I'm mad as hell and not going to stand for this price hike!

Pat’s Steaks, in South Philadelphia, which raised the price of its cheesesteak from a tourist-targeted $8 last year to $8.50, is getting by with a bit less profit to keep from raising prices again, said spokesman Tommy Francano. “Last year we bought a case of Cheese [sic] Whiz for $63,” he said. “Now we’re paying about $78.”

Philly.com, March 4

Now is the winter of our discontent. It’s not bad enough gasoline prices are rising faster than a Gulf oil gusher. That the mainstream media endorses the lie that a slight decrease in unemployment claims (because more people stopped looking for work, or took Walmart-level jobs) proves the economy is on the rebound. That supermarkets no longer seem to offer discounts on real food, even their suspicious in-house brands.

Now we’re expected to also passively accept rising junk food prices. I’ll warn you just once, whoever you are: Cripple my ability to gas up my Hummer, but do not fuck with my Cheez Whiz. Not if you hope to make it to the spring of our discontent.

This is America, you socialist bastards. I’ll give you my cheesesteak with Whiz when you pry it from my cold, dead hands!

FYI: Pat’s is the dumpier-looking of the two cheesesteak emporiums at Ninth and Passyunk. The best thing to be said for it is that it’s not Geno’s, the other steak shop, whose owner made a name for himself exhorting cheesesteak eaters to blame illegal immigrants for their troubles.

Footnote: Check it out in person if you don’t believe me. Customers at Pat’s really do fork over eight-freaking-fifty for a cheesesteak on a long roll and another few bucks for a soda. A lot of them look like they do this every day.