Boycott CVS and shop where?

[caverly]

"You do yourself even further injustice using your mother as your excuse. "

Have a heart , Nancy !

[Denise Predovich]

​I really appreciated this post from Nancy. Unfortunately our world is an intricate game board with billions of game pieces and players.

I, personally, feel that all the deceit , manipulation, greed and power plays that are ever so used are disgusting. This is the case in big business as well as everyday life.

I was just recently told that to be able to make a situation (that I am trying to handle at this time) , happen or work, that I must play the "game". I reacted very angry , stating that "I do not believe in playing games". " I believe in being real , honest and forthright. " The person telling me to" play the game", then spent the next 20 minutes explaining to me why in order for me to succeed in my task , I had to strategically maneuver my game piece.

Much to my complete dismay, I realized that this statement was true, I always really knew this, but refused to play or comply, but realizing that the importance of my task needed to override my morals and beliefs in this situation.

I have lived in Sebastopol almost 40 years. I grew up with Frizelle Enos, (as a kid I never missed the opportunity to jump on the big scale before excitedly going to see what new chickens and other animals that were new), A&W, (I do not like anything at A&W , but I remember the excitement my sister had when the words "root-beer float" came out of anyone's mouth), the Bowling Alley , which I have missed from day one , the old movie theater, with it's charm and coziness and as much as I know that progress is inevitable, I would of thought or I had hoped that Sebastopol would handle this gently and with care.

Of course one can dream, believe, protest, support or what ever, but as Nancy said, we need to DO..

When, in the short time between fires, I numbly watched our two oldest buildings burn in Sebastopol, I felt a huge loss in my heart as well as the complete disgust of our world.

How blind are people? In the games , selectively.. Does it not, in neon, flash before your eyes the coincidence that both these properties are on the agenda for CVS/Chase?

The game board is and has advanced..
Do you call, bid higher, or fold ?
I still do not believe in playing these games, but if one has to, let them be played with for thought and played well.

It was an interesting thing for me that after "growing up" per say , I stopped jumping gleefully onto the scale at Frizelle Enos when shopping there , but that the day before it burned I happened to be going to get chicken food and I without thought jumped on the scale and giggled my way to the popcorn before heading to the chicken feed area.. The thought brings a smile and tears at this moment..

I totally agree with you Photolite! I think the city has seriously screwed themselves by trying to do too little too late. Like I've said, I don't want to see CVS/Chase go into that location (or any big box chain in any downtown core location), but there are rules and procedures and CVS/Chase followed them to get what they wanted, the city manipulated them, the rules and procedures that is, to get what they wanted-after the fact. I think both Patrick Slayter and Kathleen Shafer got a bum wrap because I know they both felt the same way.

I blame our City Attorney for poor council, which I believe was just job security for him; give the "crazies" what they want, get the city in deep, so he has to be the one to get us out, all the while double dipping as City Attorney and City Manager.

I DON'T believe drive-thru's are "necessary," I also think Seb. lost a HUGE opportunity when we lost Amy's Kitchen moving into the Pasta Bela location because of the same ordinance and short sightedness. The citizens of this town need to stop demanding their "wants" and start thinking about how to get their wants through strategic, ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE means. For all the talk of "sustainability" around here- this ain't it because not only are we going to loose, but we'll be in the poor house when we're done AND no decent business will want to deal with Sebastopol.

There's too much "progressive" reaction in Seb., not actual progressive forethought. We should have taken the hit with CVS/Chase, learned our lesson, and implemented policy for the FUTURE. But because we have very few intelligent debates in this town, we're left with the inmates running the asylum.

But now all those who rallied for the memorandum.... open up YOUR pocketbooks! You wanted this because you thought it the healthiest, greenest, most contientious way to live... YOU pay for it!! We'll all be eternally grateful. But that won't happen. Just like the protesting, boycotting, demonstrating in front of the current CVS and Chase aren't happening. If you want to stop them this late in the game you need national attention. You need to promote your Citta Slow city (get THAT International community backing you) and show the world how CVS/Chase is going to ruin that mission because although they followed all the procedures, they don't "CARE." It's about imaging and branding. Stop them by using THEIR OWN GAME! They played ours and won- they GOT APPROVED! Now their just going to take us to the cleaners too.

