whole foods ceo is a certified douche bag (health care)

[Sleazy]

what a fucking dumb shit, i seriously can't believe how much smarter this guy obviously thinks he is than the average joe with this crap. his solution to health care, allow companies to more easily get healthcare plans with crazy high deductibles like wholefoods 2500 (why bother, oh right you want to seem like you care) and for people to shop at whole foods.

By JOHN MACKEY
"The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out
of other people's money."

—Margaret Thatcher


With a projected $1.8 trillion deficit for 2009, several trillions more in deficits projected over the next decade, and with both Medicare and Social Security entitlement spending about to ratchet up several notches over the next 15 years as Baby Boomers become eligible for both, we are rapidly running out of other people's money. These deficits are simply not sustainable. They are either going to result in unprecedented new taxes and inflation, or they will bankrupt us.

While we clearly need health-care reform, the last thing our country needs is a massive new health-care entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us much closer to a government takeover of our health-care system. Instead, we should be trying to achieve reforms by moving in the opposite direction—toward less government control and more individual empowerment. Here are eight reforms that would greatly lower the cost of health care for everyone:

View Full Image

Chad Crowe
 • Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs). The combination of high-deductible health insurance and HSAs is one solution that could solve many of our health-care problems. For example, Whole Foods Market pays 100% of the premiums for all our team members who work 30 hours or more per week (about 89% of all team members) for our high-deductible health-insurance plan. We also provide up to $1,800 per year in additional health-care dollars through deposits into employees' Personal Wellness Accounts to spend as they choose on their own health and wellness.

Money not spent in one year rolls over to the next and grows over time. Our team members therefore spend their own health-care dollars until the annual deductible is covered (about $2,500) and the insurance plan kicks in. This creates incentives to spend the first $2,500 more carefully. Our plan's costs are much lower than typical health insurance, while providing a very high degree of worker satisfaction.

• Equalize the tax laws so that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits. Now employer health insurance benefits are fully tax deductible, but individual health insurance is not. This is unfair.

• Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines. We should all have the legal right to purchase health insurance from any insurance company in any state and we should be able use that insurance wherever we live. Health insurance should be portable.

• Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover. These mandates have increased the cost of health insurance by billions of dollars. What is insured and what is not insured should be determined by individual customer preferences and not through special-interest lobbying.

• Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. These costs are passed back to us through much higher prices for health care.

• Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost. How many people know the total cost of their last doctor's visit and how that total breaks down? What other goods or services do we buy without knowing how much they will cost us?

• Enact Medicare reform. We need to face up to the actuarial fact that Medicare is heading towards bankruptcy and enact reforms that create greater patient empowerment, choice and responsibility.

• Finally, revise tax forms to make it easier for individuals to make a voluntary, tax-deductible donation to help the millions of people who have no insurance and aren't covered by Medicare, Medicaid or the State Children's Health Insurance Program.

Many promoters of health-care reform believe that people have an intrinsic ethical right to health care—to equal access to doctors, medicines and hospitals. While all of us empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have to food or shelter?

Health care is a service that we all need, but just like food and shelter it is best provided through voluntary and mutually beneficial market exchanges. A careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter. That's because there isn't any. This "right" has never existed in America

Even in countries like Canada and the U.K., there is no intrinsic right to health care. Rather, citizens in these countries are told by government bureaucrats what health-care treatments they are eligible to receive and when they can receive them. All countries with socialized medicine ration health care by forcing their citizens to wait in lines to receive scarce treatments.

Although Canada has a population smaller than California, 830,000 Canadians are currently waiting to be admitted to a hospital or to get treatment, according to a report last month in Investor's Business Daily. In England, the waiting list is 1.8 million.

At Whole Foods we allow our team members to vote on what benefits they most want the company to fund. Our Canadian and British employees express their benefit preferences very clearly—they want supplemental health-care dollars that they can control and spend themselves without permission from their governments. Why would they want such additional health-care benefit dollars if they already have an "intrinsic right to health care"? The answer is clear—no such right truly exists in either Canada or the U.K.—or in any other country.

