Posted on 09/29/2004 8:06:55 PM PDT by Robert Drobot
Note: I’m copping with some difficult medical issues, and had a disastrous crash of my hard drive twice in succession (worm). This is the reason I’ve didn’t have the opportunity to address this serious issue on FR.
It remains an issue today, because the San Jose Army National Guard will be conducting another 'Open House' in November. I think we are obliged to get behind an effort to show our men and women in uniform our gratitude for their service, without their getting a glove across the face for ‘trespassing’ on private ( COSTCO ) property.
On Saturday, September 11, 2004, I was returning home after participating in a Pro-America 9-11 Remembrance at Stevens Creek Road and Winchester Boulevard, when I decided to stop at COSTCO, Santa Clara to run an errand.
As I approached the entrance, I noticed three smartly dressed uniformed members of Company C, 1st Battalion, 185th Infantry representing the San Jose Army National Guard. They were assigned to distribute a flyer addressing an 'Open House' at the Hedding St Armory being held that weekend. I thanked them for their service to our country, took a flyer and planned to visit them the following day.
As I entered the COSTCO facility, four or five of the COSTCO staff walked past me, surrounded our men in uniform. One of them told the Guard they must stop distributing their flyer. He said this was COSTCO policy, and further told the Guard that they were trespassing on private property.
The Guard members, wisely rejected a public confrontation, withdrawing quietly befuddled.
The following day my son and I went to the Armory. I asked those present if they were aware of the shameful action by COSTCO. They somberly responded they were aware of it, but chose to put an optimistic face on the incident by relating the positive response and welcome they received at the Great Mall in Milpitas, California.
The bottom line is San Jose Army National Guard was given the boot by COSTCO!
I’m asking you to help change this cock-eyed Un-American COSTCO policy ( if one actually exist ), and demand:
A) A letter of apology be sent to the Guard’s 185th Infantry in San Jose from the founder and chairman of COSTCO Jeffrey Brotman.
B) Take a minute to let the local print media - The San Jose Mercury News know how you feel toward the action COSTCO Santa Clara took against the men of our armed forces.
....and drop a word or two of support to:
C) Call and or write to:
COSTCO’s Corporate mailing address is: Head Office:
Jeffrey H. Brotman, Founder and Chairman COSTCO Wholesale Corp.
999 Lake Drive
Issaquah WA USA 98027
Phone: 425 313-8100
Toll Free:
Fax: 425 313-6593
Email: investor@COSTCO.com
Community Relations / Charitable Donations
Kim Cross
Community Relations & Administration
Phone: (425) 313-6182
Email: kcross@COSTCO.com
Annual Sales:
For the 52-week fiscal year ended August 29, 2004, the Company reported net sales of $47.15 billion, an increase of 13 percent from $41.69 billion during the prior fiscal year. By comparison, COSTCO's 1999 sales reached $27 billion 13% from the previous fiscal year.
COSTCO currently operates 288 warehouses, including 218 in the United States, 58 in Canada, seven in the United Kingdom, three in Korea, one in Taiwan, and a recently opened warehouse in Hisayama, Japan; and 16 additional warehouses in Mexico with a joint venture partner. The Company also operates COSTCO Online, an electronic commerce web site, at www.COSTCO.com.
The way the law works here, private property used for public access (like a shopping center or mall or CostCo) is not completely a free speech zone. It is your right as an owner to not have solicitors use your property.
However, the law requires you enforce it. That means you can grant permission for somebody to solicit, and be OK. But if people use your property to solicit without permission, and you do nothing to stop it, you lose the right to restrict any solicitors, and anyone can then solicit on your property without your permission.
Sort of like trademark laws - if you do not aggressively enforce your rights, you lost those rights.
You anti-Costco people need to take a pill. I feel like I'm reading a DUh board here.
I shop at Costco all the time, and I appreciate the fact that there is a NO SOLICITATION policy. Every private business has a right to restrict who may come onto its property.
I think you hit the wrong reply button.
Exactly. Enforce it or lose it. And I for one do not think I need to wade through a herd of solicitors everytime I go shopping...even if some are solicitng for a good cause.
You might want to follow this story a bit more. There seems to be a real lack of crediability to it.
As a union guy, if this had happened to my little girl I would have set my her down and kicked that twerps' knees out.
Of course us union thugs get sent to a school that teaches us how to defend out children.
em2vn: you wrote -
You might want to follow this story a bit more. There seems to be a real lack of cred[i]bility to it.
Name your poison. What part of this 'story' has "...a real lack of credibility?"
The location? The participants? The name of the Guard unit? The public humiliation?
Your innuendo is very much like the baseless crap Kerry and his plethora of 527's have been vomiting.
They may not be Republican. I saw a similar group at a Hillary Freep. They say they're a non partisan voter registration group, and not associated with either side ( at least the one here in South Carolina ). They were allowed to set up near the Hill Kool Aid drinkers. I asked why the life size cardboard President Bush and they said because he's the current President. Sweet.
Fine.
Just to add for all. If you are going to a Freep and see a small group at a table with life size cardboard President Bush, that's most likely not us. It means you're at least close to the right area. A few of us talked to them at our Columbia, SC. Hillary book signing Freep and they seemed like nice people. Still they say they're non partisan, but they were at a major Democrat event that most likely would have few, if any Republicans dropping by.
The life size President Bush did upset some of Hill's minions. The registration group said it's an attention getter. Seems to work.
"Fine.
"Costco branded Amex card cut in half, sent by registered mail to Kenneth J. Chenault, Chairman/CEO American Express, with brief note of explanation stating that I will no longer require their services, including plastic credit and travel.
"Local Costco manager informed of this and given a print-out of recent SJ Costco incident. Bye, Costco."
Ouch! They will have to put some ice on that!
Costco has the right to deny the use of its property for any solicitaion. However, this was handled in a terrible manner. I'm just glad that I wasn't there.
I have the feeling that what you did in your response will not be the only such response Costco will receive on this.
FYI
This was the second such confrontation the man had been in,in a short period of time. Knowing that there was a chance of such a event taking place it would seem imprudent to place your daughter in such a circumstance.
Furthermore, if I remember Hannity's questioning of the man,it was believed that the young fellow tearing up the sign was the man's oldest son.
I have used Hannity's name when it may have been on O'reilly's radio broadcast. I simply don't remember which broadcast it was.
I don't believe there was any innuendo so much as a suggestion that we all be wary of much of what we find on the net. Sadly there are people who will do some mindless things to get a brief minute in the spotlight.
BTTT
Bad choice.
All these stores do this if you dont get permission first.
I just had a sporting goods drive in July, and WALMART threw me off the property, but WALMART also made a $150 donation to the drive!
Muleteam1
I often see charities soliciting outside Wal-Mart, and it doesn't bother me. Costco management is leftist, and I won't give them a dime.
I think the story is credible but it lacks context. Under CA law, if Costco allows one group to solicit or distribute literature, it must allow all. Under the CA Constitution, it's property is considered a quasi-public forum for free speech purposes and thus cannot discriminate. I'm sure the CostCo folk have no problem with the Guard. They were just doing what a half-way competent corporate counsel would have told them to do. That said, they could have handled the situation in a far better manner and the manager should apologize for the way the incident was handled.
You make a valid point - I suggest Costco should should have told the Guards men that they had to ask, then after being asked, given permission on the spot.
We are in a war, after all. In a war it is traditional for AMericans to support our military.
Costco management however, has another agenda. Whether the stockholders will be pleased with the loss of business Costco's management's "Agenda Uber Alles" management decision caused is another matter. :)
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