I’m choosing to give him a bit of slack and believe he meant there is no right to free care, which is correct. The right to health care equates to that of free speech, not free beer.

That makes the question of government involvement in health care a Constitutional issue. If we should get to the point where the public option slays its private counterparts (which seems inevitable, except for the high end coverage few people have), doesn’t the rationing we should all anticipate and see elsewhere become government restriction of our right to health care? Again, I think Mackey meant this when he cited the rationing abroad. He spoke poorly on this point.

“• 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.”

For those who have them, High Deductible Health Insurance plans are a great way to reduce premiums and copays, without having any other impact on health care. The same care for less cost. What’s not to like?

It would have to be a cold day in hell before I would set foot again in a Whole Foods store. Four dollar per pound organic apples? Give me a break! The wealthy shoppers who patronize that retailer are out of touch with the rest of society. People are starving all over the world, and these rich clowns are spending upwards of $1,000 a week on “designer groceries”! Walk down the aisles, and one sees glazed-eyed foodies entranced by the organic produce, the seafood counter and the wine department. Shame, shame.

Boycott? I would if I shopped there. Can’t afford it. It is an elitist rip off experience targeted at only a very small fraction of the population. Savy shoppers won’t set foot there.

Mackey’s expected ignorant and elitist views worth noting? Nah.

If you want to know what your eating buy at the farmer’s market and ask the grower what he or she uses to control pests.

previously in europe, governments granted your rights, by inference meaning they could take them away. the founders of our constitution said no, we are BORN with these rights, they are not yours to give or take away.

with respect to what the government can DO, it clearly states in the constitution that the only powers the federal government has is exactly what is stated and no more. all other powers are delegated to the states and the people.

there’s nothing in the constitution that states they can buy private companies, bail out private companies, create a private bank to print fiat currency, provide health care, etc.

people forget we have states. why have states if the feds do everything? it was never meant to be this way. the federal government was meant to operate as a framework with limited powers within which the states could operate, not like a king with unlimited powers that can do anything it wants.