I want to know what's going on between the city and Frizelle-Enos now. GET IN FRONT OF THAT ONE SEBASTOPOL!! Help FE rebuild without a lot of crap, otherwise we'll "loose" that whole street. Pay attention, cut your losses, and use what you still have to change what you don't like.

[Denise Predovich]

Have you ever looked into Walmart? Do not patronize that place ..except for spray paint..

When CVS first took over from Long's, I went in to get one item because I didn't want to go all the way to Walmart for just the one thing. The CVS price was more than twice the Walmart price, so I never went back. If you're suckered in by their loss-leaders, you'll end up paying way too much for anything else.

[american dream]

Have you ever looked into Walmart? Do not patronize that place ..except for spray paint..

There are good reasons not to use spray paint!

[Sara S]

Yes, I've looked into Walmart, and here's what I think:

The unions badly want the Walmart employees to be unionized, because they are the largest retail business in the country. This would mean millions, if not billions, of dollars for the unions, so the unions periodically make noise about it, and call for strikes against Walmart.

The last time this happened, I went to the Rohnert Park Walmart, where I regularly shop, and there were zero people picketing; I asked a couple of the employees who I see there all the time what they thought about it, and they said that they were perfectly happy with their jobs.

I know there are a lot of people who have not really investigated Walmart, but just have a knee-jerk "politically correct" stance against going there. I look at it like this:

The money I save every year by shopping at Walmart enables me to give a scholarship in memory of my son to a kid graduating from El Molino.

Have you ever looked into Walmart? Do not patronize that place ..except for spray paint..

[eeeeeeow]

Walmart destroys local economy. So save today while we all suffer in the long run. Walmart keeps Americans at the low end of life while maintaining a robust Chinese economy.

[Sara S]

I forgot to say that Walmart was the largest contributor to charitable causes in the country last year, and probably every year. I'd say that the casinos do way more damage to, among other things, the local economy.

Walmart destroys local economy. So save today while we all suffer in the long run. Walmart keeps Americans at the low end of life while maintaining a robust Chinese economy.

[oliviathunderkitty]

I am curious why Rite Aid as an alternative to CVS never comes up in this discussion. Yes, it is a chain but so are all the others mentioned. They seem easy to deal with, their pharmacy is fine, they have the basics one needs from such a store and it's easy an easy walk. I choose locally owned businesses whenever I can and never ever shop at Walmart. Where is the nearest locally owned pharmacy? Forestville, I think . . . I wish one would open in Sebastopol.

[Sara S]

I agree; I still go to Lark Drug in G'ville, and order almost all books from Many Rivers...

I am curious why Rite Aid as an alternative to CVS never comes up in this discussion. Yes, it is a chain but so are all the others mentioned. They seem easy to deal with, their pharmacy is fine, they have the basics one needs from such a store and it's easy an easy walk. I choose locally owned businesses whenever I can where is the nearest locally owned pharmacy? Forestville, I think . . .

[Denise Predovich]

Now CASINO'S is a whole other topic. I can not stand them !

If you ever listen to public radio you would be appalled at the stories told about Walmart.I was !

