Why Progressives Should Boycott Whole Foods
By Nicole Belle Sunday Aug 23, 2009 10:00am
You gotta love the mentality of Greta Van Susteren, reducing the whole union-hating, Ayn Rand-loving, universal health care-dismissing ravings of Whole Foods founder John Mackey to a question of whether he's a "bad man." She's using the same language I use with my 6 year old when talking about "stranger danger." Sheesh.
Even as a diehard foodie (My husband and I plan our weekends and vacations around meals and restaurants. Seriously.), I actually don't shop that often at Whole Foods. I find it...well, elitist and overpriced. I much prefer Trader Joe's and our local farmers' markets to Whole Foods, though many of my friends are major patrons. But now that I've read Mackey's diatribe in the WSJ in all its Randian glory, I have to wonder if he considered at all who shops in his stores. GastroNomalies.com's Ali Savino writes on Whole Foods' rotten core:
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey wrote a thunderous comment piece in which he derided the public option, Barack Obama's biggest campaign promise to progressives, and put forward a stridently conservative view of healthcare for America.
Does Mackey know who his customer base is? Did he really not foresee the backlash that has ensued – the howls across the blogosphere and Twitter, the Facebook petition to boycott Whole Foods?
Pundits argue that Mackey hasn't gotten a fair shake. He sells food after all, not health insurance. He's a successful businessman who has wisdom to share. But Whole Foods is more than a supermarket. From the cooking classes and wine tastings to the monthly event calendar on the wall, Whole Foods aims to be a way of life.
The brand Mackey created caters to a specific clientele. Customers are greeted with signage boasting of local farmers and grass-fed cattle. Whole Foods touts announcements of Green Prom projects and 100-best-companies-to-work-for accolades. The reusable shopping bags and shelves filled with yoga mats and all-natural beeswax lip balm aim to capture the same folks clicking "donate" on the MoveOn fundraising appeals.
These are the same people who pay large sums for a pint of organic strawberries, laughing off or even defending the "Whole Paycheque" label. They tell themselves: It's OK to pay double what those strawberries would cost elsewhere, because they're chemical-free, healthier, environmentally and ethically sound. Whole Foods customers want to feel good about their purchases and believe they are being better citizens for shopping there.
Now Mackey, the face of the company, is not only at odds with a central tenet of progressivism, but a supporter of free-market evangelism that has no space for the community-based, egalitarian solutions his customers support.
One of the site team wrote to Whole Foods after the op-ed was published and Whole Foods responded quickly with a somewhat disingenuous response, but also one which disavowed Mackey's stance (The exact phrasing was "Whole Foods Market has no official position on the issue"). If you're on Facebook, you can join the "Boycott Whole Foods" group now.
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What do shoppers at ho-foods eat?
I shop-rite!
corporate HQ and flagship store. Never been inside. I am healthy.
Not hungry. Better off financially. If you overspend on food while other starve, you are not progressive.
I agree to boycott Whole Foods, just like I did to Faux Noise years ago.
In held when it is for them....
Memorial Day in 1981, the worst flood in 70 years devastated the city of Austin. Caught in the flood waters, the store’s inventory was wiped out and most of the equipment was damaged. The losses were approximately $400,000 and Whole Foods Market had no insurance. """"Customers and neighbors voluntarily""" joined the staff to repair and clean up the damage. Creditors, vendors and investors all assisted in helping the store recover, and it reopened 28 days after the flood
Whole Foods was a single store in Austin, Texas. Before it began swallowing up all its competition through mergers and acquisitions. Before it fought against union organizing. Before Mr. Mackey started bad mouthing Wild Oats, (a company he eventually sucked up)on the Yahoo Business Forum under an assumed name.
figure they only believe in it when its for them. The customers and neighbors, and others voluntarily helped them out. Whole foods donates at least 5% of profits a year to charity, plus the individual stores have 3 days a year where 5% of total sales(not profits)get donated to local or regional education or non profit orgs.
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/commu...
Now if you had shown they they applied for gov money for repairs and lost/damaged inventory and equipment, yes you would have a point. But what happened wasn't that, its actually what libertarians and repubs are for, voluntarily helping others. Not govt mandates.
I've donated excess garden produce to the local food banks(I plant way more than I can use for that purpose), donated time and money and effort for charities, for instance I've worked for and donated to habitat for humanity, and a local group that does work on the elderly houses for free. Last year we had some massive flooding in my area and I volunteered to help with the cleanup. But if the Gov mandated me doing it? Yeah right. I decide who I should help.
I live near the creek that flooded Whole Foods, and did so on the day of the flood in 1981. It flooded because of rampant overdevelopemnt of the watershed of the creek upstream of the store they rented in an old building.
Today they sit atop a mountain of a concrete building and parking structure plus a paved parking lot adding untold impervious cover to the same creek!
But they stoped selling lobsters to avoid cruelty.
What the hell is whole foods?
A big shiny supermarket chain that focuses on healthy foods. Unfortunately, it's also incredibly overpriced, to the point that the people who work there cannot afford to buy their food there. It's a playground for rich foodies, in a nutshell.
... they are like the Walmart of Organic foods. Their business plan, literally, calls for the elimination of whatever local alternatives are already established wherever they set foot.
It is horribly overpriced, and the quality that they use to justify their prices is simply not there. However, I can't say I fault whore foods for taking their snob clientele for the proverbial ride.
Agree, Whole Foods is way overpriced and no better than any market where fresh food is sold. A big shout out for Trader Joe's. Unfortunately there are none in the area of the country where I now live. :(
What they believe others should not have..
