Bellinis breakin' it down, vol ii.

I reserve such posts for topics in need of sincere thought and robust discussion. It's been almost 2 years since my last breakdown whoa, time flies. And now ladies and gentlemen, a second installment is long overdue.

The impetus to write this post, was urged by this e-mail I received from a friend.
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FYI... old but still INTERESTING... whole foods boycott..
Basic Info
Name: Boycott Whole Foods
Type: Common Interest - Politics
Description: John Mackey, CEO and co-founder of Whole Foods wrote an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal on August 12, 2009 quoting Margaret Thatcher and suggesting that healthcare is a commodity that only the rich, like him, deserve.
i beg to differ with this synopsis
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB20001424052970204251404574342170072865070.html
Whole Foods has built its brand with the dollars of deceived progressives. Let them know your money will no longer go to support Whole Foods' anti-union, anti-health insurance reform, right-wing activities.
______________________________
ACTION ITEM: Top Chef.
Please contact BRAVO to ask them to drop Whole Foods as the official supermarket of the show.
http://www.bravotv.com/contact

HOW TO CONTACT WHOLE FOODS
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/company/national.php

To read more about why we are calling for a boycott and why a boycott will work, visit our blog: http://wholeboycott.com

Media: http://wholeboycott.com/media-relations/
Schedule Event: http://wholeboycott.com/schedule-boycott-events/
Arts for the Boycott: http://wholeboycott.com/arts-for-the-boycott/

Contact Info
Email:
Website: http:///wholeboycott.com
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Although, I decided to share, I must protect the innocent. This e-mail was sent to 3 groups, 2 of the groups are black students/alumni from an ivy league university and the other group is a coalition of black professionals whom have ties to a southern state. Can I say, black folks are CRAAAAZZZZZYYYYY.

All this hoopla, stems from the Obama administration's efforts to revamp the US healthcare system. The demagouges on the right desire to bring the plan down along with the presidency. Your girl, Sarah Palin done lost her mind talking about the plan requires euthanasia of the elderly. fcking nonsense Anytime, disgraced Republicans are creating PACS (political action committees) to fund these town hall protests, folks have got to take notice. Now, what kicked this issue to third gear was a Wall Street Journal op-ed piece by the CEO of Whole Foods, John Mackey. "The Whole Foods Alternative to ObamaCare" is semi-brillant. Remeber, I stated semi-.

Now, folks want to boycott and such and urge the Bravo network to dissolve of its relationship with Whole Foods. And upwardly mobile black folks, think they're progressive and shit and are a mobilizing a campaign?!?

*********************************WTF*********************************

time for Bellini's Breakdown

Mackey's lists 8 tenets.
6 out of 8 of those tenets are absolutely on point. Indisputable.
For expediency, I will list the 75% he got right:

1. Remove the legal obstacles that slow the creation of high-deductible health insurance plans and health savings accounts (HSAs).

2. Equalize the tax laws so that that employer-provided health insurance and individually owned health insurance have the same tax benefits.

3. Repeal all state laws which prevent insurance companies from competing across state lines.

4. Make costs transparent so that consumers understand what health-care treatments cost.

5. Enact Medicare reform.

6. 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.

You have got to give it to Mackey, he's right. I for one have a high-deductible health insurance plan. It's excellent. Do I feel my plan is in jeopardy if the President succeeds in revamping healthcare? Absolutely not. Now, don't get me wrong an HDHP is not for everyone. If you tend to be ill or require multiple prescription drugs -- this plan will burn a hole in you a$$ literally and figuratively. But if your health is up to snuff, explore the plan. HDHP tend to be slighltly cheaper than your standard PPOs because they siphon some of your healthcare premium into a health savings account (HSA) where you have access to your money to pay for co-pays, prescription drugs, etc. And Uncle Sam won't take it after the calendar year expires, it will rollover and can earn you interest. My employer offers 10 various PPO (preferred provider organizations)plans, in addition to 6 HMO (health maintenace organizations) plans and would you believe only 1 of the PPO providers offers this HDHP. I could be wrong, but I do not believe HMOs offer HDHPs. When I initially enrolled in this plan and I peppered the customer service rep with questions, she informed me the healthcare provider didn't offer that specific option to its own employees. You want to know why, because you are empowered with your own money as you should be.

This was the hook that put "progressives" in a tizzy:
"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."

Oh, boy. Little did Mackey know or did he, that this paragraph rubbed "progressives" the wrong damn way.
Politricking 101 -- In a debate, you will seize the momentum if you phrase the argument to your advantage by utilizing key words.

How many keywords can you identify in Mackey's opening paragraph? In the first sentence Mackey utilizes 2 words: deficits and entitlement. First, of all those two words are polar opposites providing an ill-effect on the reader. As you continue with the paragraph, everything he stated was pure fact. progressives, he didn't lie.

Yet, Mackey's op-ed will go downhill due to his sentiments in the second paragraph:
"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."

Mackey, Mackey, Mackey...
FYI: poor people, shit-- middle class people have a hard time getting by. And by the time, they cover their basic necessities (food, shelter, etc.) ain't shit left. And when they catch a cold, they hold off until it's pneumonia and they find themselves in the emergency room--where costs are going to exponentially skyrocket.

Now, Mackey, clearly you're a strict constructionist when it comes to the US Constitution. You basically assert several times in you op-ed that healthcare is not an intrinsic right. But commonsense will tell you Mackey, citizens need some type of basic coverage. What it is, has yet to be determined. Folks, can not go on being sickly and ill and you think minute tax write-offs from more affluent members of society will be the panacea. Have we not learned anything from the 80s? Reagan economics does not work, wealthy people will horde more of their money versus trickling it down to the point it makes a significant impact on those at the lower economic strata. So, you got it wrong on your other 2 tenets:

7. Repeal government mandates regarding what insurance companies must cover.

8. Enact tort reform to end the ruinous lawsuits that force doctors to pay insurance costs of hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.

The private sector has a poor track record of covering the basics, unless Uncle Sam coerces their hand. So, unless he could specifically identify what coverage are luxuries -- it's a vacuous statement. Now, I'm torn on tort reform. Tort reform evolved as we know it because juries realized when health care providers fcucked up one's life, all they would do is give him them an extra hard kick in the ass. And that ain't right.

Folks, you gotta give it up to the Wall Street Journal for sensationalizing the op-ed with the manufacture of a clever headline. Classic case of divide and conquer. Hate to keep it straight with the progressives out there, but it would behoove you to have Mackey have a seat at the healthcare table. And Mackey, you're not off the hook. You are entitled to your opinion and clearly you knew your audience when you were reaching out to the business cachet of the WSJ, however didn't your media team remind you of the pros and cons of publishing your opinion and the potential impact to your customer base??? Now, don't worry Bellini will continue to purchase her catfish from Whole Foods. i was just there 2 days ago and I reckon I'm going back tonight!

cheers,

Bellini

P.S. Folks, I'm sorry this was a lil' long. But if I don't break it down-- who will?