or Trader Joe refused to pay them leaders the “membership fee”?
The story I remember from a talk radio show is that the “community organizers” wanted subsidized housing above the Trader Joe’s. Trader Joe (wisely) said no. There may have been more demands from the “organizers”.
You got it. And after the membership fee there would be frequent shake down fees. Trader Joe wisely dodged a bullet.
The neighborhood 'leaders' made a big mistake. I was at our local Trader Joe's a couple of hours ago, it was crowded, of course. There were a lot of blacks shopping there.