All-purpose news and politics thread: Two Steps Beyond!

[TheInvisibleMan]

Someone told me once that the profit factor is pretty narrow with grocery stores and convenience stores and they sometimes make only pennies on the items. There was a post here about being followed by convenience store clerks. I've never seen a convenience store that can spare someone to just follow you around. Any Dollar General I've stopped in has just one person working. Most likely they will have cameras though.

I lived in Gary for many years and I really don't go back there much. But I remember when Jewel built a new store on the west side and it was a big deal at the time. It closed in less than 10 years because of "inventory shrinkage". I was told that not only was there shoplifting it was given an assist by the staff. If your friend came through the check out line with a basket full, they'd only ring up a few items.

You still have shoplifting in the "better" neighborhoods and sometimes it's some brats who do it for kicks. But the latest figures put the loss due to theft at 50 billion dollars. If you're in retail in any form it's a pretty big deal....and sometimes the loss does come from within. I can't say that I would blame a shop owner for being a bit too suspicious. And it's why store close in certain neighborhoods.....they can't afford the losses from shoplifting.

that happens when you're in a crap area, you pay your employees crap, so they have no reason to prevent shrinkage/theft/whatever you want to call it

[TheInvisibleMan]

Trumps VA secretary David Shulkin received improper gifts and used taxpayer money for a European vacation with his wife

[Kevinroc]

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, possible 2020 candidate, rejects corporate PAC donations

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ons/333976002/

And she's not the only Democrat that will be rejecting corporate PAC donations.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/14/book...donations.html

Booker joins the likes of Gillibrand, Warren, and Sanders in rejecting corporate PAC donations.

[Malvolio]

The snowball effect from all that would inevitably result in such stores going out of business, and those impoverished communities they served devolving into food deserts, heightening the already entrenched poverty. As bad as that would be in big cities with struggling urban populations, it would catastrophic in small towns, most of which tend to skew Republican in terms of voters. Those same ignorant voters who gleefully elected Trump and the bad actors from the GOP because A) they hated Hillary, B) fell for Trump's snake oil bullshit, or C) wanted to stick it to those big city liberals would end up suffering just as much as everyone else, if not worse.

Wouldn't matter. They'd still twist themselves into knots to somehow blame it all on Obama, Hillary or Nancy Pelosi.

[GindyPosts]

Someone told me once that the profit factor is pretty narrow with grocery stores and convenience stores and they sometimes make only pennies on the items. There was a post here about being followed by convenience store clerks. I've never seen a convenience store that can spare someone to just follow you around. Any Dollar General I've stopped in has just one person working. Most likely they will have cameras though.

I lived in Gary for many years and I really don't go back there much. But I remember when Jewel built a new store on the west side and it was a big deal at the time. It closed in less than 10 years because of "inventory shrinkage". I was told that not only was there shoplifting it was given an assist by the staff. If your friend came through the check out line with a basket full, they'd only ring up a few items.

You still have shoplifting in the "better" neighborhoods and sometimes it's some brats who do it for kicks. But the latest figures put the loss due to theft at 50 billion dollars. If you're in retail in any form it's a pretty big deal....and sometimes the loss does come from within. I can't say that I would blame a shop owner for being a bit too suspicious. And it's why store close in certain neighborhoods.....they can't afford the losses from shoplifting.

That happened here in Indianapolis two or three years ago when all the Double 8 stores closed, citing the same reasons. Except, Double 8 grocery stores were NASTY, with very few fresh fruit and vegetable options. It was mostly frozen stuff and canned goods, and the employees were treated miserably.

I understand those issues very well, because they are businesses and not charities, but food deserts (which this city does have a serious problem with) create even worse issues in the long run.

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I will believe it when I see it manifest in their voting patterns. You can be "frustrated" all you want but if you continue voting and supporting him and his enablers it means ****.

And therein lies the problem. Republicans have a frightening, hive mind like mentality that puts the Borg from Star Trek to shame. No matter how evil or just plain shitty GOP candidates are, if there's an "R" next to his or her name, that lever gets pulled, each and every time. I have no doubt that when push comes to shove and Trump is up for re-election, most, if not the bulk of those "frustrated" women will vote for him.

He eats all that junk because he's afraid of being poisoned.

****! Fanta Fatass is already being poisoned, given the high caloric and salt intake of all that crap he wolfs down, it's just not happening as fast or as outright as he fears, but it's happening. Trump is no more 239 pounds than I'm a Saudi oil sheik, he's a massive heart attack just waiting to happen thanks to his hideous diet, and everyone knows it.

This food box program is kicking someone in the ribs while their down with a steel toed boot. What about people with dietary restrictions, food allergies and the like? This speaks nothing but a deep seated, pathological hatred of the poor.

That's always been the case with the GOP. Their unyielding hatred of the poor is as irrational as it's malicious, and this food box program nonsense is the nadir of their obsession with destroying them. This isn't hyperbole, if Republicans leaders thought they could even remotely get away with it, they'd round up all the country's poor and stuff them in concentration camps in the middle of Alaska or some deserted island. I really believe that.

[Iron Maiden]

that happens when you're in a crap area, you pay your employees crap, so they have no reason to prevent shrinkage/theft/whatever you want to call it

If you work for a large grocery store chain like Jewel they pay more than the minimum wage. Most stores in my area do anyway. And at least there are benefits. My sister works as a cashier/sales rep at a dept store and she at least gets some coverage for her Rx costs and health care.

