Why Costco and I Are Parting

First Consumer Reports, and now Costco.  I hadn’t intended this to be a month of “shedding.”  But one doesn’t always control timing.  You may have noticed that.  J

I like Costco.  I’ve been a member for years.  That comes to an end this month.  The reason?  Last November, Costco unashamedly bought an election.

Costco wanted to be able to sell booze.  The legislature had refused to pass a bill that would take the State of Washington out of the liquor business.  And two years ago, a statewide initiative to do what the legislature wouldn’t do failed.  Truth be told, I voted FOR the initiative.  I don’t see why the state needs to be in the liquor business. 

So why did I vote against it the second time?  And why am I leaving Costco?  The two are related.  This time out, Costco decided to buy the election.  It poured millions and then more millions and then even more millions into advertising.  This is morally and ethically unacceptable.  It may be legal (after all, money is speech, just ask the Supreme Court who, 5 to 4, plainly said so) but it’s not moral and it’s not ethical, and buying an election OUGHT to be illegal.

So this time out I voted against the initiative.  I might have forgiven Costco if its efforts at totally compromising democracy had failed.  But it didn’t fail.  It succeeded  Our democracy was successfully compromised.  So I determined to leave Costco.  For various reasons I couldn’t leave until now.  But now it’s over. 

I got good, cheap gas at Costco, and good prescription prices.  No more.  I buy my gas elsewhere now.  And all my prescriptions have all been transferred. 

I’ll feel a financial pinch by leaving Costco.  But the integrity of our elections ought to mean something.  It does to me.  I’ve spoken before about the high cost of cheap.  The price of cheap at Costco has become too high.

You might well say it’s a futile gesture.  Costco will make money hand over fist.  Very likely.  My leaving will cause not even a ripple.  Without a doubt, quite true.  No one will care.  On this I beg to differ.  I will care.

I believe there are those who would control us by making us feel that we are powerless.  We are not powerless.  If enough of us leave Costco, it will indeed make a difference – a huge difference.  But if nothing else, when I get up in the morning, I’ll be able to respect  the sleepy face and drooping eyes staring back at me from the bathroom mirror.  That alone is worth the price.

Possessions, power, wealth, glitz – they are all illusions.  In the end, who we are is all we ever really have.