What I have below is nothing to what I have listened to on public radio. KPFA

Ten Things Wal-Mart Doesn’t Want You To Know

BY JARED CRAM | MAY 9, 2005 AT 5:53 PM
This article is part of our campaign on Progressive Growth. Check out more reporting, research, and actions on Progressive Growth →
Living on a college campus brings with it two immutable truths: last call always comes about four hours too early and you never have enough money in your pocket. Given this second fact, I’m sure most of you have ventured into your local Wal-Mart at least once. (Sure, that same Wal-Mart is probably the fifteenth to open in your town and maybe even qualifies for its own zip code at this point.) But the next time you’re tempted by a color television selling for about ten bucks, consider the following ten facts that Wal-Mart doesn’t want you to know about the real costs behind its “everyday low prices.”
1. Wal-Mart regularly violates federal law and flouts international human rights standards.
The right of workers to organize labor unions is protected by the National Labor Relations Act and is also cited as a basic human right by the International Labor Organization. In 2002, 43 distinct charges were filed against Wal-Mart for violations of the National Labor Relations Act and since 1995, 60 complaints have been filed against Wal-Mart with the National Labor Relations Board. These complaints and charges range from illegal firings to threats and intimidations against workers who attempt to exercise their right to organize. In fact, Wal-Mart provided store managers with a “toolbox for remaining union-free” that includes lists of warning sings that employees may be organizing and a hotline number to summon a corporate anti-union SWAT team.
2. Wal-Mart regularly falls below industry standards for employee pay.
In 2001, the average pay of a Wal-Mart worker was $8.23 per hour, more than two dollars less per hour than the average supermarket employee wage of $10.35 per hour. Furthermore, Wal-Mart associates only average 32 hours a week, causing many employees to be classified as “part-time,” thus restricting their access to health care and other benefits exclusively earmarked for full-timers. In fact, Wal-Mart wages are so low that the average Wal-Mart worker’s annual salary in 2001 was almost $1,000 below the federal poverty line of $14,630 for a family of three.
3. Wal-Mart has made the glass ceiling wider and thicker than ever before.
In 2001, six female employees in California filed suit against Wal-Mart, triggering the largest class action lawsuit in American history involving more than one million current and former female employees. Women in the Wal-Mart “family” make up more than two-thirds of its hourly employees, but hold only one-third of managerial positions, according to a report in the Financial Times. The report also notes that only 15 percent of Wal-Mart store managers are women. Check out Selling Women Short: The Landmark Battle for Workers’ Rights at Wal-Mart to learn more.
4. Wal-Mart sometimes doesn’t even pay its low wages at all.
Poverty level wages are bad enough. But Wal-Mart apparently feels that not paying wages at all is even better for its bottom line. As of December 2002, 39 class action lawsuits in 30 states were filed against Wal-Mart claiming tens of millions of dollars in back pay owed to hundreds of thousands employees. These lawsuits included instances of Wal-Mart forcing employees to work through breaks, forcing employees to work off the clock, and even deleting hours from employees’ time sheets without their knowledge. According a former Wal-Mart manager in Alabama and Mississippi, Wal-Mart’s central office threatened to write up managers who didn’t reduce labor costs and this led to managers leaning on assistant managers to falsify time sheets and force employees to work without pay.
5. Wal-Mart routinely makes health care unavailable or unaffordable for its employees.
Wal-Mart’s company health insurance is too expensive or practically impossible to get for many of its employees. Just over 40 percent of Wal-Mart employees have insurance through the company plan, far fewer than the 66 percent that is typical of a firm the size of Wal-Mart. There are a few causes for this: classifying employees as “part-time,” increasing the waiting period for eligibility, and refusing to allow employees to extend coverage to spouses and children. The end result of this is that the public is forced to pick up the slack with our tax dollars. According to a study put out by the Institute for Labor and Employment at the University of California-Berkeley, Wal-Mart employees received $20.5 million in public health care assistance in California alone. And Wal-Mart is more than happy to keep this subsidy gravy train going. Knowing that its employees can’t afford the company health plan, or because they just refuse to make it available to employees, Wal-Mart encourages employees to apply for public assistance programs like Medicaid that are meant to be last resort safety net options, while Wal-Mart continues to bilk American taxpayers for millions in health care costs.
6. Wal-Mart regularly drains public coffers at all levels of government.
The government subsidization of health care for Wal-Mart employees is just the tip of the iceberg. Wal-Mart routinely uses taxpayer money to finance its never-ending corporate growth. A report commissioned by the House Committee on Education and Welfare estimates that a two hundred person Wal-Mart store costs federal taxpayers approximately $420,750 a year, or $2,103 per employee. These costs include:
