income property through inheritance. It's rent controlled. There are some years that my property taxes and insurance go up by a larger percentage than what I can raise rents. I am particularly attentive to my tenants' needs, and it's a historic building (meaning lots of maintenance).

I just cringe at the attitudes that landlords are mean, parsimonious, exploitative people.

[Johnny2X2X]

20. Really out of his control, but some progress has been made

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rent-apartment-fall-demand-cools/

"The median rent countrywide was $1,964 in December, or $90 less than its peak in August 2022, the report shows."

The last CPI report showed grocery prices had risen just 1.2% the previous 12 months. Dining out remains more and more expensive though as the rise for that was 5.1% year over year.

But as always, you cannot talk about inflation, wihtout also talking about wage growth. Wage growth was robust throughout the worst of inflation and almost kept up, but now has been higher than inflation for nearly a year, so people are actually ahead right now than before Covid.

https://home.treasury.gov/news/featured-stories/the-purchasing-power-of-american-households#:~:text=Real%20weekly%20earnings%20for%20the,in%202019%2C%20despite%20higher%20prices.

"Real weekly earnings for the median worker grew 1.7 percent between 2019 and 2023.[3] This means that one week of pay for the median worker now buys more than a week of pay did in 2019, despite higher prices. "

[MichMan]

26. Rents (on average) may have dropped slightly depending upon locale, but they are still substantially higher.

From the link you posted

To be sure, despite the recent dip, rents remains unaffordable for many Americans. Overall, rents since the pandemic have jumped 23%, adding an extra $371 per month to households' rent, Rent.com's data shows. In 2022, roughly half of renters across the U.S. struggled to afford a roof over their head, according to new research from Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies.

[Johnny2X2X]

32. I'm not saying it isn't a problem

Last edited Mon Mar 4, 2024, 11:09 AM - Edit history (2)

Just that some relief has been seen. But know that wages have increased 24% over that same time period.

But human beings don't think in those terms. "Oh, things are more expensive, but I am making more money so I don't care", is not a normal thought process. Mainly because people think of prices as something being done to them and earnings as something they themselves are responsible for.

[MichMan]

36. Who here has received a 24% income increase ?

Let's see a show of hands

I sure as hell didn't.

For every person that got 70%, there were several others that saw 10% or less

[Johnny2X2X]

38. I have

And then some. And this wage growth was more pronounced at the lower end of the wage scale. The lowest wage earners saw much more than 24% on average. And as always, the people who saw the biggest raises are the people who switched jobs.

But you also have to realize, this is over time, just like the rent increases are over time. A 5.5% increase for 4 years is a 24% raise.

And don't forget, those earning social security have seen their monthly benefit increase 20.3% over the last 4 years. So they fell behind a little on rent, but not a ton.

[MichMan]

43. Telling people that are struggling with higher rents and costs, that they never had it so good, is a losing message. n/t

[Johnny2X2X]

44. Not telling anyone they never had it better

But I think the facts have been left out of these discussions for years now. All people have seen is the media telling them how awful inflation is. When the entire time, every single story about inflation should have also talked about wage growth. Hell, during the peak of inflation, workers at the bottom of the pay scale were seeing annual wage growth of 10 and 12%, but no one ever mentioned it.

And that's why Trump beats Biden on the economy with voters, people never got the full story, and still aren't.

[MichMan]

45. People don't need the media telling them about inflation, they see it with their own damn eyes every day

People aren't too stupid to understand their own financial position

[Johnny2X2X]

48. Then why do we always only get 1 side of the story?

Utility prices are way down over last Winter, where are the endless threads with posters talking about how their gas and electric bills are way down this Winter? Where are the threads talking about the 18% reduction in natural gas prices year over year?

This election is going to come down to people thinking they were better off under Trump under his "greatest economy" in history. Data matters. People can make their own judgements, but it's been a steady drone of only half the story for 3 years now.

More people are working now than at anytime in history. More people have health insurance. Wage growth exceeded inflation since 2019. Less people are living paycheck to paycheck now than in 2019. But we never hear that half of the story.

[ProfessorGAC]

21. Gac Prices Are Stable?

Where?
Retail prices have gone up 30% in the last 60 days. This, while crude prices have only gone up 14.8%.
And they've gone up in big chunks.
So, going by a station & seeing those 2 foot numbers going up 15 cents in a day is going to get attention.
Not sure what you mean by "gas prices are stable".