Memorial Day in 1981, the worst flood in 70 years devastated the city of Austin. Caught in the flood waters, the store’s inventory was wiped out and most of the equipment was damaged.
The losses were approximately $400,000 and Whole Foods Market had no insurance.
Customers and neighbors voluntarily joined the staff to repair and clean up the damage. Creditors, vendors and investors all assisted in helping the store recover, and it reopened 28 days after the flood.
Trader Joe's has very little fresh food and you still can't get much outside of packaging. I want my fruit and vegies available by the pound.
Go to their website and send them an email. Get your friends to email them too. If they don't know your area wants a store, they won't consider opening one there.
I agree to boycott Whole Foods, (also known as "Whole Paycheck".
...well that pretty much does it for me. I have gone to WF for years and appreciate what it offers even if it rapes your wallet. I've been weaning myself off of WF for about a year now because of the costs and all I needed to hear was some lunatic rant from the CEO to seal the deal. This guy clearly doesn't know his customer base and I hope he pays for it.
Cater to hippies and liberals by selling entirely organic, fair trade and natural foods and then turn around and feed these (mostly) educated people some moronic Faux Noize talking points - yeah, that'll work REALLY well.
...that (in their own words) they merged in order to "“eliminate forever” the possibility that anyone else could create a nationwide competitor" or that they "sell junk"?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19315379/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/aug/0...
is whole foods union? If so, it is not whole foods that is provided health insurance for the employees, it was negotiated by the union. If not, the union negotiations of other food outlets set a precedent for whole foods to follow.
If I'm not mistaken, Whole Foods has joined with Starbucks and others to oppose EFCA.
Mackey has said (look at the links above) that his goal is to keep Whole Foods 100% union-free. He's compared unions to herpes in public statements.
wages and benefits that Whole Foods employees enjoy. If there wasn't unions involved, the employees would not have healthcare benefits and would be paid a lot less.
Thanks, unions are the "pole that holds the wage tent" up.
the company I used to work for was non-union, there are no union companies of the type I worked for anywhere in this area, there was another competing company of the same type nearby, also non union. Wages were fair at both with pretty good benefits.
There is another company in my town, it is also non-union. The company isn't non-union they do have union plants elsewhere(multi-national corp). The majority of the employees are though. The wages there are higher than any of the union companies in the area for comparable jobs(machine operator at the union shop 2 blocks away $9/hr, machine operator pay there $15/hr). And outstanding benefits, excellent insurance, vacations, pto, 401k matching, plus they contribute I think $.50 per hour worked into a 401k on top of the match whether the employee contributes or not. They don't do it because they are afraid of the employees getting a union. The company doesn't care if the employees unionize, the employees don't want to because they know they won't get anything additional, they would just have to pay dues. The company doesn't offer wages and benefits comparable to the union companies, they blow them away. The only thing wrong with that place is that nobody ever quits so job openings are extremely rare and its next to impossible to get hired in.
Hell my brother in law worked for them, and did a good bit of out of town trouble shooting/start-up work for them. The company decided that they were figuring out of town pay wrong, it was right according to how it was written up, but it wasn't how they wanted it set up. So they changed it and made it retroactive. His boss pulled him aside to let him know personally because he would be the one most effected by it. Then handed him a check for I think for somewhere between 7-8k. Have you ever heard of anything like that in a union shop? They company deciding that they didn't like how the pay was in the contract, so they increase it and make it retroactive. I highly doubt it.
WF has never been union. That's why working there is not as great an experience as it seems. I've talked to people at WF and they're not all that happy.
trader joes kicks their asses...and i have a farmers market every monday only 2 blocks from my apt
shop at trader joes...where they know how to treat their employees
thank you
Particularly since most of their stores are in large metro areas.
You have Trader Joe's, Union Grocery Stores, Costco and Farmers Markets.
Which is how we shop.
I've been to Whole Foods in San Diego a total of two times in 10 years. Once because it was right there and I wanted some sourdough and another because I wanted some lamb shanks and no one had any good ones.
Since then I have never gone back as I really never liked the experience and I would rather support the other choices. Also, their prices are out of sight, really.
You can get your natural items elsewhere.
I have a TJ's close by, and it gives me about 75% of what I need. The rest I get at the regular supermarket in the neighborhood.
Years ago, I used to shop at a "whole food" supermarket in L.A. called Mrs. Gooch's. It was a small California chain, and it was great. Same kind of thing as WF, except without all the elitist fancy stuff. Good solid healthy food. It was a great place. So was Wild Oats, another little CA chain.
Then fucking WF came along and bought them both out. The prices sky-rocketed, the items got all la-dee-dah, and I stopped going. About then was when Trader Joe's began really expanding their selections to include a much bigger range of food, even fresh produce. (They'd originally been a wine-cheese-nuts kind of party store.) Once that happened, I never looked back.
TJ kicks their ass every day and twice on Sunday.
First he puts words in his mouth. He did not say the CEO of Whole Foods is a bad guy, but then she kept haranguing him until he finally did. then she turns around and says that it stuns her that he would say that.
People with brains should know better than to go on Fox Noise. Dems-Progressives, espesially Administration officials and spokespeople, should REFUSE to go on as long as FAUX is pushing the lies (well, all the time) about issues. Just boycott them completely. If they want to be the right wing Rethug noise machine, let them; and they can be only that.
now that i've left my marriage of 25 years, i can't shop there as often, and Trader Joe's does rock. i cannot get the selection of wholesome meat at Trader Joe's that I get at Whole Foods and I miss that. This said, I am very surprised at this boycott movement. As a shopper at Whole Foods, I have long been aware of the regressive - capitalist - views of Mackey. Are his attitudes only suddenly unacceptable? I expect a lot from the people I do business with. One thing I've never expected is that they share my socialist views.
