Weaver Street Geoff: How To Land An Intelligence Officer ...

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

How To Land An Intelligence Officer ...

Once upon a time. There was a guy who turned up dead in the woods. Didn't add up. Blah, blah. Maggie's Hammer. Israeli Intelligence source. But, with a twist.

Ari Ben-Menashe (said Israeli Intelligence source - pic above) pursued the line for the longest time that my mate was a name on a list. Until. I pointed out that he (Ari) couldn't possibly know what he knew unless he'd known my mate, done business with him. And. Maybe more. If you know what I mean. Cf. turning up dead in the woods.

Well, fast forward. And I still do not have an answer to the inherent contradiction. So. I appear on radio interviews. And highlight the contradiction. As in, Ari knows more than he is saying.

And.

Ari calls me last night.

Oops.

Sigh. You gotta do what you gotta do to get to the truth. And if that includes baiting an intelligence officer, well, I've done it before. Cf. "Europe is not a safe place for you to be."

Sent out a round-robin this morning. To everyone. Ari. Our joint publisher and publicist. Oh yes. As part of this merry-go-round, I introduced Ari to my publisher, who is now reprinting his book. What is that book? Hey! Traitors!!

I know, I know, you couldn't make this stuff up.

Anyhoo's. Round-robined everyone. And said. I love you all to death. But I'm still looking for the truth. This isn't Oprah air kiss time. I will continue to underline dichotomies. In the hopes of getting folks to tell the truth. Whoever they may be. Wherever. And if that is on a radio interview, where Ari and I are appearing jointly. Then, so be it. I will ask him to cough up the whole story. On air. Live.

Um. That's the update. And now, I go make coffees at my co-op. Talk about contrast ...

"be the co-op!" - Why?

Hi, I'm Geoff. I work in Southern Village, on the Hot Bar.

I'm standing as a Worker-Owner Candidate for the WSM Board of Directors because I love "The Weave," and I truly believe our co-op can be so much better than it is - as a real co-op!

Whole Foods has organic food. The Farmers Market sells local. Harris Teeter has a suggestions box. Even Wal-Mart makes community donations.

Surely, as a co-op, we should be better than all of them? But, are we?

Do we really pay attention to our workers and owners?

Do we all get a vote on the big decisions that change the very nature of our co-op?

Do we really have a bottom line that deals with our social health as a co-op as well as our financial health?

Do we really pay our workers a living wage?

Do we really 'own' our co-op - not just its capital; but the way it behaves? Do we really act like an 'authentic' co-op? Do we really treat 'co-operation' as a verb, that works both ways?

If you are are an owner or worker who feels that too often the answer is 'no,' and you'd like to start hearing 'yes,' then you might find some welcome solutions in this blog, and in my 'Tasty' candidacy for the Board of WSM.

If we want it, we can make it happen. Don't leave it to others. Get involved. Own. Vote. Reclaim. Be the co-op!

I really want to hear what you are thinking. So, please feel free to stop and chat, or post a comment on this blog.

If you have an issue or a question, which you want to raise in private, please feel free to contact me at: geoffgilson@hotmail.com.

We can be better than this!

[So, what the heck does all this reference to 'Tasty' mean, anyway?...ah ha!...you gotta read to find out!]

[Please Note: The views expressed on this blog are my own, and in no way represent the official position of Weaver Street Market Co-operative.]

"be the co-op!" - How?

Should we owners and workers be consulted about and have a vote on the big changes to our co-op?

Yes. It helps to smooth implementation of those big changes by workers, and their acceptance by owners and consumers. That's Business Management 101.

Plus, we're a co-op...we own it...we're supposed to be asked! We're supposed to have a say! That's Democracy 101.

And a suggestions box or a management presentation is not democracy!

Democracy is a two-way conversation. Democracy is a vote at the end of the debate. Democracy is when we treat 'co-operation' as a verb, working both ways.

Are you a worker or owner who feels a little left out of what is happening to our "Weave"?

Do you believe that we can be better than this?

Do you want to do something about it?

If your answer is 'yes,' then you've taken the first step - you've started thinking 'yes,' rather than hearing 'no.'

Next, become an owner by speaking with your unit manager, or by contacting board@weaverstreetmarket.coop - you have to be an owner to vote.

Then, make sure to vote in the Board Elections.

And if you want to reclaim your co-op, if you want "The Weave" to be a truly 'authentic' co-op, then I invite you to vote to make Co-operation a Verb.

"be the co-op!"

[Ok. Little explanation. This section was first written back in 2007. And has been added to over the course of the five WSM Board Elections in which I have presented myself as a Worker-Owner Candidate.

I thought of deleting it, since it doesn't really make any sense. But you know? It does make sense. It represents the frustration of highlighting the same lack of democracy in our co-op, over and over and over again.

It really IS time we worked together, to reclaim our co-op, and to make it and us all we can truly be.]

You can support the 'Tasty' ("Co-operation is a Verb!") Campaign for the Board of "The Weave" by wearing this 'Who Moved My Fish?' Of-fish-ial Campaign Button.

The point is not that there wasn't some reasonable rationale for moving the seafood and meat counter out of the Carrboro store [in 2007].

It's that there was no meaningful discussion with owners and workers beforehand.

Not about moving the meat and seafood.

Nor about implementing any other aspect of the huge expansion plans that have caused, and are still causing, so much agitation and financial distress throughout "The Weave" (what I call Expansion I: 'The Debt' [2007]).

Nor about the removal of the Consumer-Owner and Senior Discounts in 2009.

Nor about extending the opening hours in 2010.

Nor about demanding that workers work 15% harder in 2011 (what I call Expansion II: 'The Overload' - just when you thought it was safe ...).

Nor about current plans to build three more stores, at a cost of millions of dollars, in the decade leading up to 2020 (Expansion III: 'The Leap Too Far').

Of course, choosing The Fish as a symbol is a metaphor. But it is a powerful metaphor.

It is a metaphor that underlines the basic co-operative principle that is repeated on the front page of every one of our monthly newsletters, namely that owners are supposed to be the primary source of all authority in our co-op.

That principle can only have meaning in practice if owners are allowed democratically to control all strategic decision-making.

I believe passionately in the notion of the democratization of decision-making, and I think I proved this with my contributions to WSM's Elections Task Force in 2008.

Now I'd welcome your support in allowing me to take this a step further, and in ensuring that the Board has on it a Director who truly believes in democratically paying attention to the cares and concerns of owners and the workforce.

Who believes passionately that 'co-operation' is a verb that should work both ways.

If you feel we can be better than we are now, then together let's make the Board take notice of us. Let's reclaim our co-op. Let's make it a truly 'authentic' co-op.