Assignment: suggestions for further resources, questions of clarification, or providing context and insight. Avoid simple agreement; if you agree, explain why, and then thoughtfully further the conversation for two posts.

Post#1

I decided to write about CVS health since this was an employer of mine about 10 years ago. In 2010 I believe I was making about $11 an hour and as of 2022 to their salary they pay their certified pharmacy technician is about an average of 18.81 an hour which is only $39-$40,000 a year. If the current minimum wage is $15 that means a pharmacy technician is only making a little more than three dollars over minimum wage which is unfair. I worked as a tech in a retail pharmacy for a few years and the compensation this company is offering does not nearly amount to the cost of living in California. According to many resources and based on my own calculations it seems like someone in the state of California with me to make about $75-$80,000 a year to live comfortably, possibly, and this may not fully be the case if this is only one income per household. If cost of living for just one bedroom are hardly less than $2000 a month, what does $39,000 a year do? I also know from personal experience that not a lot of bonuses and races are given within the company I really have a strong disagreement for this inflation. It has caused so many households to go in turmoil and without basic means. Inflation rate distributes wealth? To whom? Possibly to those who already experienced great wealth before this inflation, or to companies and businesses that can charge more for rent, lease agreements, food. mortgage etc. They are doing so because there are not many laws that says they can't do so, and If there is the cap on the max allowed percentage is still considerably high an unaffordable for some.

Post#2

I currently work as a freelance copywriter, and also work part time at a locally owned spirituality store. I currently live in Los Angeles. Employees at the spirituality store start at $16 per hour, and after a three month period to see if they will work out, we are allegedly eligible for an increase, but for myself and my peers, this has yet to happen. Fortunately, I also am able to make money off of writing gigs, which vary in what I make depending on the scope of the project, and being a landlord of my real estate investment house that I own in Texas, which brings in $2300/month. David Rae, a local financial planner, has written that his consultants calculated an annual income of $74,371 was about right for the average person to live comfortably in Los Angeles (Rae, 2022). I am able to do well enough, but as a single woman with multiple sources of income, an inheritance, and no children, I also recognize my privilege and take chances to help others when possible. What helps me make my money stretch farther is that I am also a minimalist. Anyone who has a family with children, or more expensive interests, would likely need to obtain more money for it to be comfortable. Inflation is having a very large impact on the community right now. Today's inflation is caused by a unique mixture of shock waves stemming from Covid-related surges in consumer demand and supply shortages (Byrnes and Wass, 2022). There are also other world events that continue to impact this. Even though the pandemic started two years ago, there has been a ripple effect that has caused production to still be catching up to this day. Currently, we are seeing prices on necessities like food and gas rise astronomically. This has caused people to do things like use more credit cards, and postpone on saving for retirement, because they need to think of ways to survive now. This is also an indicator that wealth is continuing to not reach the people who really need it, and is continuing to line the pockets of the already rich.