[Demsrule86]

24. My gas has been stable in Ohio.

[Johnny2X2X]

39. Average US gas prices the last 4 months

$3.32, $3.13, $3.07, $3.21 So they went down between November and February. Now at $3.31.

Gas prices move a lot and there was a recent refinery outage that caused the brief spike we're seeing right now.

[Demsrule86]

22. He already has I suggest you google it...and a president can't control greedflation...

which is what we have. As for rent.. a president can't change that either... Considering we don't have the House and the GOP do nothing house will do well nothing.

[XanaDUer2]

23. Agreed

And make it showy. Id be gratified to see it, even if it didn't work

[bigtree]

25. ffs

...how about checking to see what this campaign and the president has actually said before the ranting like you were the first to think of this?


President Biden Calls Out Corporations for “Price Gouging” Despite Decrease in Inflation

President Joe Biden sternly addressed corporations on Monday, accusing them of maintaining artificially high prices despite a slowdown in inflation and improved supply chains. Speaking at the launch of a new White House supply chain initiative, Biden called for an end to what he termed as “price gouging.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets/president-biden-calls-out-corporations-for-price-gouging-despite-decrease-in-inflation/ss-BB1i9v3W

Biden criticizes US companies for keeping raised prices high 'even as inflation has come down'
https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-warns-companies-stop-price-gouging-2023-11

Biden Takes Aim at Grocery Chains Over Food Prices
President Biden has begun to accuse stores of overcharging shoppers, as food costs remain a burden for consumers and a political problem for the president.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/01/us/politics/biden-food-prices.html

Nov. 2023
Biden Warns Companies Against Price Gouging As He Hosts First Supply Chain Council Meeting
President Joe Biden has opened the first meeting of his supply chain resilience council by saying that his administration is working to lower costs for U.S. families.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/biden-supply-chain-price-gouing_n_6565674fe4b05f498ba199ae

...there are more out there if you bother to look and hightlight them instead of this apathetic call-out.

[betsuni]

40. Thank you.

[Happy Hoosier]

28. I have it n good authority that a magic wand is being built as we speak! NT

[betsuni]

54. We're going to need a bigger magic wand.

[Beartracks]

29. Perception is reality. It's maddening.

While Biden appears to be doing plenty to try to address these issues (see other DUers' replies), there is a widespread PERCEPTION that he is not. Heck, even as a Democrat, you posted this OP; imagine what a deliberately misinformed Republican must perceive the truth to be. At the end of the day, people vote based on their perceptions.

==================

[dalton99a]

50. +1

[no_hypocrisy]

30. Last year, my rent went up $300 a month and yes, I didn't like it.

But to blame Biden? Huh uh.

My rent went up because the property taxes of where I live went up, a lot, partially due to Covid. A lot of rent wasn't paid in my town due to Gov. Murphy's amnesty, forcing landlords to foot the bill without rent money. And many tenant decided to continue to withhold rent after Covid. And less federal support and that's Congress. Less state aid.

My landlord is not a slumlord or a greedy guy. He's trying not to go bankrupt between repair, maintenance, taxes, and his mortgage. I've been a landlord as well and you try not to make rent too high.

Groceries? Let's talk about monopolies of meat suppliers, agribusiness, and plain old squeezing the consumer, knowing they have nowhere to go if they want to eat. Blame Biden? Are you f**king kidding me? He has no sway against those businesses, whom by the way are backing Trump.

[MichMan]

53. If the situation was reversed and Trump was president, we would be blaming him for inflation non stop

Not one person here would be saying it wasn't his fault. President always gets blamed; it's just how it is.

[getagrip_already]

33. How about congress establishes a national distribution system

For staples purchased under federal contract.

Flour, sugar, baby food, Cereals (grains, beans, not sugared finished goods), paper goods, canned goods, etc. Sold at a non profit basis.

Labor via unemployed and work release at living wage, seized buildings and equipment to keep costs down.

Shipped via usps.

People could still go to piggy wiggly of course. But for staples and non perishable goods, it would be a cheaper option in some cases. And competition would be a factor.

Think congress would start a new govt agency to do this? Think for profit companies would scream like stuck pigs and run to scotus?

[Mike Nelson]

35. I think he will...

... problem is the big food corps would be fine with another Trump term. I plan groceries - what to boycott, buy less of, and what products to change brands on... as long at the food sells at high prices, there is no incentive to lower them. No more fast food for me... used to go in with a $5.00, but now you better goin in with a $20.00. It's garbage, anyway!