I think this is the wrong way to channel the energy for Single Payer Health Care. Our national discussion should be focused on that, not splintering this way.
Splintering what? He's clearly not progressive. His company is clearly not progressive. His policies are clearly not progressive. So what exactly are we splintering?
Eff Ho Foods, viva Trader Joe's! (And please bring one to the great CA North!!)
Splintering the focus on the health care supporters. It shouldn't be on the politics of Whole Foods owner. Whoever expected him to be a liberal? And why did anyone shop there who didn't already know what his regressive attitudes were? This is foolish.
People should spend their time writing their own letters to editors, talking to their neighbors, joining health care action organizations. I heard about this boycott for more than a week before I learned it was about an issue very important to me. That's evidence of splintering.
Didn't mind help for others when he was down and out , Yet they tell others to the h... with you.. It certainly is an issue , when he jumps in and tells others they should have no insurance or help...
He certainly did not turn any help down..
This is the problem with democrats... They will complain about an issue , but will not take any action to stop it if those actions were Inconvenience them...
The conservative not only jump in with both feet , but they have networks of personal which are waiting to take action in a minute notice...
They had loses of $400,000 in a flood 70 years ago , didn't have insurance and their customers , neighbors , creditors , vendors and INVESTORS help them for FREE>>>
the problem with democrats is they won't take action? hello? because i don't think this boycott is a good idea hardly means I am not taking action. That's a ridiculous assumption.
Email TJ and let them know you want a store in your area. Tell your friends to email them too. TJ chooses their locations partly based on the enthusiasm of the population for having one there. Let them know they have fans in your town!
And seemingly at odds with this guys beliefs, Whole Foods DO seem to try to buy natural foods all over the globe - AND pay the poor farmers fair prices.
And then they crush whatever LOCAL alternatives there are in the areas they barge into. AND they don't buy from the local farmers at all. They ship food in from whatever farflung place they can get it cheapest, thus gouging the consumer even more AND polluting even more with their wasteful shipping.
Yeah, they're real sports about the best alternatives!
I'dve stopped shopping there THEN. Are you saying that since he's held these views all along and we were unaware he deserves a pass? Sure sounds like it.
Your socialist views. That's a laugh.
You know what else it sounds like to me? It sounds like, in a somewhat whiny way that you are trying to shame people out of following what they believe to be true, so you can ignore the discomfort a wealthy, well taken care of creep wants to inflict upon others less fortunate than he, in order for you to have your warm fuzzy feelings about enriching a greedy asshole.
"Break up the boycott! Shop with little old socialist me! Who cares which asshole is making the profit! It's all good!"
Don't let us stop you pal, but go do your Whole Foods proselytizing elsewhere.
Thanks for the concern, BTW
How is this "splintering"? You think we can't back health care reform AND boycott a supermarket at the same time? Nobody is saying people have to go picket at WF or anything. Just don't shop there. How is NOT doing something going to take up any of our time or energy?
love it. I'll stop shopping there. Drain on the old resources anyway. We have Trader Joe's and the slightly MORE expensive PCC which I discovered as a member, becomes less expensive with coupons and member discounts. I swore off QFC/Fred Meyer when Kroegers bought them and could never stand Safeway. If these grocers aren't careful, I'll be doing major shopping at little Stop-n-Robs around the hood, reduced to a diet of Beef Jerky, Slim Jims and Skittles.
at called "Art's" that I loved to shop at (off of Holman Road) when I lived in Seattle. After QFC bought them out, they were never quite the same.
I like TJs and do most of my food shopping there. They have a fair amount of Hindi style frozen bowl etc.
Lee Lee oriental supermarket is an interesting place to shop for food as well.
John Mackey can kiss my Irish ass. I read an article about his fascist tendencies several years ago. So I never go to Ho Foods.
SHOCKED, I tell you, that anyone would call their opponent something so caustic as "a bad guy".
What a joke Fox "News" is.
John Mackey had a right to voice an opinion, but he should have realize that his opinion about healthcare would have consequences. It's seems to me that people are voicing their opinion now by choosing to boycott his business.
I used to shop at Whole Foods at least once or twice a week because I liked the hot food choices and the healthy salad bar options. But after CEO Mackey's comment piece, I too have become an ex customer.
What's really interesting about this issue is that the L.A. area Whole Foods target audience is a largely liberal, free thinking and healthy clientele. In the many Whole Foods markets I've visited in the area, and even in the not so liberal cities, I have actually never seen the type of Town Hall crazy, overweight, red neck shopper of which would agree with CEO Mackey and his opinion of health care reform.
an atheist standing up in a pulpit and preaching about God.
I don't go out of my way to shop at Whole Foods because of the distance from my house. They are overpriced as well although some of what they sell I cannot buy at TJs. It is no big deal for me to shop elsewhere.
I prefer Trader Joe's and will continue to shop there.. but in my area, there are new stores called Fresh and Easy and they are a good other option to the Krogers and the Albertson's and Whole Foods stores.
I'm very excited about that. There's one by my brother in SoCal, and it's a great place to pick up stuff for a quick, healthy meal.
This is going to be easy for me because I have never seen a Whole Food Store, so boycotting them will be a breeze. Hey, come to think of it I was boycotting them before boycotting them was cool, I have been doing it all my life.