Rather than increase government spending and control, we need to address the root causes of poor health. This begins with the realization that every American adult is responsible for his or her own health.

Unfortunately many of our health-care problems are self-inflicted: two-thirds of Americans are now overweight and one-third are obese. Most of the diseases that kill us and account for about 70% of all health-care spending—heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes and obesity—are mostly preventable through proper diet, exercise, not smoking, minimal alcohol consumption and other healthy lifestyle choices.

Recent scientific and medical evidence shows that a diet consisting of foods that are plant-based, nutrient dense and low-fat will help prevent and often reverse most degenerative diseases that kill us and are expensive to treat. We should be able to live largely disease-free lives until we are well into our 90s and even past 100 years of age.

Health-care reform is very important. Whatever reforms are enacted it is essential that they be financially responsible, and that we have the freedom to choose doctors and the health-care services that best suit our own unique set of lifestyle choices. We are all responsible for our own lives and our own health. We should take that responsibility very seriously and use our freedom to make wise lifestyle choices that will protect our health. Doing so will enrich our lives and will help create a vibrant and sustainable American society.

[grimcity]

I wonder if Whole Foods and Wal Mart (with its emerging new branding & dropping support for Glenn Beck) are going to trade places?
All the right wingers are going to be strung out on tofu and granola mix...

[TapLuxiferfet]

I just came back from Whole Foods and we were talking about this, how ironic. Don't support Whole Foods.

[Ronald Wilson Reagan]

I call that place Steal foods, because its so easy to just walk around and steal a meal from their bulk shit. This makes me feel less guilty.

[Sleazy]

same here, guilts totally gone for jerking off in the local honey bin

[kamltoe]

note to self. never eat the bulk honey. it's now 10% sleazy juice. ew.


k

[able]

a little off topic here, but it's on the subject of health care reform

awesome

[Sleazy]

BOOOM, stuck that bitch

[RightCoastBiased]

Whole foods is great for whiny liberals who like over priced foods.

Keep in mind I am not some right wing anti-vegetarian hippie hater. I just hate the "liberal" yuppies who shop at whole foods and bitch about global warming, then step into their SUVs chock full of tofu and organic apples thinking they are doing anything useful.

[grimcity]

Whole foods is great for whiny liberals who like over priced foods.

Keep in mind I am not some right wing anti-vegetarian hippie hater. I just hate the "liberal" yuppies who shop at whole foods and bitch about global warming, then step into their SUVs chock full of tofu and organic apples thinking they are doing anything useful.

Yep... they're so socially conscious but they won't go to a produce stand. Even their all natural shit has to be handed to them in a big sterile box store.

[Sleazy]

Keep in mind I am not some right wing anti-vegetarian hippie hater. I just hate the "liberal" yuppies who shop at whole foods and bitch about global warming, then step into their SUVs chock full of tofu and organic apples thinking they are doing anything useful.

guilty as charged, SUV and all

but i shop there more for convience than hippie bullshit. i can call in my order in advanced and have them do stuff like grind me up breakfast sausge out of boneless skinless chic thighs. plus their pizzas\sandwiches are amazing and you can get them to make them with things like prosciutto and goat cheese and are cheap too (13 bones). their turn over is super low and all the people who work there are super friendly to me and my daughter and the service is always on point. doesn't hurt that it's walking distance from my house but we've planned our next move so that closest grocery store is whole foods.

place is just fucking awesome really, but this guys a douche.

but i'm also the kind of asshole who gets my grocery's delievered from rice which is equally overpriced and i live on the 3rd floor so poor guys have to lug all that shit up 3 flights in houston heat.

[Commercial D]

Boycott a company that sells good food at reasonable prices because they offer their workers health insurance?