-$36,000 a year for free and reduced cost school lunches,
-$42,000 for Section 8 housing assistance,
-$125,000 for low-income family tax credits and deductions,
-$100,000 for additional Title I expenses,
-$108,000 for state children’s health insurance expenses, and
-$9,750 for low income energy assistance
State and local governments also lose when Wal-Mart comes to town. A study commissioned by the Los Angeles City Council in 2003 found that Wal-Mart is a net loss for the communities it moves into. An influx of “big box retailers” such as Wal-Mart was estimated to cost an additional $9 million in state health care costs and a loss in pensions and retirement benefits so large that the increase in public assistance necessary to make up the shortfall could not even be covered by increased sales and property taxes.
7. Wal-Mart makes a habit of flouting immigration laws and regulations.
As Wal-Mart continues its race to the bottom in worker compensation, Wal-Mart routinely seeks out the most vulnerable and powerless workers in the American economy: undocumented immigrant workers. On October 23, 2003, federal agents raided 61 stores in 21 states leading to the arrest of 250 janitors who were undocumented workers. Similar raids in 1998 and 2001 led to the arrest of an additional 102 undocumented Wal-Mart employees. In addition, the 2003 raid led to a grand jury being convened to consider federal labor racketeering charges against Wal-Mart executives. These charges were bolstered by wiretapped conversations between Wal-Mart executives and labor contractors that proved Wal-Mart knew its employees were undocumented immigrants.
8. Wal-Mart has played a major role in the outsourcing of American jobs overseas.
Although Wal-Mart has always tried to pass itself off as a company deeply concerned with the well-being of everyday American workers, actions speak louder than words. No longer content to follow its old motto of “Buy American,” Wal-Mart now imports over 50 percent of its merchandise from overseas. In 2003 alone, Wal-Mart purchased one-eighth of all Chinese imports to the United States. And by insisting on the low prices that only sweatshop labor can provide, Wal-Mart has used its tremendous power in the marketplace to bully American firms into moving their production facilities overseas. And once overseas, these firms are required to keep prices low at all costs to please Wal-Mart; even if it requires forcing employees to work in sweatshop conditions for little pay producing products that the factories lose money on.
9. Wal-Mart has consistently discriminated against disabled workers.
Wal-Mart has also been an equal opportunity discriminator by choosing to ignore federal laws banning discrimination against the disabled. Wal-Mart has been the defendant in a number of suits alleging this kind of discrimination and in 2001 alone it was required to pay $6 million to settle 13 such lawsuits. These lawsuits were brought not by individuals, but by the federal government through the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. These settlements also required that Wal-Mart change its hiring practices and provide more training for employees in anti-discrimination laws. Nonetheless, on January 20, 2004, Wal-Mart was again in court after refusing to hire a man in Kansas City because he required a wheelchair.
10. Wal-Mart routinely puts its employees at risk of serious injury or death.
Wal-Mart has also chosen to flout federal worker safety regulations on a regular basis. This is most apparent in its policy to “lock-in” employees overnight. Wal-Mart claims this is to prevent employee theft and unauthorized breaks. In order to enforce these rules, Wal-Mart threatens to fire any workers who use the fire exits and only provides a key to unlock the doors to a manager. On many occasions, workers have been locked in overnight without a manager, forcing employees to wait until morning to receive treatment for injuries such as broken bones and lacerations. And although it has yet to happen at Wal-Mart, American history teaches us what happens when employees are locked in with no way to get out. In 1911, 146 employees of the Triangle Shirtwaist Company, mostly young women, were burned alive behind doors locked by the owners. More recently, in 1991, 25 workers were killed when a fire broke out in a chicken processing plant in North Carolina where the employees were locked in. The reason for the locked doors? Management concerns of employee theft and unauthorized breaks.
In the end, it’s pretty obvious that Wal-Mart is one of the most irresponsible employers in America today. It is hard to narrow its corporate misdeeds to only ten points. This list doesn’t even include Wal-Mart’s penchant for censorship or its damaging environmental record. As the largest retailer in the United States, Wal-Mart is a giant whose dominance allows the company to set standards in the retail sector and instead of acting as a responsible corporate citizen, it has chosen to lead a race straight to the bottom for American workers. Carry this list with you next time your wallet looks a little empty and you’re deciding where to shop.
Learn More:
Everyday Low Wages: The Hidden Price We All Pay for Wal-Mart, an indispensable report, published February 16, 2004 by the minority staff of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. You can download it as a PDF here. Much of the information in this story can be found in this report.

