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Florida Agriculture Commissioner candidate J.R. Gaillot introduces plan to combat price increases [1]

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Date: 2022-07-25  

Life in the U.S. has been getting more and more expensive. This year, Americans saw massive hikes in prices for things ranging from baby formula to gas. According to the June consumer price index , which measures changes in the cost of food, the price of housing, gasoline, utilities, and other goods, rose by 9.1% over the past 12 months, the highest increase in 40 years. The report also revealed that southern states are experiencing the biggest increase in prices, with a 9.8 percent increase in prices from June 2021 to June 2022.

Prices have gotten so outrageous that a recent Forbes Advisor-Ipsos Consumer Confidence Biweekly Tracker poll found that two-thirds of Americans say they’re less comfortable making household purchases now than they were six months ago .

These increases in prices have been devastating for Florida families, especially those on a fixed budget. Food prices have also increased by 10.4% over the course of this year, meaning families are finding it harder and harder to put food on the table.

However, some of these drastic increases were not unavoidable. Companies took advantage of inflation as an excuse to hike up prices and increase profits, at the expense of millions of American families. Accountable.US (a corporate watchdog group) said it examined the financial statements of the nation's top companies and found that companies artificially raised prices to generate billions in profit and then used that profit to boost CEO compensation and give lofty benefits to shareholders like increased dividends or stock buybacks.

J.R. Gaillot, a former Florida congressional nominee who is now running for Florida Agricultural Commissioner, has promised to take action to lower prices should he win the race. He has promised to go after companies which illegally price gouge and put public welfare at risk; and he has the power to do so. Florida statute 507.07.37 explains that if “...the interests of the consumers of this state have been damaged or are being damaged, or that the public health, safety, or welfare is endangered or is likely to be endangered by any consumer product or service…” the Agriculture Commissioner has the power “...to commence legal proceedings in circuit court to enjoin the act or practice or the sale of the product or service and may seek appropriate relief on behalf of consumers.” Meaning the Agricultural Commissioner can sue major companies if their price gouging harms public welfare. And given that the average family is expected to spend $341 more every month to cover increases in prices, it is safe to say the public welfare has been harmed. Going after these companies would not only lower prices in the short run, but also set a precedent that discourages companies from artificially hiking prices in the future.

J.R. Gaillot has not only pledged to lower prices by going after greedy companies, but also by supporting price caps on essential goods whose prices are unnecessarily high. While he has suggested a few areas where price caps may be needed, one of the most impactful is his proposed period products price cap. J.R. Galliot is one of only a few candidates drawing attention to an industry which has historically been overlooked: the feminine products industry. Feminine products have become much more expensive over the course of the year, with the price of pads rising by 8 percent and the price of tampons rising by 10 percent. These price increases have been devastating, especially given that before prices even rose, 21% of women reported that they were unable to afford these products every month. J.R. has outlined a comprehensive plan to lower the cost of feminine products for women across Florida by placing a cap on the price of menstrual products. He is one of the few politicians across the country with plans to tackle this problem, and is drawing attention to a vital issue which is impacting women all across Florida.

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2022/7/25/2112597/-Florida-Agriculture-Commissioner-candidate-J-R-Gaillot-introduces-plan-to-combat-price-increases

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