Who knew Slap was such a haven for the radical left?

[grimcity]

Boycott a company that sells good food at reasonable prices because they offer their workers health insurance?

Who knew Slap was such a haven for the radical left?

One dude said "don't support Whole Foods" and the rest of the thread is full of people that go there... and the dude that said "don't support" had just come back from there.
If everyone in here had decided to boycott, what would make them radical leftists? Mr. Whole Foods just wrote a factually inaccurate piece and at the same time snuck in free advertisement via an Op Ed. If I ever went there I'd quit just because he's a douche.

Having said that, as a radical leftist in Louisiana, nearly everywhere I go to shop, eat, dine or whatever is owned by conservatives, but most conservatives I know aren't dipshits... therefore they get my money.

-is my sarcasm meter broken?

[RightCoastBiased]

Boycott a company that sells good food at reasonable prices because they offer their workers health insurance?

Who knew Slap was such a haven for the radical left?

Come on, that is clearly not what this is about. Also whole foods is not known for their reasonable prices, in fact it is quite the opposite. Also, no one in here is talking about boycotting it, or at least doing so because of these statements. The HSAs and high deductibles this man talks about do exactly what he is against, driving up healthcare costs. I don't currently have the desire to dig through my source materials to find the facts and figure or even look online, but the information is out there and it is clear.

My favorite part of this mans article is where he explains how 800k + canadians and 1.8 million people in the UK are awaiting acsess to hospitals. The funny things about this are that he is comparing a socialized medical program to the proposed american public health option, which are NOT the same thing. And secondly, it sucks that so many people in each of the respective countries has to wait so long. But what about the 15 million people in this country that can not even go to a hospital because they don't have health care? Since being laid off in march, I am one of those people. If i get severely hurt or sick, I won't be able to afford getting treatment. If i wanted to pick up a private insurance plan I'd be paying $120+ a month. That is about half of what I am making per week on unemployment. My point being, those 15 million are probably not in a position to be able to go out and get their own medical insurance.

Anyways, fuck whole foods because they are over priced and I hate the staff/customer base.

Also the radical left comment is hilarious. I certainly fall in that category, but most of the slappers are just liberals or moderate liberals. Which on a scale of world politics would make the centrists or left of center.

[Sleazy]

Boycott a company that sells good food at reasonable prices because they offer their workers health insurance?

Who knew Slap was such a haven for the radical left?

calling what he provides insurance is a real stretch. with a 2500 deductible, unless you get cancer, you'll be paying your own medical and as he implied in his post, when your making 10 bucks an hour, you will not go to the doctor unless it's an absolute emergency. he's totally screwing them and then claiming he's some kind of saint.

[kamltoe]

Expand Quote

Boycott a company that sells good food at reasonable prices because they offer their workers health insurance?

Who knew Slap was such a haven for the radical left?

[close]

calling what he provides insurance is a real stretch. with a 2500 deductible, unless you get cancer, you'll be paying your own medical and as he implied in his post, when your making 10 bucks an hour, you will not go to the doctor unless it's an absolute emergency. he's totally screwing them and then claiming he's some kind of saint.

^^pretty fucking much. fuck that dude. he's an idiot.

k

[vegan*shawn]

Boycott a company that sells good food at reasonable prices because they offer their workers health insurance?

Who knew Slap was such a haven for the radical left?

Dude when did you become such a kook? They are over priced, they treat their workers bad (I have know a lot of people who worked there). I don't like Whole Paycheck, I would much rather go to the farmers market and support local people.

[TapLuxiferfet]

In a nutshell the guy is saying the government shouldn't provide you health care you are responsible for it on your own. I want free health care. Am I right?

I go to Whole Foods because it is walking distance from my office.

