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Health Care Stirs Up Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, Customers Boycott Organic Grocery Store
ABC News.com ^ | 08/14/09 | EMILY FRIEDMAN

Posted on 08/14/2009 10:08:31 AM PDT by OldDeckHand

Joshua has been taking the bus to his local Whole Foods in New York City every five days for the past two years. This week, he said he'll go elsewhere to fulfill his fresh vegetable and organic produce needs.

"I will never shop there again," vowed Joshua, a 45-year-old blogger, who asked that his last name not be published.

Like many of his fellow health food fanatics, Joshua said he will no longer patronize the store after learning about Whole Foods Market Inc.'s CEO John Mackey's views on health care reform, which were made public this week in an op-ed piece he wrote for The Wall Street Journal.

Michael Lent, another Whole Foods enthusiast in Long Beach, Calif., told ABCNews.com that he, too, will turn to other organic groceries for his weekly shopping list.

"I'm boycotting [Whole Foods] because all Americans need health care," said Lent, 33, who used to visit his local Whole Foods "several times a week."

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: healthcare; mackey; reform; socialism; universal; wholefoods
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To: swain_forkbeard
They trust that Wholefoods’ founder has a better idea when it comes to eating right, which is obviously a health-related activity, but they can’t imagine he might have a better idea about improving health care in the USA. Good Point.
21 posted on 08/14/2009 10:23:44 AM PDT by PrincessB (The comments written under this section shall not be treated as comments)
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To: joejm65
"A side note: the ‘organic movement’ is a sham. People go out of their way to buy produce that has no significant nutritional advantage over non-organic crops."

This is true. "Organic" has absolutely no health benefits.

But, Whole Foods is my favorite grocery store because they have great stuff, much of which you can't find easily elsewhere. And I'll say this, "organic" may not be healthier, but I've found that it often tastes better for some reason.

Of course, after the WSJ editorial I have even more reason to like Whole Foods. All the money I made of Whole Foods options doesn't hurt either. :-)

22 posted on 08/14/2009 10:24:32 AM PDT by mlo
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To: OldDeckHand

I figure ol’ Josh will take one trip down to the local Food Lion or whatever passes for a fourth-rate cut-price supermarket up in NYC, and he’ll be back in the land of overpriced arugula in no time. Limo liberals like Josh know what’s best for the working man, as long as they don’t actually have to shop where he shops or eat where he eats. You just know he wouldn’t be caught DEAD in a Wal-Mart.

}:-)4


23 posted on 08/14/2009 10:25:20 AM PDT by Moose4 (I took my car in for an alignment. Now my front end is chaotic evil.)
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To: OldDeckHand

Liberals hired a big Hollywood PR firm to push boycotts... Is there anything about liberals that isn’t a lie?


24 posted on 08/14/2009 10:25:53 AM PDT by GOPJ ("Fishy rumors posters" Check 'em out:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311664/posts)
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To: OldDeckHand

Hey libtards,

Keep your laws off my body!


25 posted on 08/14/2009 10:26:49 AM PDT by CSM (Business is too big too fail... Government is too big to succeed... I am too small to matter...)
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To: mlo

Also, not all of their produce is organic. Their website makes that statement.

I love Whole Foods but the prices stop me at times.


26 posted on 08/14/2009 10:26:55 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: joejm65

I buy my dairy and meat there so I can get stuff that doesn’t have cow hormones and animal antibiotics in it. I buy seafood there because it is the highest quality available where I live. I love their produce, regardless of the organic label (as if inorganic were the alternative) because it is just so darn good. I also like their Asian and Latin sections. The organic movement, and labeling, I agree with you, is a sham. People need to do their own research, read labels and ask questions. I would be happy for the government to butt out of this, because I trust Whole Foods more than I do the FDA.


27 posted on 08/14/2009 10:28:38 AM PDT by La Lydia
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To: Parley Baer
ABC news is nothing but a parrot organization for the dnc.

ABC NEVER takes a position that is not part of the liberal playbook.

Never.

ABC News should be treated like a paid political advertisement.

28 posted on 08/14/2009 10:29:20 AM PDT by GOPJ ("Fishy rumors posters" Check 'em out:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2311664/posts)
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To: Moose4
I figure ol’ Josh will take one trip down to the local Food Lion or whatever passes for a fourth-rate cut-price supermarket up in NYC, and he’ll be back in the land of overpriced arugula in no time.

Hey, wait a minute --- I like my local Food Lion, they don't have them in NYC. LOL!!!!

29 posted on 08/14/2009 10:29:24 AM PDT by Gabz
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To: joejm65
People go out of their way to buy produce that has no significant nutritional advantage over non-organic crops.

I don't care about it being organic, but Whole Foods has a much greater variety of exotic fruits & vegetables. It's one of the only places I can get fresh figs. I don't live near one, but I'll be in the neighborhood Sunday so I'll be sure to stop in, and if I have time I'll capture a manager and tell him I went out of my way because of their healthcare plan.

30 posted on 08/14/2009 10:29:24 AM PDT by nina0113
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To: OldDeckHand

I think it’s funny while Mackey’s views are turning liberals off to whole foods, they are drawing in conservatives/libertarians!


31 posted on 08/14/2009 10:29:38 AM PDT by JSDude1 (www.wethepeopleindiana.org (Tea Party Member-Proud), www.travishankins.com (R- IN 09 2010!))
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To: BunnySlippers

Whole Foods appeals to snobs and the value of their produce is questionable. Just cause stuff looks good, doesn’t mean that it is. We kinda laugh at friends who rave over it and pay a lot to do it.
We shop at an Asian market and get vege’s at a quarter the price.