[Iron Maiden]

That happened here in Indianapolis two or three years ago when all the Double 8 stores closed, citing the same reasons. Except, Double 8 grocery stores were NASTY, with very few fresh fruit and vegetable options. It was mostly frozen stuff and canned goods, and the employees were treated miserably.

I understand those issues very well, because they are businesses and not charities, but food deserts (which this city does have a serious problem with) create even worse issues in the long run.

Chicago has an issue with food deserts too. And in my old home town Gary, Indiana, I think there was one grocery store left. They even closed a couple of Walgreens, which at least have small grocery sections, because they were losing money.

[GindyPosts]

What is the American way of the government feeding poor people?

Unfortunately for you, since it will go against your beliefs, but micromanagement of the food stamps program.

I'm actually not for government micromanagement, but if you want to ensure the program is used to its peak potential, you'll need to incentivize certain purchases. Farmers markets already offer discounts for food stamp users, so why not have grocery stores adopt a similar program. And, because transactions are usually in bulk, have data jockeys examine these transactions and see if people are buying balanced items and aren't just buying 12 bottles of soda every week.

My issue with this "blanket" idea is that it's clearly utilizing a "one size fits all" philosophy, when food isn't that simple. People have various dietary habits, nutritional needs, allergies, and religious preferences.

And, then there's the actual enforcement of the program. Hiring contractors to can and ship the products, making sure they are delivered, minimizing loss and theft (which you know WILL happen), and addressing people who can't easily get these packages. Obviously, they'll want the lowest bidder to do it, and if the Puerto Rico meal fiasco (only 50,000 meals made out of a 3 million order ever made) is any recent indicator, I don't trust whomever gets the contract to do the dang job right.

It's going to cost the government more to enforce this "Blue Apron" program than what they are currently doing in the long haul, but you know... MAGA!

[GindyPosts]

Chicago has an issue with food deserts too. And in my old home town Gary, Indiana, I think there was one grocery store left. They even closed a couple of Walgreens, which at least have small grocery sections, because they were losing money.

Gary seems to have acquired a few Aldi & Save-a-Lots, which provide minimal options in terms of variety by producer, but still have a wide selection regardless, which I think does help, but there's still problems there.

[PaulBullion]

id rather the military not lead coups, thank you very much

because once it happens, its going to happen again and again and again

The ANC is a political party, not the military. What are you talking about?

[KNIGHT OF THE LAKE]

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, possible 2020 candidate, rejects corporate PAC donations

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/...ons/333976002/

And she's not the only Democrat that will be rejecting corporate PAC donations.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/14/book...donations.html

Booker joins the likes of Gillibrand, Warren, and Sanders in rejecting corporate PAC donations.

Gillibrand keeps doing this I might consider voting for her. Imo that's probably the single most important issue right now.

[TheInvisibleMan]

Gillibrand keeps doing this I might consider voting for her. Imo that's probably the single most important issue right now.

agreed, id put it right up there with voter suppression legislation

[BeastieRunner]

Trumps VA secretary David Shulkin received improper gifts and used taxpayer money for a European vacation with his wife

Ethics probe on that one started today as well as Porter and the speech writer. And Gowdy is coming out swinging against Trump on all 3 of these. Which is odd because he's not on the HEC anymore.

EDIT: Farenthold's probe is publishing some findings today.

[Iron Maiden]

Unfortunately for you, since it will go against your beliefs, but micromanagement of the food stamps program.

I'm actually not for government micromanagement, but if you want to ensure the program is used to its peak potential, you'll need to incentivize certain purchases. Farmers markets already offer discounts for food stamp users, so why not have grocery stores adopt a similar program. And, because transactions are usually in bulk, have data jockeys examine these transactions and see if people are buying balanced items and aren't just buying 12 bottles of soda every week.

My issue with this "blanket" idea is that it's clearly utilizing a "one size fits all" philosophy, when food isn't that simple. People have various dietary habits, nutritional needs, allergies, and religious preferences.

And, then there's the actual enforcement of the program. Hiring contractors to can and ship the products, making sure they are delivered, minimizing loss and theft (which you know WILL happen), and addressing people who can't easily get these packages. Obviously, they'll want the lowest bidder to do it, and if the Puerto Rico meal fiasco (only 50,000 meals made out of a 3 million order ever made) is any recent indicator, I don't trust whomever gets the contract to do the dang job right.

It's going to cost the government more to enforce this "Blue Apron" program than what they are currently doing in the long haul, but you know... MAGA!

That sounds likely to fail for all the reasons you cite. They already have some sensible exclusions like Beer, wine, liquor, cigarettes or tobacco. I'd add snack foods like Doritos and Potato Chips and carbonated soft drinks. You know people would get ticked off though. But if a bag of Frito Lays Chips cost $4.99 these days you'd be better off buying soup, hot or cold cereal (hopefully not Fruit Loops!) or vegetables. Even though I make good money I don't want to pay $4.99 for chips Yet I've seen people in the check out line with several large bags of Cheetos, etc. using food stamps.

I knew a young lady whose family immigrated to the US from the former Yugoslavia...legally mind you. She said something to me that I thought was pretty funny at the time. She said " I never saw fat poor people until I moved to this country" We all tend to make poor food choices but with the poor the consequences are compounded because they may not be able to get the health care they need. Esp now that the GOP wants to slash Medicare and Medicaid.