I do like there veggie burgers and would go in the El Segundo, CA. store, from time-to-time, but, not anymore. I regularly shop at Trader Joe's and a fairly new store called Fresh & Easy.
Not that I can really afford to shop there anyway. I wrote my closest Whole Foods, told them how much money I'd spent there in the last 2 years (a lot. Thanks, Quicken!) and told them why I wouldn't be shopping there anymore. I haven't gotten a response.
For anyone who lives in Chicago, the Green Grocer on Grand & Noble is a great alternative to Whole Foods. They really go out of their way to provide local produce & meats, they're locally owned and they're no more expensive than Whole Foods...probably less. I don't work for them, I'm just a big fan. It's the only store I've found in the city that sells "pastured" eggs...even Whole Foods doesn't do that.
I love Trader Joe's too, but their produced is shipped in from God-knows-where and wrapped in shrink wrap. That creeps me out.
The only thing I've gone to WF for in the last five years is Tofutti pints, because it's almost impossible to find them anywhere else in L.A. But you know, I think I can pass on the vegan ice cream if it means denying bucks to that FLAMING ASSHOLE. No WAY he's getting another penny of my money.
For a truly progressive company, if you are so blessed to live in the North East, do your shopping at Wegmans.
Part Time jobs with Benefits, including a scholarship program.
Local vegetables and produce.
Health foods
Phramacy
In store restaurants
And ethics.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wegmans_Food_Mar...
On May 15, 2007 Wegmans was named one of the most ethical companies in the United States by Ethisphere Magazine.[
Let's qualify that first of all...
We do happen to believe that intrinsic rights include food, shelter and universal, public-option health care, and that this WSJ op-ed piece does have an underlying 'social-Darwinism' feel to it.
However, as a national PBS TV cooking series in our 10th season that is dedicated to organic, sustainable and healthy eating, we are pleased to at least see the discourse taking place that includes shifting people's diets to healthier foods.
Mr. Mackey should be celebrated for his efforts to implement a mainstream way for people to shop for organic ingredients by creating Wholefoods. Thus in our minds boycotting is not the correct approach.
In support of his article, why not provide less affluent shoppers the ability to eat from the healthy table that his family does? Perhaps to offer a low-income debit card that only covers non-processed, organic foods or bulk items? Or to partner with the myriad of great companies out there to offer those less fortunate shoppers substantial discounts based on their low-income?
In other words let Wholefoods be the shining example of corporate sponsored community health care, where needy people and hungry children here in America have access to healthier diets that can help prevent illness.
Peace, Love and Compassionate Consumerism!
Wholefoods charges exorbitant prices for organic foods, perpetuating the myth that eating right has to be expensive. Mackey has become rich by adding ridiculous mark-ups and profiting from the affluence of his baby-boomer clientele.
In order to offer a low-income debit card, Wholefoods would require financial documentation, intruding on the privacy of its customers.
Trader Joe's has great food, works with small growers and distributors and does so without gouging its customers. They are the shining example that you seek, not Whole Foods.
It's true that the mark-up for all grocery stores is exorbitant. By the time a piece of produce comes from a family farm it's already 3-400% higher in price than what the farmer got paid for it.
Of course we agree that invading people's privacy is always wrong, but low-income families would provide such documentation if it meant substantial discounts on healthy foods (we believe).
The most important thing right now is that there's a great dialog going on with a direct correlation between healthy foods and preventing illness. We also believe that this conversation on Wholefoods profiting and "elitism" will spur positive change.
We're glad you're out there waving the flags and speaking up. We're just pragmatists hoping for some good to come from all of this.
The markup for WHOLE FOODS is exorbitant. If it's so inevitable, why are there stores all over the country that offer the same kind of foods for far less?
Who's "we", white man?
with an asshole diametrically opposed to the well being of the the populace of theis country and by extension, the country itself, I don't see HOW you can support it. You may want to reexamine your commitments. I suggest you take a good hard look at Mackeys exclusionary expensive bureaucracy laden plan, and question how you can support it. Not much for hippies in there.
As for "...let Wholefoods be the shining example of corporate sponsored community health care, where needy people and hungry children here in America have access to healthier diets that can help prevent illness" really? You think kids who are malnourished due to poverty and lack of access to healthcare will have parents that can afford 7.99 a pound for baby spinach or 5.99 a pound for organic Rainier cherries, 3.99 a pound for organic tomatoes?
Organic Rainier cherries at WF runs more like 7.99/lb.
Luckily, just 40 miles east of SF is the city of Brentwood, where many stone fruits are grown. I get my organic Rainier cherries at our farmers' market from there for $2.99/lb. And if I go to the source directly, I know a farm where I can get them for $1/lb.
FWIW, I do think that we need to have a national dialogue about our food system. I will be leading a book chat in the next week or two about how the system is broken with Jill Richardson, of LaVidaLocavore blog.
Things are changing. My kids' schools have nutritional guidelines that they are now enforcing for even the students' bag lunches. Junk food like chips and cookies are sent home unopened with a stern note from the school.
But to celebrate the elitism of making healthy food unaffordable for the average citizen? I don't think so.
so it's not so much to bring them to Seattle.
:D
For the past 10 years we have produced a national PBS television cooking series all about organic, sustainable and healthy eating.
When we started the word 'organic' was equated literally with 'manure' and part of the reason we went with the HippyGourmet as our series title way back when.
Wholefoods did accomplish a few key things from our perspective, not the least of which is reaffirming the importance of organic foods and helping small family farms survive.
