OPINION: Facts don't match Schrader's claims on grocery merger

I respectfully submit that Kurt Schrader is a shill for big business. If the merger between Fred Meyer and Albertsons is allowed to go through, the new company and Walmart will control 70% of the grocery market in 160 cities in the US. How does this specifically help with local employment and keeping costs down? It is my understanding that monopolies are known for price gouging. Owning 70% of a market is as close to a monopoly as one can get. If you think the greed-flation we have experience over the last 2 years was bad, wait until the combined entity gets to charge whatever they want because there is no competition?

The combined company would also be located in Ohio? How exactly does that help small, Mom & Pop stores here in Oregon?

Mr. Schrader bemoans the evils of “huge multinational discount chains and dot-com conglomerates” from one side of his mouth while saying that a combined company that has over 5,000 stores is more concerned with your local needs. It seems apparent that Mr. Schrader is only looking at what this deal will do for his and his wealthy cronies pocketbooks. Don’t be fooled. He doesn’t care an ounce about the everyday common man. How much is the combined company paying you to shill for their merge?

Mr. Schrader also bemoans the “union jobs are at risk, too, if the grocery playing field is left to the non-union national grocers like Walmart, Costco, Target and Amazon,” he is again being dishonest with his words. There are a number of Costco stores that are union shops but the main reason Costco isn’t a union house is because they actually take care of their employees without being forced to by a union. Wouldn’t you rather work for a company that values you as an employee than one that is forced to pay you a living wage? I know how I would answer that question. On second thought, maybe it isn’t the combined entity paying Mr. Schrader. Maybe he is on the take from the unions? Either way, his double talk is unbecoming of an Oregonian let alone a former U.S. House representative. With a representative like him, it is no wonder we ended up with the disaster that is Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

His opinion is his and he is welcome to it. However, my opinion is, this merger is bad for America, it is bad for Oregon and it is bad for West Linn. I for one will not be supporting this misguided union.