SUPPORT THE STRIKES!

Jake Sexton sends Southern Californians, who are tempted to cross the strikers' picket lines, some useful information:

If you're in southern California and are tempted to cross the picket line of striking (and locked out) supermarket workers to get your groceries, here's a list of locations where you can shop and still honor the strike. They're mostly more upscale supermarkets like Gelson's and Whole Foods (who could use a union themselves, I'm told), so the food might cost a bit more. But if you can stick it out a little while, some low paid folks might be able to win against the grocery giants and retain health care benefits for themselves and their families.

In a story related to the California strikers' reactions to unfair increases in healthcare benefit costs, Left Coaster discusses a new poll on the public's feelings about universal healthcare:

And as I posted yesterday, the results of a new ABC News/Washington Post poll taken through last Monday show that Congressional Democrats should hold out for a Medicare drug coverage plan with no gaps. By nearly four-to-one margins, those polled supported a Medicare drug program, even if it meant higher taxes to pay for it. What’s even more eye opening, is the increasing public support for universal health care in the country. By a nearly two-to-one margin (62%-32%), those polled now would support a government-run universal health insurance program run like Medicare rather than our current system. A majority continues to support such a new approach, even if it means longer waiting times for nonemergency visits, or fewer physician choices. And if given a choice of holding down taxes and keeping the current system, or raising taxes and providing such a program, those polled chose a universal system with higher taxes by more than a four-to-one margin (80%-17%).

If you been politically passive up to now, here is an easy way for you to contribute to the welfare of your working neighbor: support the grocery workers' strikes! Besides, you'll discover some really good grocery stores in your neighborhood that actually treat you as a valued customer (and sell some damn good groceries, to boot).