(OPINION) Goya Foods President and CEO Bob Unanue took a swipe at the Biden administration on Thursday over its handling of the inflation crisis, rising grocery costs and labor shortages that continue to cripple U.S. businesses.
In an interview on “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” Unanue accused the White House of weaponizing inflation to “control” the public while using irresponsible unemployment payouts to discourage able Americans from rejoining the workforce.
“At the core of inflation, and it’s out of control – especially in food – is evil, a desire to control us,” Unanue told host Tucker Carlson. “When I was a child, my parents said ‘never take candy from a stranger.’ And they’re giving out candy, incentivizing people not to work. They’re taking away our purpose, our spirit, our reason to get up every day. They’re doing it without their own candy, they’re taking our candy, and using it to incentivize us not to work. That’s very inflationary.”
Rising food prices have been one of the most visceral reminders of red-hot inflation, which has created severe financial pressures for most U.S. households. Food prices accelerated to a new four-decade high this summer, forcing Americans to cut out everyday items they can no longer afford.
According to the Labor Department, Americans are paying more at the grocery store for a number of items that have climbed considerably in price over the past year. That includes staples like eggs (38%), chicken (16.6%), milk (15.6%), potatoes (13.3%), rice (12.7%) and fresh fruits and vegetables (8.2%). On top of that, America is in the midst of what many are calling the worst worker shortage in recent memory.
Throughout the pandemic, Unanue said his company “never stopped working” because it was deemed essential. But the country’s largest Hispanic-owned food company felt the impact of employee shortages first hand. “Work is essential. It gives us our reason…each one of us is made in the likeness of God with our own identity,” he said. (Fox News)
