Roll Back Prices campaign: Shoppers outraged at inflation in food, utility costs

On March 4, shoppers at an Albertsons grocery store in Los Angeles were greeted with flyers calling for an end to war and inflation in a campaign by the Harriet Tubman Center for Social Justice to “Roll Back Prices.”

Physics tells us that every action gets a reaction. The $100-billion worth of firepower going to escalate war with Russia and the countless money spent on provoking war with China is returning that energy to us here in the U.S. as a force of inflationary destruction, obliterating our already deteriorating standard of living.

Shoppers here are seeing it not only at the cash register but in their utility bills – big time.

The utility SoCalGas recently announced drastic rate hikes and is already trying to get those hikes extended through 2027 in hearings on March 6 and March 15. Most people, however, find it odd that SoCal’s parent company Sempra Energy is making record profits and just rewarded top executives with huge payouts.

The Los Angeles Times reported that Sempra’s executive compensation numbers for 2021 include $25 million for Chief Executive Jeffrey Martin. Two other execs made $8 million and $7 million.

Grocery chain Kroger’s 2022 profits also broke records – so much so that the company is planning on buying this store and every other Albertsons.

The Biden administration and every Democrat and Republican in Congress who voted for war escalation and devastating economic sanctions against other countries have caused supply shortages and inflation. They have also created an atmosphere providing an excuse for price-gouging.

People stopping to talk with organizers and sign up to join the Roll Back Prices campaign complained about the high cost of groceries. But their greatest complaint was the unbelievable increase in utility rates. 

“My last bill was $1,900,” said one woman who grabbed a flier as she rushed into the store. This is not an isolated case. People are reporting bills that are eight times higher than last year’s rates.

This is why the Roll Back Prices campaign is demanding Biden issue an executive order to stop price-gouging, inflationary spending on war against Russia and further provocations against China. The campaign is demanding that the trillion dollars spent on the U.S. war budget instead be used for vital social needs.

“Where’s our bailout?” said Maggie Vascassenno, an organizer of the action. “Every working person is hurting from this war drive and inflation. And especially the workers in this store and the SoCal utility workers. They made huge profits for these companies and are getting repaid with meager checks that continue to be eaten up by inflation. 

“Well, it’s got to stop. It’s got to stop now. We have to say, ‘No more money for inflation and war – we need a drop in utility and food prices now!’”

Further demonstrations are planned for March 15 at SoCal gas and the Public Utilities Commission hearing.