Since we began producing shows back in 1999, we continue to feature these great organic family farms and wonderful chefs who bring those healthy ingredients to life.
Do we believe that it's right for there to be a 3-400% mark-up on food after it leaves the farm? Absolutely not! People should not have to choose between eating healthy and being able to afford rent.
In terms of school lunches, we are great supporters of Chef Ann Cooper (lunchlessons.org) who is working wonders in throwing out processed foods from school lunch programs across the U.S.
bullshit.
We've been doing organic and sustainable food for a longer time than ten years.
We can't afford school lunches in California. We can't even afford to pay teachers. The regulations I'm talking about are what the students bring from home.
School lunches are only provided for lowest income students and are often the only full meals these kids get. Luckily, they have improved them quite a bit in the last five years.
But we also have Alice Waters' Edible Schoolyard, which my daughter's Montessori school has emulated as well. Kids are taught how to cultivate and grow food and try produce that they might not try at home. My six year old is a huge fan of Caprese and arugula salads after learning how to make them at school.
We featured Chef Ann Cooper on our show and are supportive of all of her efforts to make school lunches (as well as breakfasts and after school meals) organic, healthy and something affordable for all kids.
Ann works directly with Alice Waters and is a public policy advocate to the government on healthy school lunches.
We haven't heard of the program to regulate what kids bring from home, this is fascinating and would love to learn more.
If you saw how we prefaced our original comments, we are 100% in support of universal, public-option health care for all & that we disagree with the 'social-Darwinism' tone in Mr. Mackey's op-ed piece.
Perhaps being the pragmatic Hippies that we are, we know that Wholefoods isn't going to shut down tomorrow, or that Mr. Mackey isn't going to become progressive overnight - however, we do believe that Wholefoods could offer substantially discounted healthy food options to struggling families, and that's the reason we took the stance we have. So that maybe something actually good could come from this.
Here's a few important points to note: 1) Wholefoods is NOT one of our sponsors for our national PBS TV series, 2) they refuse to carry our "Hippy Gourmet's Quick & Simple Cookbook for Healthy Eating" (nor our DVDs for that matter), & 3) They are more than happy to portray themselves as having "hippie" tendencies, while at the same time running for the hills when it comes to being identified with anything hippie - so we're not shilling for them in the slightest.
But our definition of being Hippie is to offer solutions and to find ways to get more people to eat healthier foods.
"however, we do believe that Wholefoods could offer substantially discounted healthy food options to struggling families..."
I believe that Bush could come clean about the elections he stole.
I believe that Bush could come clean about lying the country into war.
I believe that Bush could come clean about torture, and turn himself over to the Hague.
I could do this all day, but I won't.
And if you think a Randian like Mackey is going to maybe, might, could give a damn about struggling families...
I just don't know what to say.
You're right of course.
Day will not become night, night will not become day and organic produce will not fall from the sky for reasonable prices to feed hungry families and children anytime soon.
But it is in fact the Hippie way (from our perspective) to 'believe' that good things can occur after all. Miracles do happen.
Social-Darwinism is a horrible philosophy that we think only contributes to the demise of community, civility and hope.
So what do you think is the answer?
to support the truly good things.
To educate others (such as your show does).
Shopping as much as possible at local farmer's markets.
Supporting true co-ops.
The main things before Mackey's insane op-ed that kept me from shopping there were:
They are a Wal-mart styled shop, and the intent is obviously to be the mega-version of what most places already have - co-ops, family run businesses, etc.
They have not made their anti-union stance a secret.
I had shopped there a few times when I was on the road, but I will not in the future.
And while I do agree that it is good to keep hope alive, I have no interest in using my hope that they do better in the future as a means of defending them now.
Those things are separate.
My personal hope in this is that Mackey, through voicing his extreme and selfish views, will cause more of his shoppers to question where they are spending their money, and to support better stores instead.
I would say he isn't going to become progressive at all, particularly if there is no economic penalty for his anti-progressive actions.
Oh, fyi, it is particularly annoying on the intertubes when a person refers to themselves as a "we." I know you gotta teevee show an' all but is there more than one of you hittin' those keys?
Dear Different Anonymous,
yes it's true there is one person here writing these comments, but we are a collective of creative individuals who have dedicated ourselves to producing meaningful content for PBS family audiences as a non-profit for all these years.
Is it considered OK if we are able to be influenced by the intelligent comments and discourse to our original post? That in fact we (and I) are learning from everyone here - and not steadfast or ego driven to admit when our position is untenable.
So many great points have been raised thus far, including yours. Perhaps there is also a rallying point, or a further organized purpose that can be put forth? We are open to all suggestions.
As a rallying point, perhaps we could support a boycott against Whole Foods?
Not trying to bust your chops "Hippy," but I wonder if all those in your collective agree with what you are writing on their behalf?
Do you think a collective agrees all the time? That only happens in cults : )
No, we spar between ourselves and have open discourse about everything we do.
However, we are forever grateful to learn and grow in this life. To gather input and form (and yes re-shape) our opinions accordingly.
If your group is so very wonderful and progressive, why don't you give us a link to your website? Or even mention who "we" are?
I call bullshit. This is one guy in his basement trying to concern toll us into submission.
Gee if you disagree,
So I'm supposed to be shamed into starting a movement or something?
Tired old load of bollocks. I'm sure there's something more interesting to do on the site than mess with some filthy hippy all day
:D
Interesting how the conversation that started as an intellectual discourse should end in name calling.
