Letters to the Editor: Corporate greed sours attitudes on the booming economy. It’s reality, not a disconnect

To the editor: Economist Justin Wolfers cites data on unemployment, growth and improvement in income distribution to conclude that “the economy is good. Full stop.” So, why do polls show so much unhappiness with the economy?

I do relatively well in terms of income and savings, but I am nothing short of gobsmacked when I go to the grocery store. For example, my dog and cat eat what would probably be considered a middle-of-the-road brand of dry food (not the cheapest, not the most expensive), and since the pandemic the cost has doubled. Doubled!

Everything else seems to have gone up by 30% to 40%. It’s ridiculous.

We accepted the explanation that this spike in cost was because of pandemic-era supply chain issues. But it’s almost 2024, and that explanation no longer holds water. Corporations have kept their prices high, and average consumers detect greed every time we leave the store.

Economists can cite statistics on low unemployment and economic growth, but they will continue to hear grumbling from consumers who must spend hundreds of dollars more at the grocery store than when we did a few years ago.

This is not a disconnect; it’s people’s reality.

Jennifer Swoboda, Long Beach

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To the editor: I read with sad amusement this article on the discrepancy between numeric facts and public perceptions on the economy.

Partisanship aside, one major reason for the dichotomy in many people’s dour perception of our stable and improving economy seems obvious. When it comes to messaging, the Democrats, for lack of a more cultured term, stink.

Matt Giorgi, Brea