CVS denies allegations of 'red lining' (they must be Republicans)

Philly.com ^ | 12/5/08 | Phoenix11

[Phoenix11]

A coalition of community groups led by the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP strongly criticized CVS Pharmacies yesterday, accusing the chain of failing to provide customers equal access to stores and services in Philadelphia.

[G.Mason]

Interesting.

It ought to get real interesting when folks in the country are told they have to move to the cities because the "minorities" don't have enough victims left.

[Constitutionalist Conservative]

No matter what you do, it can be spun as racism.

[econjack]

When I was teaching econ to MBA students at Creighton University in Omaha, I had them determine if price differentials existed between urban versus suburban stores for chains that operated in both places. As I recall, most of the students either studied grocery or drug stores. The consistent result across store type was that urban prices were higher. Interviews with store managers after the numbers were crunched determined that the overwhelming reason was higher insurance costs, mainly because of shop lifting.

If the NAACP wants to make an cogent issue of this, they need to examine the underlying cost of doing business in predominately black neighborhoods and compare it to suburban costs. To me, if the cost structures are different, it isn't discrimination.

[WayneS]

I love it too.

Nothing makes me happier than the confused “deer in headlights” look you get from a lib-tard when one of his “caring, humanitarian, morally superior” causes runs seriously afoul of another.

[ScottinVA]

Well, after they’re done walking the pit bulls and cashing welfare checks, they can hop into their Cadillacs and drive to their nearest store location. WTF is the problem??

[Pearls Before Swine]

“Let them go to Rite-Aid.” (Apologies to Marie Antoinette).

[Red_Devil 232]

If you read the article it looks like CVS is not unionized (correct me if I am wrong).

The company (CVS) said that since 2007, Change to Win "has attempted to pressure CVS to deny our employees the full benefit of voting rights afforded to them under federal law. This 'report' and the accompanying media outreach is the latest attempt by CTW to achieve this objective." Change to Win is a coalition of seven major unions established in 2005. It consists of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Laborers International Union of North America, Service Employees International, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, United Farm Workers of America, United Food and Commercial Workers International and Unite Here.

[chrisser]

Instead of all this blustering, why doesn’t the NAACP open its own drug store in these neighborhoods?

Surely, from all the fuss, they must think a drug store in this neighborhood would be very profitable, otherwise the charge of racism falls flat on its face.

[Constitution Day]

That is priceless!

[Gil4]

Two quotes from the report:
...There are one-third fewer CVS stores per person in communities with a majority of nonwhite residents than in communities that are mostly white...

....the report showed "questionable product quality, overcharging, lax privacy protection, and consumer-safety issues" at CVS stores.

1. You were right.

2. Given the second quote, shouldn't it be the white residents who are complaining? (The evil, racist corporation is forcing their questionable, overpriced products on white residents at a much higher rate than on nonwhite residents.)

[A_perfect_lady]

I liked CVS's response. "Okay, we'll look into it. Thanks." (Ignore)

[usslsm51]

NAACP is fast running out of things to complain about and with a black president have lost a lot of their victim status.

[WildcatClan]

Depends on what you mean by “fight”. The real story here is more about Unions trying to infiltrate than anything. ACORN is also involved, as well as the NAACP so they are looking for some shakedown money otherwise they will try to run the business into the ground.

IF today, we could rid ourselves of the ACLU, NAACP, ACORN and most major unions we could improve America in many ways virtually overnight. I wonder if the NAACP has ever protested that more Planned Parenthood’s aren’t in their neighborhoods? What is in your community can be as meaningful as what is not there. When do the protests begin?

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

...profitable and safe.

[kaboom]

You are only partially right. The other portion of the article goes into how a coalition of unions called "Change to Win" criticizes CVS for poor quality, safety issues, etc.

What I don't get is why the NAACP wants CVS stores in their neigborhoods if the stores suck so much.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

Thank you for spelling the word “lose” correctly. By Friday, every little thing makes a difference in my world. :)

[A_perfect_lady]

So this is really about them not being union? In other words, having demonized WalMart, CVS is next on their list?

[Red Badger]

So, If I don’t put a store where people will rob me, I’m redlining?............

[em2vn]

Pareto principle proven again.

[YellowRoseofTx]

I live in south Texas. They have much better access to Philadelphia stores than I do.

I live in west Texas. We got our new pharmacy cards from our insurance company and they list CVS as one of the place to get prescrips. The closest one I know of is in Amarillo. There may be one (some) in Lubbock or El Paso, but nothing within 150 miles of us.