32 posted on 08/14/2009 10:30:37 AM PDT by Oldexpat
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To: OldDeckHand

The whole purpose of this article is to create unnecessary drama which is starting to irritate me much more than entertain me. Why not, ABC, analyze the value of Mr. Mackey’s statements? Find a couple of people who could honestly critique his position and interview them.

Instead we have the “Oh the huge manatee - I just CAN’T shop from some one who disagrees with me” and the boycott bogeymen. So like the old neigbor ABC is twitching the curtains while gossiping with a few neighbors, hoping they get to report on a trainwreck.


33 posted on 08/14/2009 10:30:46 AM PDT by PrincessB (The comments written under this section shall not be treated as comments)
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To: GOPJ

All except John Stossel.


34 posted on 08/14/2009 10:30:54 AM PDT by JSDude1 (www.wethepeopleindiana.org (Tea Party Member-Proud), www.travishankins.com (R- IN 09 2010!))
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To: joejm65
"A side note: the ‘organic movement’ is a sham. People go out of their way to buy produce that has no significant nutritional advantage over non-organic crops."

I think much of it is a sham, but some of it has some validity. As an example, you can give me two apples, one organic and the other bathed in chemicals and I couldn't tell the difference - except that there would be a good chance the "organic" one would have a worm or two.

But, when it comes to meat, I can easily tell the difference. IMHO, grass fed, free ranging beef tastes MUCH better than the grocery-store bought grain-fed, pen-raised beef. There's really no comparison. And, I would venture to guess that most people, in a blind taste test, would pick the former and not the latter.

The premise applies to natural, line-caught salmon vs. pen-raised salmon fed with grain and "dyed" red (the grain pellets don't have enough of the right kinds of minerals and vitamins to actually produce red salmon meat). And the "happy pig" organically raised pigs produce a much tastier meat than the other kinds of "industrialized" farming pigs. FWIW.

35 posted on 08/14/2009 10:31:08 AM PDT by OldDeckHand (No Socialized Medicine, No Way, No How, No Time)
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To: swain_forkbeard
They trust that Wholefoods’ founder has a better idea when it comes to eating right, which is obviously a health-related activity, but they can’t imagine he might have a better idea about improving health care in the USA

Yes, an excellent point. I've been a fan of medical savings accountsfor a very long time. I've felt that it would be the best free market solution to our health care need.

The reason insurance doesn't work very well is because we don't use it for what insurance should be; protection for an out of the ordinary event. We should pay for our health care out of pocket and only insure ourselves against the rare out of the ordinary event. We shouldn't expect insurance to cover first dollar (or close to it). In this way we could each have our own portable insurance plan that we could carry around with us. It wouldn't matter if we changed jobs because our employer would not have to offer insurance. They would just divert an amount of our paycheck over to medical savings account. It would cost them nothing.

I'm not familiar with the details of Whole Foods Medical but from listening on the radio to people talk about it, that's essentially the way it works.

Now I'm gonna read the article.


But details aside the Free Market plans would always be the best for the most people.
36 posted on 08/14/2009 10:31:36 AM PDT by truthguy (Good intentions are not enough!)
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To: garyhope

‘Agreed, thanks for pointing that out. Now just try and convince all the hippies of that.’

I’m trying, one friend at a time. There’s a farmer’s market around the corner from me that sets up every Saturday from around May to October. Last week, they were selling organic tomatoes for $6/lb. A friend was buying peaches for $5/lb. This friend who was paying these prices found another, cheaper place to buy these things after listening to me scream ‘are you nuts???’ for a few months. This market is frequented mostly by Yale students and faculty, so I personally don’t care if they get ripped off. However, these vendors accept food stamps, and that irks me. I believe in helping people out who don’t have enough money to feed themselves, but I also believe they have a responsibility to stretch their food $$$ as much as possible. New Haven is Grand Welfare Station, so complaining is pointless. I wish I had enough land to farm full-time, I’d be rich in no time at all.


37 posted on 08/14/2009 10:32:51 AM PDT by joejm65
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To: OldDeckHand

I sent off this WSJ op-ed to my Organic Moon-Bat friend in another state.
I figure it will take a week or so for her to come back with a snappy retort.


38 posted on 08/14/2009 10:36:55 AM PDT by Pompah
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To: swain_forkbeard

Excellent point.


39 posted on 08/14/2009 10:37:15 AM PDT by Flashman_at_the_charge (I'd rather be a birther than a leg tingler!)
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To: Oldexpat

I find that people who jate Whole Foods are resverse snobs ... classist.

Much of their produce is stellar. I bought a bunch of dill a couple of weeks ago and it was easily better than that at the high end Gelson’s Market.

Their prepared foods are incredible. I love the Golden Beet Salad with Fennel, the Bacon Wrapped Chicken and the Breakfast Pizzas. The whole cooked meals are a terrific time saver ... I pick one up on the way home from work sometimes.

I was looking for an obscure type of mustard recently and I stopped counting their varieties at around 80 ... there were more. I never found my brand though.

They have wonderful bath and grooming products. I love pine-scented baths and I can find cosmetics that appeal to me.

Terrific cheese selection, olive selection, fish, meats and even BBQ.

I often don’t go because of the high prices. But to say it is no good is just sour grapes.


40 posted on 08/14/2009 10:38:03 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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