Whole Foods chief: there is no "right" to health care

Sorry for the hiatus. I know I am way behind on local food news with the "Newcaro" story on SS Singular and then Thayer Ave giving us the Fractured Prune update. But I had to make my annual pilgrimage to Vacationland (AKA Maine) to stuff my face full of lobsters for a week - and boy, did I.

Talk about fresh, caught that morning, brokering a deal with a lobster wholesaler right on the dock, and then bringing them back to the rental house to steam and BBQ. And at least for the moment, this is as close as I can get to really know what I am eating (for something that had parents) and where it has come from. I see the lobster in front of me before it is sacrificed for the meal. And trying to be as humane as possible, I sever the nervous system of the lobster by putting a sharp knife through their head. Although writing that sentence does make it seem quite cruel, it appears - though others argue against it - that this is the most humane method. In addition, I cannot argue with the results - mouth watering delight!

But back to the topic at hand, if folks missed it, John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods had an article in the Wall Street Journal last week on "improving" health care in the U.S. Mr. Mackey describes several free-market reforms that the government should take into consideration. Mackey wants "less governmental involvement and more individual empowerment." Yes. If we all act individually and not collectively, I'm sure we can leverage our insurance providers to establish less expensive and more comprehensive coverage for our families.

This is the same ethos Mackey has for unions - more individual empowerment. The last thing he wants is his employees coming together to collectively seek a bigger voice on the job. If you didn't know, this so-called progressive is rabidly anti-union. At the first whiff of employees talking union, the company jumps into action to squash any attempt by employees to exercise their democratic right to form a union.

But I digress, sorry. Of all Mackey's idea's, what bothers me the most is his assertion that the "right" to health care does not exist in the US. OK, true. But that doesn't mean we can't change things so that U.S. is not the only industrialized country without some form of universal health coverage. The suffragists fought to gain the franchise for women, right? Previously that "right" did not exist. And what about the Brown v. Board decision which overturned separate but equal? The court ruled this was a violation of the Equal Protection clause (14th amendment).

So now, forward-thinking people are working hard to ensure this new "right" is available to all Americans. Mackey should be on board with this given his philosophy on health. Earlier this month in London Mackey talked about his store's healthy eating initiative which will rid the WF shelves of unhealthy food and try to better educate customers.

This is good. If we're healthier we're less likely to fall ill. This should be the logic he uses for health care -- prevention. But Mackey's ideology trumps this. It appears he only wants the free-market to set the guidelines. We see how well that has worked for us with approximately 46 million (18%) Americans under 65 without health coverage. Why can't there be an affordable option (like a public option) for people to choose for their coverage? If people have this option, it is likely that more people will be pro-active about their health care and not simply reactive, so they don't have to visit the emergency room when an illness strikes.

This happens much too often today which is why the US is expected to spend $2.5 trillion (17.6% of GDP) on health care in 2009. Staggering. Worse, if nothing is done by 2018 this may reach $4.4 trillion.

This all leads me back to being very disappointed with Mackey and his proposed reforms. As business leaders go, he seems to be better than most - even with his stance on unions. I would have guessed given his holistic approach to food and health, he would have been supportive of a plan - whether run by the public or private sector - that allowed the largest number of Americans to receive health coverage. I know there are people calling for a WF boycott. While I am not one of them, it does make me second guess the amount of money I drop at WF on a weekly basis.

But should I shop at a store that pays its employees poorly and provides them no health insurance, and also stocks its shelves with mostly junk and overly processed foods rather than at WF? Safeway is at least a partial option since it's a union shop, but frankly I want more than that. I want sustainable meats and fish. I want fresh and local veggies and cheese. I want a good bulk section. Maybe I want too much.