Of course you might guess my take on this issue. It is especially offensive to me that Costco seems to be for some sort of higher end shopper. Becasue that is not how they sold themselves to Kaua'i, No indeed-ee. They said they were here to help Hawaiis large families, and ESPECIALLY Native Hawaiins.
They make items that families cannot really afford enticing, and then refuse to allow food stamps to be used to purchase bulk items, which would of course help larger local cfamilies to stretch their budgets for food, which is exactly what they testified on when they wanted to build here.
Can you say Pinochhio? Or liar, liar pants on fire? How about elitist? Cutting off your nose to spite your face? But now, COstco, far from keeping its "high- makamaka" (yes, I Hawaiianized that. get over it) nose in the air, they are now whistling a different tune now that profits are punching out their teeth in record numbers in the all important bottom line.
Let us really take the Costco mentality to its fullest consclusion. Let us assume that the argument that Costco is private, and should not have to give "charity" to food stamp "people" who "probably can't afford to buy the bulk items anyway", Now let us assume that everybody who sold food in a store had the same idea. Let us assume, that in costcos perfect little world NO ONE accepted food stamps.
Think about that. 38 million Americans who qualify for help, including the sick, elderly, children with disabilities, the disabled and the WORKING poor had no where to go to buy food.
COuld you imagine that? Well, apperently Costcos has changed its mind and is now accepting food stamps at at least half of their stores nationwide. Why, you ask? Becasue they did some sort of a no brainer "test" that showed that poeple with foodstamps came in to buy food. Apparently Costco executives were SHOCKED.
When elitist, conservatgive organizations and corporations try to shut out the poeple of this country from shopping for a bargain, watch out. Eventually you will feel the pinch.
After all, we are the back of the land. The spine. The maka ainana for a reason. WIthout your back, you fall flat on your face.