[BannonsLiver]

37. "Yeah, it's nice that people have jobs and that our government functions..."

“But if they can’t get a 30 pack of Diet Coke for $2 all is lost.”

🙄🤮

[Alliepoo]

42. I agree 1000%

Although President Biden has apparently been addressing the issue (?) I haven’t seen any of it. And I pay attention. Nor have a whole bunch of folks out there if social media is an indicator, which I believe it is. People will vote with their wallets and their wallets are really hurting. No one I know has gotten a raise that some folks here on DU are talking about. The economy might be good but it’s not showing up in people’s paychecks. If President Biden or Vice President Harris has to call a press conference every week to address this they should. The media ignores them but if they addressed it on a regular and public basis they can’t be ignored forever. The message that they’re trying to do something about it would get out there but they need to step it up now because they’re running out of time. If they think maga isn’t going to pound on this closer to the election, they’re mistaken. And hurting people will listen to them.

[Johnny2X2X]

63. No one you know has gotten a raise?

Then how did we go from $51K a year average (median) to $61K a year average as of 2022?

https://www.ssa.gov/oact/cola/awidevelop.html

So these numbers are just fake?
https://www.atlantafed.org/chcs/wage-growth-tracker

Who the hell would stay at their job if they weren't getting raises over a 3 or 4 year period? I literally can't think of anyone I know who hasn't gotten a raise of some kind. And the people close to me have seen raises above the average 24% increase that people have seen since 2019. If no one is getting raises, then how come these restaurants spent so long crying that they can't find people to work for $12 an hour anymore?

You know, I know people are struggling, I get that, but I think there's psychology at play too and the media has been all in on the economy being bad for so long I think a lot of people ignore their own circumstances improving.

[Alliepoo]

65. My son just got a small raise.

I’d say the working folks I know and interact with haven’t gotten raises that are enough to counter the effect of the prices we pay at the grocery store. And that is what they’re paying attention to coz it smacks them in the chops on a weekly basis. Studies and statistics are all OK but the fact remains that people are hurting and they need to know and hear repeatedly that the Dems are aware of and addressing that problem. It’s just that simple. They don’t care about statistics. They care about what their groceries cost.

[Ocelot II]

51. What is he supposed to do about it?

[bucolic_frolic]

52. He already did. Look at jobs and wage growth. /nt

[redqueen]

56. I agree - he needs to hammer these repeatedly

but also he needs Dems in Congress to do the same. Highlight the bills they're working on and if Republicans are shutting them down then scream about it!

And every liberal pundit needs to bring these up at every opportunity.

We are just not as disciplined in messaging as the other side and it's way past time to fix that.

Just saying 'but gdp' or 'but lots of jobs!' or 'but rents are down here here and here' IS NOT IT

[SarahD]

58. How other countries do it.

Subsidize family farms and protect them from corporate takeover. Build public housing and give low interest loans to first time home buyers. We used to have programs like that, but along came Reagan and you know what happened then.

[Ocelot II]

59. Congress has to do those things; a president can't.

Have you noticed what the House, which originates spending bills, has been up to lately?

[EarthFirst]

62. Smack a few CEO's around in public...

Maybe address Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick suggesting that cash strapped consumers “have cereal for dinner…” in response to the rising cost of groceries…

[Vinca]

64. In our area, the price of real estate spiked because of Covid.

The wealthy city people headed for rural areas and put cash on the barrelhead, full price plus offers down. The average residents can't compete with that, but how do you stop it? It's a free country and you can't stop people who have money from spending it. Prices are starting to go back down a little, but it takes time for it to happen. As for groceries, there seems to be an ebb and flow of prices that don't seem to be connected so much to the economy as to environmental conditions. For example, last year's apple crop where I live was decimated because of frigid weather conditions so the price of the surviving apples went up. Florida citrus seems to be up and down depending on the weather and DeSantis giving the orchard employees the bum's rush out of the state because they're "the other." Eggs went up because of avian flu, then went down. Now they're up again because the avian flu is back. I honestly don't know what Joe Biden can do given how screwed up the climate is and how impossible to work with the Congress is.

[dwnsouth]

66. Credit Card Debt is climbing rapidly

This is another way you can tell the cost of goods are hurting folks