[floop]

we call it Whole Paycheck.  what Whole Foods does have going for it is a constant stream of severely hot chicks.  i don't know what it is about that store, but they do like it

[odp]

Expand Quote

Keep in mind I am not some right wing anti-vegetarian hippie hater. I just hate the "liberal" yuppies who shop at whole foods and bitch about global warming, then step into their SUVs chock full of tofu and organic apples thinking they are doing anything useful.

[close]

guilty as charged, SUV and all

shiiiiaaaat, after all, your name is Sleazy. hahaha


these are an excerpt of lyrics from a song by this cat Dan Mac, the song is called drinking liberally. I think that it sums up a lot of this whole, like a piece of organic flatbread or some shit.

"lets have a war protest, outside the organic grocery store, it's a fun, safe, and easy way to show that you care. We'll meet with the black friend, the black friend of what's his name, be the first to show your face, make sure you demonstrate, just make sure you're there......we're here and profiteers, traitors of trust..... we'll live in a village made up of condos, no poor folks on main st except for the help. our property values tripled since we moved here, when our neighbors were soon in a cell. clear cut the forest with hybrid machinery, brutus and judas aint got nothing on us."

[Commercial D]

calling what he provides insurance is a real stretch. with a 2500 deductible, unless you get cancer, you'll be paying your own medical and as he implied in his post, when your making 10 bucks an hour, you will not go to the doctor unless it's an absolute emergency. he's totally screwing them and then claiming he's some kind of saint.

I guess you guys didn't actually read what the man actually wrote:

Chad Crowe
 • Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs). The combination of high-deductible health insurance and HSAs is one solution that could solve many of our health-care problems. For example, Whole Foods Market pays 100% of the premiums for all our team members who work 30 hours or more per week (about 89% of all team members) for our high-deductible health-insurance plan. We also provide up to $1,800 per year in additional health-care dollars through deposits into employees' Personal Wellness Accounts to spend as they choose on their own health and wellness.

Money not spent in one year rolls over to the next and grows over time. Our team members therefore spend their own health-care dollars until the annual deductible is covered (about $2,500) and the insurance plan kicks in. This creates incentives to spend the first $2,500 more carefully. Our plan's costs are much lower than typical health insurance, while providing a very high degree of worker satisfaction.

As for this:

Dude when did you become such a kook? They are over priced, they treat their workers bad (I have know a lot of people who worked there). I don't like Whole Paycheck, I would much rather go to the farmers market and support local people.

You're talking about two completely different things. Whole Foods is a full-service supermarket & café, while a farmers' market typically sells fresh produce, jams & jellies, & dairy products. Farmers' markets typically happen only a few hours, once a week. Whole Foods is open 14 hours a day, 7 days a week and is often conveniently located in popular city neighborhoods. They are not overpriced—their prices are competitive or they wouldn't be expanding, and their pay-by-weight food bar is a bargain for someone seeking a healthful snack on the go. And because prices are set nationally, in Manhattan they offer a six-pack of beer for cheaper than any bodega (ex. Sam Adams for $8.99 vs. $12.99 at a bodega).

As for worker treatment, they pay above minimum wage and offer discounts as well as a health plan. How much more can a company give to an army of cashiers, stockboys, and janitorial staff while remaining profitable? Don't like the job, find something better.

Leftists just hate on things that are successful because they themselves are insecure. Meanwhile, even the most zealous invariably fail to follow the consumption habits that they so vocally push upon others. Whole Foods needed only to expand and grow for a few years to go from rad to bad in the left's perspective. Really, there are a lot worse companies to bitch about. Whole Foods provides a good service to its customers and jobs for its staff.

It's hilarious coming to a skateboarding forum and observing grown men try to wax political only to end up sounding like a bunch of 15 year-olds who just heard their first Dead Kennedys album.

[Pelican]

i like trader joe's :p

[Commercial D]

i like trader joe's :p

[odp]

^^^^
dude, regardless of a "political" or "social" affiliation, Whole Foods sucks. I used to date a girl who worked there and aside from the food she would steal, it was just as lousy of a place to work as Wal Mart. When i lived in NC i worked for Harris Teeter for all of 2 shifts, another grocery chain claiming to be worker friendly, FUCK THAT NOISE! it was the lousiest place i've ever had the nerve to work for.

