Richmond - The Editor, As I sat down to write this letter, I was thinking about the unimportance of what I had in mind when compared to the trials and tribulations of millions of people in the human family around the world.
Richmond - The Editor, As I sat down to write this letter, I was thinking about the unimportance of what I had in mind when compared to the trials and tribulations of millions of people in the human family around the world.People are suffering under appalling poverty and disease, fleeing homelands as refugees, threatened by various forms of imposed tyranny, while nations armed to the teeth are willing to fight over control of pieces of real estate that will ultimately become our common burial ground.But then I thought what was bothering me in the microcosm of little ol' Richmond was really what was troubling the world - a growing lack of trust amongst and between peoples, nations, politicians, corporations, and present-day systems of governance and other decision-making bodies that are inadequate to address the exigencies of today's world.So, here's my "little" concern - deceit (and hence a lack of trust) in pricing commodities.One store advertised a product "2 for $6 ($3 each) and a "saving" of so many cents and another, the same product, "5 for $10 ($2 each)." Where's the saving? Another example is trying to find the best price for toilet paper.Here a calculator, scratch pad and plenty of time is needed - packages come in 4,12,16 or 24 rolls, with one roll having 165, 176,280,270,264,187,319 or 352 sheets/roll.(No, I didn't count them - that is what was "helpfully" claimed).If one assumes equal quality and size of sheet, and notes whether each sheet is single, double or triple, only then can a proper cost analysis be made to determine the "best buy."And everyone in the system knows that no one will take the time to make the calculations (except me, as a teacher, trying to help students become smart consumers).Do such numbers reflect any effort on the part of corporate manufacturers, distributors and consumer protection organizations to be of service to and to earn the trust (and respect) of their customers? Gratefully, I still trust God, my very close friends and the intuition of most women.Merrill MuttartRichmond