Arguments fall in on themselves when people lose their civility and resort to stereotypes.
Don't you think?
You keep going on about "we" and your wonderful organization. Yet you offer not the slightest shred of proof.
As they say on the internet, pics or it didn't happen. If you expect us to believe you, cough up some evidence. This is C&L, not some Fox News wannabe site.
Sorry we thought our link was posted at the top of each comment post:
Proudly we are: http://www.HippyGourmet.com
who are asshats philosophically speaking. He is not encouraging health for 100% of the people. And if you disagree with him, but send him the signal through your wallet that it doesn't matter, he doesn't give a shit what you think. He's all about the money, the status quo that serves the few very well, and leaves crumbs for the rest of us.
Call yourself a liberal, a lefty, a progressive, a hippy all you want; it does not make it so. It's in your actions, which speak louder than words, as we are often told.
Not only do you shop there, you think it's OK to do so, and you are trying to dissuade others from following their feelings by saying "it won't make a diff; they won't fold."
SO? So TFW? You and that other new poster, lee, are apologists for the company, and it leads me to believe you have something to gain by wittering on so about how great WF is, and how we need to abandon our principles and just go ahead and shop there.
Not a chance, 'Hippy'
Sorry to reiterate these points but:
Wholefoods is NOT a sponsor of our PBS TV series.
Wholefoods does not carry our "Hippy Gourmet" cookbook and actually refuses to do so.
Wholefoods provides us nothing and we provide them nothing in return.
We do believe that Wholefoods has helped small family organic farms to stay in business and flourish, and that they have helped to make mainstream the 'pure and healthy' nature of organic ingredients.
FYI - prior to this op-ed article we did shop at Wholefoods, especially to supplement our weekly needs for fresh organic produce. After this article, and in taking in all of the perspectives here on C&L we will rearrange our shopping habits and go with SPUD.com and our local Country Sun family owned market.
Again we ask, what are your plans to organize and to make positive change occur from this? We're all ears (and eyes)
and because I am against them, it is down to me to organise? Is that question an attempt to shame me for not agreeing with you? What the hell is your problem?
Your lack of logic is astounding. And I still have to believe, w/ your vociferous defence of an asshat like Mackey who benefits directly from people shopping at his store, you DO have some ulterior motive it-this much energy expended on your part doesn't make sense.
As for me, I have said, many times on this thread alone, I will not shop there anymore. Why don't you explain that it is incumbent on me, miss_kitty, to start a separate action that the one already begun (Boycott Whole Foods)?
And who is 'we?' You are only posting as Hippy Gourmet. Who are the others? Or do you consider yourself royalty? I'm thinking it's gotta to be the latter, the way you swan about in here...
Here are my ulterior motives:
I want lower income people to be able to walk into a Wholefoods and be able to shop there for healthy ingredients at reduced prices.
I want the small organic family farms to make more and for the shareholders to make less (everyone still profits of course)
I want universal health care and a public-option as a safety net for all Americans.
I am not, nor will I ever be royalty, nor did I intend to offed you by asking what your plans were on this topic. I did not see the link to organize previously and appreciate everyone's input and suggestions on this highly emotional issue.
lets go over this, since I sense a great deal of disingenuousness wafting from your general direction.
Not meant to offend? We're all ears and eyes? Not a snotty aside?
We is us. Right...
Is listening and learning from people's opinions considered 'disingenuous wafting'?
Perhaps you missed my apology if I offended you regarding my interest in learning more about what the proactive efforts you were taking?
I will reiterate that it was not composed as a snotty aside.
sincere.
And it is cool that you brought up SPUD.com
They do a good job of supporting local organic farmers.
Wouldn't mind hearing other's thoughts on them.
We love SPUD.com (and again they are NOT one of our sponsors).
A fresh box of organic produce that comes from local family farms is delivered every week and gives us such a wonderful seasonal selection.
I don't see much learning going on on your side. You're just repeating the same crap over and over in different words. You're fine getting people to listen to you, but not so much on listening to them.
From a previous post:
FYI - prior to this op-ed article we did shop at Wholefoods, especially to supplement our weekly needs for fresh organic produce. After this article, and in taking in all of the perspectives here on C&L we will rearrange our shopping habits and go with SPUD.com and our local Country Sun family owned market.
Mr. Mackey should be celebrated for his efforts to implement a mainstream way for people to shop for organic ingredients by creating Wholefoods.
Yeah, we should commend this guy for selling vastly overpriced food that only rich people can afford to live on. Yes, indeed. Very commendable.
Take your shilling and go somewhere else with it, 'cause we aren't buying, Sparky.
No shilling here friend.
We are and will always be the advocate for small organic family farms, which if you may recall prior to markets like Wholefoods coming into existence, the small family organic farm was about to become extinct.
It is wrong that healthy food is overpriced, in fact it's ridiculously backwards, upside down and inside out! Our point was simply that before there was a mainstream interest in organics, these struggling family farms were about to be plowed over by housing developments and corporate agriculture.
Please re-read the post about us NOT benefiting at all from WF.
Cheers!
I used to WORK at an organic farm in Santa Cruz. So you can take your condescension and stick it.
If you're touting Whole Foods, then you can't have much concern for local farming alternatives, seeing as how WF makes an effort NOT to buy from local growers.
Fail again.
It's great that you worked on an organic farm in Santa Cruz (and again there is zero condescension here).
Hearing differently from the local family farms who have been helped from distributors and Wholefoods themselves that have supported them by buying up their produce.