These places do not care about their workers, so yeah people are going to Boo Hoo about it, i could really care less, but the fact is, is that they spread propaganda, as does anyone (speaking of interest groups (corporations included) in the singular, human respect) who is looking out for themselves. It's utter bullshit and it's a lousy healthcare plan. Most of the folks working there aren't going to get near enough hours to supplement the necessary funds to support paying for the offered health plans. Also, how many folks are going to work at Whole Foods for more than a year, two at most? Companies such as these, i think Whole Foods in particular, maybe i'm mistaken, sets up leadership teams, that in the end oust people from the store, thereby nullifying any benefits that might be accrued over time.

[crest]

Fuck whole foods, but a few of the guys points were actually valid and would probably help our healthcare system.

You guys are all too eager to suck on the governments nipple.

[Commercial D]

I'd be interested in learning about a chain of warehouse-sized retail stores that does offer its employees an agreeable working environment according to Slap standards.

[vegan*shawn]

I'd be interested in learning about a chain of warehouse-sized retail stores that does offer its employees an agreeable working environment according to Slap standards.

Safeway offers a pretty good pay standard and great health care. Maybe because they are union, something that Whole Foods has fought for years.

[vegan*shawn]

Expand Quote

Dude when did you become such a kook? They are over priced, they treat their workers bad (I have know a lot of people who worked there). I don't like Whole Paycheck, I would much rather go to the farmers market and support local people.

[close]

You're talking about two completely different things. Whole Foods is a full-service supermarket & café, while a farmers' market typically sells fresh produce, jams & jellies, & dairy products. Farmers' markets typically happen only a few hours, once a week. Whole Foods is open 14 hours a day, 7 days a week and is often conveniently located in popular city neighborhoods. They are not overpriced—their prices are competitive or they wouldn't be expanding, and their pay-by-weight food bar is a bargain for someone seeking a healthful snack on the go. And because prices are set nationally, in Manhattan they offer a six-pack of beer for cheaper than any bodega (ex. Sam Adams for $8.99 vs. $12.99 at a bodega).

As for worker treatment, they pay above minimum wage and offer discounts as well as a health plan. How much more can a company give to an army of cashiers, stockboys, and janitorial staff while remaining profitable? Don't like the job, find something better.

Leftists just hate on things that are successful because they themselves are insecure. Meanwhile, even the most zealous invariably fail to follow the consumption habits that they so vocally push upon others. Whole Foods needed only to expand and grow for a few years to go from rad to bad in the left's perspective. Really, there are a lot worse companies to bitch about. Whole Foods provides a good service to its customers and jobs for its staff.

It's hilarious coming to a skateboarding forum and observing grown men try to wax political only to end up sounding like a bunch of 15 year-olds who just heard their first Dead Kennedys album.

This is a whole lot of nonsense not saying a whole lot. Show me how Whole Foods treats there workers fair? Please, I have know close to 20 people who work or have worked there, they all complain about the bad pay and high cost of health care. Lucky for some they where able to find better jobs, some have not been able to get out yet.
 Maybe if CEO's would stop taking so much fucking money for sitting on their collective asses they could reinvest it into paying their workers a decent wage and provide full health care.
I have disliked Whole Foods for their union busting for years, I prefer to support smaller locally owned places when I can.
Now off to listen to Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

[kilgore.]

i thought everyone complained about their jobs.

[SFblah]

I call that place Steal foods, because its so easy to just walk around and steal a meal from their bulk shit. This makes me feel less guilty.

Haha!  Yea, they have a non-confrontation policy regarding stealing.  I know because a few friends worked there.  Once I found out I used to skate down there and treat myself to a Rice Dream ice cream bar every day.  Just walkin around eating.