I forgot to say that Walmart was the largest contributor to charitable causes in the country last year, and probably every year. I'd say that the casinos do way more damage to, among other things, the local economy.

[rekarp]

Where did you get that "fact" from?

Are you aware that the Walmart family has more wealth than the bottom 40% of the entire country? Do you think that is fair - especially when their employees make so little that they need to be on public assistance. And that the rest of us subsidize their employees?

I forgot to say that Walmart was the largest contributor to charitable causes in the country last year, and probably every year. I'd say that the casinos do way more damage to, among other things, the local economy.

[tommy]

Sara, I found you post somewhat cynical, and missing some key information, regarding Walmart & unions.

- The effort to unionize Walmart is for the benefit of the employees, to increase their wages and benefits.

- Most Walmart employees are part time, therefore not qualifying for benefits, and saving Walmart money in health care etc. Those employees. with marginal part time wages, can then quality for food stamps, and medical care, both subsidized by taxpayers. So it's the taxpayers who ultimately pay, and Walmart saves money, helping it to be one of the most profitable companies, at the expense of you and I.

- Many many studies of our current economy point to growing imbalance between rich and poor, with the top 1% getting richer, with the middle class stagnating or losing economic ground. One reason often cited is the decrease in union representation. In the 60's, about 1/3 of all US workers were unionized, now it's 7%. There are many causes: globalization, export of jobs, anti union representation (loss of right to work laws in Wisconsin under Gov Walker, etc). However unions are one of the very few forces on the side of workers to increase wages and benefits. Unions are not prefect, there's obviously been corruption, infighting, etc.

- As to a few Walmart employees being "perfectly happy with their jobs" ... this proves nothing. They are probably happy, because a part time job at Walmart is better than no job. What do you think they'd say if asked whether they'd prefer a living wage of $15/hr in Sonoma Co, to their current wage of $8.-9/hr? They'd probably be even happier with a higher wage.

- Consider that the money you save by shopping at Walmart is paid for in higher costs for food stamps, medical benefits, loss of housing and education opportunities as the qualities of jobs decline, as Walmart flourishes, as the stock market makes record gains of 20% this year. This is capitalism at work. It's mean. It's uncaring. It'd try to put ugly buildings in the center of our town, regardless of any aesthetic consideration or increased traffic, just so it can make more money. It marginalizes and minimalizes its workers. Unions are one of the few forces in opposition. There are some companies that pay better, with more benefits, such as CostCo, and many California casinos. They simply have a different and imj better business model, of paying more, giving better benefits, with less turnover and greater employee moral.

Yes, I've looked into Walmart, and here's what I think:

The unions badly want the Walmart employees to be unionized, because they are the largest retail business in the country. This would mean millions, if not billions, of dollars for the unions, so the unions periodically make noise about it, and call for strikes against Walmart.

The last time this happened, I went to the Rohnert Park Walmart, where I regularly shop, and there were zero people picketing; I asked a couple of the employees who I see there all the time what they thought about it, and they said that they were perfectly happy with their jobs.

I know there are a lot of people who have not really investigated Walmart, but just have a knee-jerk "politically correct" stance against going there. I look at it like this:

The money I save every year by shopping at Walmart enables me to give a scholarship in memory of my son to a kid graduating from El Molino.