All we do is support alternative farming alternatives and feature organic and bio-dynamic farms all over.
Not to be snarky, but would you agree that we're not in the 'basement' like you stated earlier? Simply put that after a decade + of PBS programming that we know a few things about organic and sustainable practices.
http://www.HippyGourmet.com - in case you didn't see the link previously.
Greta is a devoted Scientologist, when they don't understand things they're taught by L Ron Hubbard that language is always the problem. I can only assume that her childlike understanding of nuance stems from there.
John Mackey, chief executive of Whole Foods, praised the decision and said the deal would create "long-term value for customers, vendors and shareholders."
Jeffrey Schmidt, director of the FTC's competition bureau, expressed regret at the ruling and said regulators were reviewing their options.
"We brought this challenge because the evidence before us showed that the merger would most likely result in higher prices and reduced choices for consumers who shop at premium natural and organic supermarkets," Schmidt said.
"People shop at Whole Foods not just because it offers organic produce and natural foods, but because it claims to run its business in a way that demonstrates a genuine concern for the community, the environment, and the 'whole planet,' in the words of its motto. In reality, Whole Foods has gone on a corporate feeding frenzy in recent years, swallowing rival retailers across the country.... The expansion is driven by a simple and lucrative business strategy: high prices and low wages."
[ http://michaelbluejay.com/misc/wholefoods.html ]
I sent an email to the Whole Rand peeps and told them I was "Going Galt" on them. Fortunately there is a new Trader Joe's the same distance from my house, so instead of having to turn "right" to shop I can now "Go Left".
Trader Joes is nearly always cheaper, and the quality of the food more than matches Whole Foods.
The Wall Street Journal owned by Dow Jones & Company owned by News Corporation owned by founder Rupert Murdoch.
Less sick people = Less business... Now rub your magnetic balls just so and read you horoscopes. He is just another fish-oil salesman!
His days are numbered, the supermarkets are selling the core items, gotta give him credit for bringing an industry front and center, though I'm not to sure he started the business to make you healthy? To each their own I say.Something smells funny here and it's not my aroma-therapy either. ;)
that I will never spend another dime at Whole Paychecks.
Anti-Union Ayn Randian Over-Priced Social Darwinist Elitist Jerk-Off.
and definitely evil for disagreeing with the dear leader. hmmm i thought questioning the govt. was patriotic!!?!? well lots to learn in this new era of.......change
is nothing short of incredible.
You sir, are an ultra-super-duper-Patriot.
/golfclap
just fun tweaking kool-aid drinkers with their own arguments. golfclap
[Don't flamebait. You will be banned-Sitemonitor]
tweak yourself?
Wasted trip.
God in heaven with your amazing grasp of this topic.
in awe of your awesomeness, not to mention your wit.
your flame fu is weak...
who disagrees with the President, they're somehow shitting all over someone's patriotism?
How do you know Mackey's plan is not in line with what Obama wants? Did you read the Mackey piece? Have you seen anything where the Pres gets specific with details for reform?
Teh stoopid on this thread is so painful...
that supports Unions while were on the subject of Union Haters.
.
It was really great being enlightened by you.
/golfclap
Greta looks like a chipmunk wearing a bad hair piece.
she must be from the mountain state! they grow 'em purty there
I could never figured out why she was on TeeVee to begin with. She is not especially bright, in fact her reporting is down right mediocre... and it matched her looks. Then she had all that plastic surgery, and well... nothing really improved that much.
When a Whole Foods employee pushed a heavy rolling merchandise rack into my back, he apologized profusely and gave me a tube of Arnica.
Before I left the store, I reported the accident to the Customer Service Desk. They promised to contact me soon.
I didn't hear from them for three days, even after I followed up with phone calls.
I guess I naively believed Whole Food would take care of me, as they promise to do in their PR. That didn't happen. I realized they have a cold corporate heart.
“We're not disputing the fact that it happened. But it may take months before we will pay anything.”
Since I didn't have medical insurance at the time. My medical expenses would have to be out of pocket. I could not afford to do that. My only option was to retain an attorney so there could be a lien on my file.
Wow, what a disappointment! Maybe I'm a fool, but I guess I bought in to their to take care of it's customers. At least that's what their PR puts out to us.
Matter of fact, in 'Core Value #2' they promise to
"Satisfy and Delight Customers":
"We go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy and delight our customers. We want to meet or exceed their expectations on every shopping trip. We know that by doing so we turn customers into advocates for our business. Advocates do more than shop with us, they talk about Whole Foods to their friends and others. We want to serve our customers competently, efficiently, knowledgeably and with flair."
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/values/index.php
Not only has Ceo John Mackey has been not only been misleading folks in his PR. According to a 2007 piece by Neal Lipschutz in The Seattle Times, he has been misleading folks in the press for many years as well:
"For about eight years until mid-2006, Mackey was also "Rahodeb," a poster on the stock-market forums of Yahoo Finance.
These are places where rumors, cheerleading for companies and savage attacks on them are often found, frequently under the cover of pseudonyms.
Say what you want about online stock forums, they are no place for a CEO.
According to The Journal, whose reporters followed the trail from a footnote in an FTC filing in its case against the merger, Mackey talked down Wild Oats in a January 2005 posting. He criticized Wild Oats' former CEO. And he was often quite enthusiastic about Whole Foods and its CEO.
Once this practice became public, Mackey quickly defended his actions in a blog posting. It's worth reading." Follow this link for Mackey's rationale for these posts:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/busines...
This is evil.
has melted down.
She's completely harumpted that Mackey could be called a "bad guy".
