Posted on 09/29/2004 8:06:55 PM PDT by Robert Drobot
Note: I’m copping with some difficult medical issues, and had a disastrous crash of my hard drive twice in succession (worm). This is the reason I’ve didn’t have the opportunity to address this serious issue on FR.
It remains an issue today, because the San Jose Army National Guard will be conducting another 'Open House' in November. I think we are obliged to get behind an effort to show our men and women in uniform our gratitude for their service, without their getting a glove across the face for ‘trespassing’ on private ( COSTCO ) property.
On Saturday, September 11, 2004, I was returning home after participating in a Pro-America 9-11 Remembrance at Stevens Creek Road and Winchester Boulevard, when I decided to stop at COSTCO, Santa Clara to run an errand.
As I approached the entrance, I noticed three smartly dressed uniformed members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry representing the San Jose Army National Guard. They were assigned to distribute a flyer addressing an 'Open House' at the Hedding St Armory being held that weekend. I thanked them for their service to our country, took a flyer and planned to visit them the following day.
As I entered the COSTCO facility, four or five of the COSTCO staff walked past me, surrounded our men in uniform. One of them told the Guard they must stop distributing their flyer. He said this was COSTCO policy, and further told the Guard that they were trespassing on private property.
The Guard members, wisely rejected a public confrontation, withdrawing quietly befuddled.
The following day my son and I went to the Armory. I asked those present if they were aware of the shameful action by COSTCO. They somberly responded they were aware of it, but chose to put an optimistic face on the incident by relating the positive response and welcome they received at the Great Mall in Milpitas, California.
The bottom line is San Jose Army National Guard was given the boot by COSTCO!
I’m asking you to help change this cock-eyed Un-American COSTCO policy ( if one actually exist ), and demand:
A) A letter of apology be sent to the Guard’s 185th Infantry in San Jose from the founder and chairman of COSTCO Jeffrey Brotman.
B) Take a minute to let the local print media - The San Jose Mercury News know how you feel toward the action COSTCO Santa Clara took against the men of our armed forces.
....and drop a word or two of support to:
C) Call and or write to:
COSTCO’s Corporate mailing address is: Head Office:
Jeffrey H. Brotman, Founder and Chairman COSTCO Wholesale Corp.
999 Lake Drive
Issaquah WA USA 98027
Phone: 425 313-8100
Toll Free:
Fax: 425 313-6593
Email: investor@COSTCO.com
Community Relations / Charitable Donations
Kim Cross
Community Relations & Administration
Phone: (425) 313-6182
Email: kcross@COSTCO.com
Annual Sales:
For the 52-week fiscal year ended August 29, 2004, the Company reported net sales of $47.15 billion, an increase of 13 percent from $41.69 billion during the prior fiscal year. By comparison, COSTCO's 1999 sales reached $27 billion 13% from the previous fiscal year.
COSTCO currently operates 288 warehouses, including 218 in the United States, 58 in Canada, seven in the United Kingdom, three in Korea, one in Taiwan, and a recently opened warehouse in Hisayama, Japan; and 16 additional warehouses in Mexico with a joint venture partner. The Company also operates COSTCO Online, an electronic commerce web site, at www.COSTCO.com.
The Great Mall in Milpitas, Ca. gave them the kind of all-American welcome they deserve. This is how COSTCO, Santa Clara should have greeted them as well.
These men and women could be shipped out at anytime, and God forbid, come home with a flag over them. Is this kind of public humiliation the last thought they should carry with them in a field of battle?
I am a former employee of Costco and I do not play the skin flute, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I understand how you feel about it. My foster father died in the service of our country, and I'm heavily involved in supporting our troops.
But my statement holds that a business has the right to have a policy of not allowing the use of its private property by anyone else. As much as I support the troops, I also support free enterprise which they defend along with the other rights and laws generated under our Constitution.
Now if someone wants to tell them off or drop their membership because of a disagreement with the store over its policies, then they have the right to do that, too.
Sam's never offered "Unfit for Command" but had Kelly's book right next to Clinton's Lie-ography on release day. I don't know about Costco because we quit using them a year ago.
Yep, that's what I did. Best way to do it IMHO.
I sent my letter. This is not acceptable and that I will go down to Costco and request my membership money (since I just renewed). I'm disappointed because I enjoy shopping at Costco but I will never shop any place that treats our Military in this disrespectful manner.
When you said apolitical I thought yup that sounds like a french owned company to me. Please explain to me how it can be apolitical when they contribute to the dnc?
Bump for some common sense on this thread.
"I see no problem with Costco's policy. I do see a problem with 5 employees confronting these soldiers the way they did. That was overkill and it speaks volumes about that Costco's attitude toward our people in uniform. Store policy or not, it's the insult that bothers me."
The store manager could walked outside and explained Costco's policy about no Solicitation and asked them to stop. Then he could have given them a one day pass to shop at Costco.
However, from the top management down to the union thug clerks, they all hate republicans and GW.
Having said that, I've been pleasantly surprised to see a Republican voter registration table set up in front of the Santa Maria, California, Costco over the past few weeks. Haven't been to Costco in a couple of weeks, so don't know if it's still there, but it was there for at least 3-4 weekends in a row - complete with a life-size placard of President Bush.
Hillary Clinton was on the Wal-Mart board of directors prior to her accession to the throne.
My philosophy is - don't allow politics to interfere with rational decision-making as a consumer. Boycotts are generally a tactic of liberals. (There are exceptions for extreme cases, of course.)
Bought my copy of Unfit for Command at Sam's in Dallas Texas.
This sounds like a modified version of the Target stores story that was floating around a few months ago.
".....union thug clerks..." Those must be some busy people, thugs and clerks at the same time. How do they tell whos clock they are working on?
Your comment sounds like the dreaded disease, "craino rectal inversion."
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