[Tinque]

Sara..I, in no way, meant to lay upon you any guilt trip for your shopping at Walmart. I have a 15 year old son. Just got braces $5,500 and college will be next . I am a single mother and I applaud your thoughtfulness and generosity in trying to save money to send a child to college in memory of your son. That, of course in itself , is a beautiful thing and I in no way want to undermine that.
I only wanted you to be aware of the very horrible things I have been made aware of in the last year or two concerning Walmart. These things are worth knowing and being aware of. Sincerely ,

[Sara S]

I read this in the newspaper: Of all corporate contributors to charitable causes, Walmart was the leader.

Where did you get that "fact" from?

Are you aware that the Walmart family has more wealth than the bottom 40% of the entire country? Do you think that is fair - especially when their employees make so little that they need to be on public assistance. And that the rest of us subsidize their employees?

[Tinque]

WALMART HISTORY LESSON Anyone ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Walmart

And:

Suing Wal-Mart: Bad business practices lead to litigation

[gardenmaniac]

​
"A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business." ~ Henry Ford

[geomancer]

One would hope they were extremely generous - the Walton family controls as much money as the approximate bottom third of the nation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walton_family

Bernie Saunders says its 40%
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...ealth-bottom-/

Richard

I read this in the newspaper: Of all corporate contributors to charitable causes, Walmart was the leader.

[Rustie]

First we start with the idea that the unionizing efforts at Walmart are baseless and the employees are really quite happy with their zero benefits, low paying, part-time jobs. It's merely the greedy labor unions that see this benevolent family business, which just happens to have one of the worst labor relation records both nationally and internationally, as a cash cow to fill their coffers. Walmart's illegal, aggressive union busting campaign is simply to protect their employees from those self-serving union monsters. Am I following this correctly?

Fast forward to the latest Walmart diatribe – leaders in charitable contributions. Why stop there, why not pillars of a kinder gentler society where multi-billion dollar corporations routinely and generously contribute 2 – 4% of their pre-tax profits to charity. Not to reap the tax benefits while simultaneously influencing public and political policy but to do good for those less fortunate. Please don't bother us with the details surrounding those charitable billions – only that they were disbursed.

If you want to shop at Walmart, just do so – if you feel compelled to justify that choice with misleading examples designed to shine a virtuous light on Walmart perhaps you might want to re-evaluate your choice.

I read this in the newspaper: Of all corporate contributors to charitable causes, Walmart was the leader.

[Larry Robinson]

I would be very cautious about assuming that what you think of as "charitable giving" is what Walmart thinks it is. Walmart's tax deductible contributions are largely to their own Associates In Need Trust (to help their underpaid employees in financial distress - which distress is caused by low wages). This is a two-to-one match in exchange for their employees making non-deductible contributions to the corporation's designated political causes, such as supporting Senator Ted Cruz and opposing an increase in the minimum wage. Few Walmart employees earn enough to itemize tax deductions.

In addition, the IRS code allows corporations like Walmart to deduct contributions to "non-profits" which can then make contributions to lobbying groups which support either the ideological or business interests of their donors. This is considered "charitable giving".

More info here: https://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/p...s-in-need.html

[David MySky]

Just because someone or some huge evil corporation donates such large amounts doesn't mean that they are donating to socially responsible and truly 'charitable' organizations.

https://www.alternet.org/economy/ric...s-idea-charity

I would be very cautious about assuming that what you think of as "charitable giving" is what Walmart thinks it is. Walmart's tax deductible contributions are largely to their own Associates In Need Trust (to help their underpaid employees in financial distress - which distress is caused by low wages). This is a two-to-one match in exchange for their employees making non-deductible contributions to the corporation's designated political causes, such as supporting Senator Ted Cruz and opposing an increase in the minimum wage. Few Walmart employees earn enough to itemize tax deductions.

In addition, the IRS code allows corporations like Walmart to deduct contributions to "non-profits" which can then make contributions to lobbying groups which support either the ideological or business interests of their donors. This is considered "charitable giving".

More info here: https://www.nonprofitquarterly.org/p...s-in-need.html