What doesn't interest her is the notion that "single-payer" could solve our problems.
No questions. No interest.
should boycott Whole Foods? Hell ayone with half a brain should boycott that place. My buddy's son is an assistnt manager at the Upper Arlington store; the employees call it Whole Paycheck.
giving a 10% Senior Citizen's discount when WF bought the last remaining Wild Oats store here in my town. It seems Mackey is unable to loosen his purse strings one day a week to help those who have already contributed mightily to America, including war veterans who are over 60.
My local Von's market stocks locally grown produce and organic produce and many other all natural foods. The price is much lower than the same item at Whole Foods. My local farmer's market is also very well priced and, of course, everything is fresh.
I don't like pumping my hard earned money into a business model that doesn't extend itself to the needy in every community where its located.
We agree that WF needs to step up to provide substantial discounts to seniors and veterans (as well as families in need). More like offering them 10% above WF actual cost for the produce (or 290% less retail).
It is too bad that it took this diatribe for most people to realize how fascist WFM really is. I was a manager (er, Team Leader) there for three years and it was Whole-Mart at its worst. I heard John Mackey say horrendous things about health care and especially about unions. Very borderline criminal anti-union activities were common. Misleading people about organics was routine.
Do the math, WFM came in after the coops and local independents established this business and put them all out of business. It is predatory capitalism at its most articulate. The only difference now is that Mackey has come out in the open and more people can see what WFM really is. Boycott Whole-Mart!
they support health care reform.
personally, i'd rather buy products that aren't made with slave labor, don't hurt the environment, and promote fair trade.
Whole Foods owner may not agree with me on Single Payer, but his practices haven't aggressively driven down manufacturing wages and put mom-pop stores out of business.
I think the thinking is a bit fuzzy on this boycott.
no, i think many of us have boycotted walmart as well, just not over health care. what don't you get?
Hilarious. GVS badgers the guys repeatedly to get him to agree that Mackey is what she describes as a "bad guy" and then spends the remainder of the time hammering that line.
Our neighborhood has a Farmer's Market, excellent cheese shop, organic meat market, 2 local bakeries, wine shops and a microbrewery - all beloved institutions that are better and less expensive than WHORE FOODS.
Boycott! Fight dirty. Hit below the belt. Forget freedom of speech. Silence the opposition. Win at all costs.
Fascists.
Huh????
Oh, I get it. It just needs to be put in the form of a poem:
Boycott!
Fight dirty.
Hit
below the belt.
Forgetfreedom of speech.
Silence
the
opposition.Win at all
costs.
Fascists.
Now that's concern!
Boycotting is freedom of speech
i like how she pretends that mackey supports reform. i've read the op ed several times, it is appalling. in fact i was a little frustrated with the gentleman for not pointing out that the "reform" that mackey is advocating is an ayn randian style that would limit insurance coverage for his employees, limit the benefits of insurance. all he cares about is lowering costs for his company. he's a ayn randian libertarian so he's opposed to any government intervention whatsoever. he supports the idea that tax free donations will pay for the 50 million uninsured.
and i love how they pretend that its wrong to boycott a company over what the ceo says. that's exactly what you do when a company that you support uses their position of power to hurt the very people that supported it. the stock holders will become our advocates when they look at the money they've lost because of him they'll look at him and say 'shut the fuck up'.
i've overspent thousands of dollars at this store. i did it because i thought the company had similar goals.
i support the boycott. besides there's a lot of bullshit involved with organics and alternative medicine. who needs 'em
you are not progressive to begin with.
I have spent some money in Whole Foods, but I haven't for a long time. I remember union pickets outside the one in my town. When I heard that they treated their employees well, I shopped there despite the fact they weren't union. Then I heard about Mackey's political views. It's relatively painless for me to boycott Whole Foods because I have a host of better, less expensive options.
I used to run our local farmers market, so I know dozens of small farmers in the Midwest. Through them, I've heard countless stories of how poorly Whole Foods treats small local growers. WF wants you to believe that its produce is super fresh and local, but in reality, it's just a fancy, overpriced version of the shipped-in reseller junk available in regular grocery stores.
If you want the best meat and produce, DON'T patronize Whole Foods. Visit your local farmers market or buy directly from small farms. There are more out there than you think.
I implore C&L and others to no promote a boycott of W.F.
First, it will not hurt Mackey and will not change his mind. Further, shopping there will not make his wrong-headed opinions any more successful or influential. He, rightly, looks like a moron CEO who had bad ideas that he should have kept to himself.
Second, a boycott only hurts the small businesses that are W.F. vendors. My family has a specialty food company that is poised for growth and making inroads. We've been working hard for 4+ years to get W.F. to buy our product and stock it. We FINALLY got some local W.F. locations to stock our product and it's selling well, leading to the hope of more orders and more stores. This could put our company in the black for the first time and allow us to buy some health insurance!
I disagree with Mackey whole heartedly. In fact, I work tirelessly for Single Payer in California (www.californiaonecare.org - check it out and DONATE!).
But I know that a boycott will hurt W.F. vendors and employees more than it will every hurt Mackey and it will never change his mind.
Please, no boycott.
As a progressive i can not shop at whole foods after mr Mackeys comments about heatlh care.I did shop alot at whole foods and liked the stores and products.But after Mackeys comments i can not shop there any longer.I will not support any right wing cause at any price.Please join me and many other people and boycott whole foods.I feel the board members should remove Mr Mackey from his CEO post at whole foods.BOYCOTT BOYCOTT BOYCOTT.
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