Back on August 11th, Whole Foods CEO John Mackey had an opinion piece in ye olde Wall Street Journal, outlining his ideas on health care reform, most of which make pretty darned good sense, and will help keep the industry out of government hands. Ideas such as
Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs). The combination of high-deductible health insurance and HSAs is one solution that could solve many of our health-care problems. For example, Whole Foods Market pays 100% of the premiums for all our team members who work 30 hours or more per week (about 89% of all team members) for our high-deductible health-insurance plan. We also provide up to $1,800 per year in additional health-care dollars through deposits into employees’ Personal Wellness Accounts to spend as they choose on their own health and wellness.
This is something that the company I work for has done for all non-bargained, and now some bargained, employees, and something many, many of the companies my friends work for have done. It used to be that I had $16 taken out of my bi-weekly checks, which included $5 for high end dental. We went to an HSA, and now nothing comes out of my check, except to go into the HSA account, which earns interest. However, I would pay $1,100 out of pocket before any co-pays kick in for medical treatment and prescription medicine. Our dental and eye care is actually better than it was, and cheaper, however (remember when dental was a big deal as a perk?) So, it would cost me about $450 more a year IF I hit my $1,100. No big deal to me, I rarely ever need to see the doctor or get meds. But, for others, it serves to keep them from going overboard in going to emergency rooms and emergency centers except where necessary, and going nuts because they have a simple cold.
For non-bargained, the cost to the company went from $10k-$12k per year to $6k-$8k per year, a substantial savings, which gets passed to the consumer, as well. I know where to go for cheap and quality meds (Wal Mart or Target) and health care (my secret place in Raleigh. Sorry.)
But, how dare, DARE, DARE!!!!! John Mackey offer any sort of alternative to the Democrats government run options, even after the Left shrieked that no one was offering an alternative. So, what did they do? Well, as Richard Blair at The Moderate Voice points out, they boycott
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey shot his company in the face the other day with an anti-health care op-ed screed in the Wall Street Journal. He’s managed to piss off his company’s core demographic: liberals and progressives, and in the process, enabled a boycott that could actually work.
There is no doubt that boycotting Whole Foods would be a difficult proposition for many latte-sipping, Volvo-driving libruls. After all, where else are we going to spend hard earned grocery money for a $25 steak or a $10 pound of fair trade coffee?
The thing is, when Rupuert Murdoch published an anti-health care security op-ed from Whole Foods CEO John Mackey in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal, a few progressive latte drinkers decided they didn’t need to buy their arugula at Whole Foods anymore, and called for a boycott. After all, the big marketing gimmick for Whole Foods is that they’re a socially responsible company which sells food that is actually good for you (even if the products are very over priced).
As of today, the boycott is really picking up some steam.
How DARE he offer an alternative?
Rather than providing a substantive debate and rebuttal of what Mackey wrote, well, “screw him and all the people who work for the company, boycott!!!!!!” This is the Left at their best: attacking and harming the little people (who gets hurt the worst, Mackey or those who work for him?), but unable to rationally debate the issue. They say they love freedom of speech, they say they love dissent, they love “honest debate,” but, like most Obama promises, those talking points will be discarded at the first sign of opposition, and their thuggery and intolerance magically appears.
Other lefties are cheering this on, such as America Blog and skippy the bush kangaroo. Lanny Davis manages to blame the Right, somehow.
Smitty at The Other McCain: Oh, the argument isn’t about health in the slightest: it’s about whether you’re buying capitalist fromage or government cheese.
Legal Insurrection: And now a boycott of Whole Foods! The Left is feeding on itself, like people stranded at a plane wreck on some mountaintop. In case you were wondering, corporate Whole Foods has no spine.
He should not publicize his political views. That will always cause trouble.
Scoop Jackson must be weeping in heaven to see what has become of his Democrat Party. I gave it allegiance for 56 years but in my 57th I saw the most outrageous sexism, racism and dishonesty rear it’s ugly head and tear down Bill and Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin and her family and that finished it for me. I can’t ever see myself ever voting for a Democrat again. Their values have become so distorted and twisted it defies logic. I cannot wait to give every ounce of my strength and time to working for anyone who opposes Democrats and their controlling subterfuge policies. The parable of the wheat and the tares is about to play out in 2010. Enough! No more disparaging of good and descent American’s trying to get their voices heard by elite politicians who want to tell us how to live, what to think, what to eat, how to dress, what to drive, where to live, and lastly what medical care we can get. I now know what it means to say “Power To The People”!
Teach do you think that medicare should be stopped ? do you think that this is something that private companies should do ?
and the part about liberals being all latte drinking volvo drivers is pretty funny, it certainly shows more about your own prejudices than it does about who shops at whole foods