Rain or shine: TOMORROW and Every Sunday morning 10 a.m. to Noon
Spread the word! Tell your friends to come support healthcare!
We'll meet here: 833 Wayne Ave. Silver Spring 20910
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=833+Wayne+Ave+Silver+Spring+MD+20910
Why Boycott Whole Foods? Because:
John Mackey, CEO of Whole Foods dishonestly attacks health reform that
would prevent 44,789 deaths each year.
Mr. Mackey argues that Americans have no right to health care--or even
food, shelter, or clothing for that matter.
Whole Foods retaliates against employees who try to organize to secure
better pay, benefits and working conditions.
Whole Foods employees cannot protest, picket or organize for fear of
losing their jobs--so we have to speak for them!
JOIN THE BOYCOTT--SHOP SOMEWHERE ELSE: A local Co-op, a farmer's market,
My Organic Market, or a union shop.
MORE INFORMATION: http://www.progressiveneighborsmd.org/wholefoods.php
JOIN US TOMORROW and Every Sunday morning 10 a.m. to Noon--and don't
shop Whole Foods
John Mackey uses the money he makes when we buy at Whole Foods to
promote myths and propaganda created by the insurance industry and big
drug companies to derail health care reform. If you support health care
reform and honest discussion about the issues facing our nation, it is
time to send John Mackey and his friends a message. Tell them that the
voice of ordinary Americans will be heard.
Most Americans Support a Public Option:
"All the national polls show a wide majority of Americans support the
public option." -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
"Poll results tend to back up Reid's assertion that voters approve the
public option." -- Christian Science Monitor (10/27/09)
Most Doctors, the AMA, and AARP Support a Public Option:
"A majority of physicians (62.9%) support public and private options.
Only 27.3% support private only." -- New England Journal of Medicine
(9/14/09)
"I want to thank both organizations again for their support, and I urge
Congress to listen to AARP, listen to the AMA and pass this reform for
hundreds of millions of Americans who will benefit from it." --
President Obama
"[T]he American Medical Association and AARP endorsed legislation
drafted by top House Democrats. The AARP, the nation's largest
organization of older Americans, is a nonpartisan group that advocates
for people 50 and older. The AMA, historically an opponent of health
care reform, is considered one the nation's most influential doctors'
advocacy groups." -- CNN (11/05/09)
John Mackey is not "speaking out against Obama." He is *lying* about the
facts on healthcare, and thereby speaking out against everyone. He's
entitled to his opinions. He is not entitled to his own "facts," which
really aren't facts at all. That said, Mackey is legally allowed to lie.
We're at least as allowed to call him on his lies, and also deny him as
best we can the megaphone he uses to push his lies.
A few people have complained this boycott would inconvenience them, but
that's a small price to pay when the alternative includes rapidly
increasing insurance costs which are choking our economy, and killing
44,789 Americans each year. Research released "in the American Journal
of Public Health estimates that 45,000 deaths per year in the United
States are associated with the lack of health insurance. If a person is
uninsured, 'it means you're at mortal risk,' said one of the authors,
Dr. David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard
Medical School. The researchers examined government health surveys from
more than 9,000 people aged 17 to 64, taken from 1986-1994, and then
followed up through 2000. They determined that the uninsured have a 40
percent higher risk of death than those with private health insurance as
a result of being unable to obtain necessary medical care. The
researchers then extrapolated the results to census data from 2005 and
calculated there were 44,789 deaths associated with lack of health
insurance." See:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/18/deaths.health.insurance/index.html
Some express concerns that a boycott would hurt Silver Spring
economically. This fear is unfounded. Silver Spring is a thriving center
with countless shops, restaurants, and even several alternatives for
grocery shopping. Whole Foods is an overpriced, "big hype" outlet for
products generally available elsewhere--at more reasonable prices. Shop
co-ops, farmers' markets, or union-friendly grocery stores. Boycott
Whole Foods without any concerns that you'll be hurting Silver Spring.
Employees dislocated by the boycott can find jobs with real health
benefits and better conditions elsewhere when the shift of consumers to
other retailers create new jobs at better places. Keep in mind, Whole
Foods--for all its high prices and hype--is not a good employer.
The "free healthcare" Whole Foods used to provide was high deductible,
high co-pay, illusory insurance. That means his employees thought they
had real coverage, until they needed it. Then they found their
out-of-pocket costs made this "free insurance" worth about what they
paid for it. Then, Whole Foods began to charge them for that, and
refused to let them have real health insurance. Bad deal for them, but
what choice did they have? None. That's where this mendacious Op-Ed
comes in. Mackey, not happy with preventing his own employees from have
free choice to secure decent insurance for themselves and their family
is now working to prevent everyone he can from having free choice to
secure decent insurance.
Who is John Mackey to deny us free choice, using lies and "fake facts,"
leveraging his prestige as CEO of a presumably moderate or even liberal
chain of stores? Who is he to mock choice and attack competition? This
is business as usual for Mackey who relies on anti-competition and
deception. The FTC investigated Whole Foods intention to eliminate all
other consumer choices in the high-end "healthy" food market
nationally--all to give Whole Foods the monopoly power to jack up its
prices.
We support honest discussion. Mackey doesn't. He tries to trick people
with false claims and propaganda. Mackey taking $1 in salary is a
gimmick, another bit of deception. Mackey makes $millions in bonuses and
still benefits from stock and/or options. To be clear: He can *say*
whatever he wants (he can even keep lying about healthcare here and in
other nations). We can *shop* wherever we want. We don't care what his
compensation is, or even if he *pays* to work for Whole Foods. After he
tipped his hand with his dishonest Op-Ed, he won't be getting any $1
dollars--or $100 per bag of groceries--from many moderates, liberals or
progressives.
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