含羞草研究社淟et them eat cake.含羞草研究社�

These famous words are often attributed to Marie Antoinette who (equally famously) eventually lost her head over her inability to read a room.

France含羞草研究社檚 last queen may or may not have actually uttered the phrase 含羞草研究社� in response to news of the exorbitant price of bread 含羞草研究社� before meeting Madame La Guillotine in 1793, but the words continue to resonate.

Today含羞草研究社檚 monarchs have swapped lace collars and velvet robes for sweater-vests and khakis. Now, they go on TV, where they continue to offer trite catch-phrases that reveal just how out of touch they are with the average consumer.

They are our grocery magnates, and while many regular folk struggle to put food on the table 含羞草研究社� be it bread or cake 含羞草研究社� they are getting substantially wealthier by the day, it appears.

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I含羞草研究社檓 certainly doing my part to help them.

For example, after returning last week from vacation, I needed to refill an empty refrigerator.

With only one or two traditionally higher-ticket items, like laundry soap, in the cart, I still managed to shell out $230 in short order.

This included no meat, aside from one small package of bacon that was 含羞草研究社渙n sale含羞草研究社� for more than it cost at regular price not long ago.

Dairy and produce 含羞草研究社� the latter fresh, frozen and canned 含羞草研究社� made up the bulk of my purchases. As frustrating as it was to pay $5 for a carton of milk and $9 for a single spaghetti squash, the price of chicken, beef and pork placed them firmly in the 含羞草研究社渕aybe next time含羞草研究社� column.

That含羞草研究社檚 not necessarily a bad thing; I probably include more meat in my diet than I should. But for some people, it is off the menu entirely, replaced by beans and other lower-cost proteins.

I was standing at the meat counter at a grocery store late last year as a woman near me stared in dismay at the prices and commented that she didn含羞草研究社檛 know how much longer she could afford to continue eating.

Of course, food is not a discretionary purchase, but I understood her point.

We can adjust our diets, clip coupons, buy items on sale and freeze them, or compromise on the quality of the food we eat, but the overall trend is up, up, up.

And it含羞草研究社檚 putting a ton of pressure on the most vulnerable people in our community. I can only imagine what it must be like for a senior on a fixed income or a single parent trying to feed a growing family. It含羞草研究社檚 no surprise that rising demand is stretching local food banks to their limit.

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This trend of skyrocketing food prices has been dubbed 含羞草研究社済reedflation,含羞草研究社� and the federal NDP is happy to make political hay out of the situation.

They含羞草研究社檝e calledon the Trudeau government to extend its investigation into the rapid rise in food costs until CEOs of the major grocery store chains are forced to explain themselves, which they have so far managed to avoid doing.

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含羞草研究社淲hile families are deciding if they can afford the more than 35 per cent hike on a head of lettuce 含羞草研究社� grocery CEOs are making billions in profits,含羞草研究社� reads an NDP release, issued Feb. 21.

含羞草研究社淚n fact last year, Loblaws made an extra million dollars a day 含羞草研究社� It doesn含羞草研究社檛 make any sense, and Canadians deserve answers from the big CEOs profiting off of food.含羞草研究社�

They含羞草研究社檙e not wrong 含羞草研究社� the numbers are hard to swallow.

They含羞草研究社檙e also probably not going to get far with their demands.

There含羞草研究社檚 a reason things got as bloody as they did in 18th century France. We live in a world where people, once they含羞草研究社檝e risen to a certain level, are nearly impossible to hold to account. It含羞草研究社檚 bizarre to think that grocery chain CEOs fall into that category, but here we are.

It含羞草研究社檚 certainly not too much to demand a little transparency.

Obviously, the stakes aren含羞草研究社檛 quite as high as they were 200 years ago, but if things continue the way they have been, at some point, the view from the top of the tower may once again include torches and pitchforks 含羞草研究社� even if this time, they含羞草研究社檙e only metaphorical.

For now, though, it appears these modern-day monarchs will have their cake.

And they含羞草研究社檒l eat it, too.

Right in front of us peasants.

Brenda Anderson is editor of the Peace Arch News.