THE GOLDEN SODA

THE GOLDEN SODA By Joe Ingino B.A. Psychology Editor/Publisher Central Newspapers ACCOMPLISHED WRITER/AUTHOR OF OVER 800,000 Articles Published Columns in Canada and The United States Ah, who has not been victim of a good Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola soda on a cold summer day. The two soda cartels that control the flow of soda across the world. A monopoly made from a 100 year long brand battle. Today, Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola control most of the canned soda. Most brands and most flavors. The two entities have become corporate giants employing millions of people. My question at large. How is it that a 2 litre bottle of Coke or Pepsi retails for more than 2 litres of gasoline? Are we to assume that producing soda from tap water is more expensive then refining crude? Are we to assume that there is that much demand for soda over oil that the cost for a soda is in some cases double. Gas prices today. $1.40/litre. Soda prices $1.50/litre. Why are we paying such premium prices for soda. This is an example of corporate greed. The root of why food prices are what they are. Being a life long business person. I see what they are doing. In business we always look for opportunity. In the case of soda. No one regulates the cost. The final price. These corporations can charge what they want as they are not affected by economies as other corporation may be. But, don’t let that fool you. You will soon see that these corporations come out public. Belly aching on how ‘tariffs’ are affecting the cost of cans they use and they will pass yet another increase to a litre of soda. We live in a run away economy. Regulations are set only to benefit corporation and in part give them opportunity to increases prices. Look at the relation between transportation, manufacturing or producing any particular item and the fluctuation of it’s final price. Gas goes up. Our products go up. Gas goes down. The prices for that same product stay the same. I like to call it the sling shot affect. There always has to be a justification for increasing rates... but no real reason for lowering them. Look at gas. One day it is $1.70. In the morning it is $1.40. Next day $1.80. The following morning $1.45. Companies slowly increase rates without the consumer really realizing it. I just came back from the United States. Within the same City. One gas station had $2.49/gallon. Another down the street $3.59. There is no justification. Same gas station. Soda gouging is out of control. We can’t boycott as for some soda is like gasoline for a car. We are nothing but blinded modern day slaves. Subjected to the will and punishment of corporations.