COSTCO EXEC EPITOMIZES OBAMA’S LOVE OF CRONY CAPITALISM

[Geee]

Human Events:

Few political observers were surprised that President Barack Obama sees himself as the second coming of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, as he uttered these words at the Democratic convention Thursday night:

“And the truth is, it will take more than a few years for us to solve challenges that have built up over decades. It will require common effort, shared responsibility, and the kind of bold, persistent experimentation that Franklin Roosevelt pursued during the only crisis worse than this one.”

Virtually every Democratic official daydreams about being a modern-day FDR, someone who can use nearly unchecked government power to “save” the citizenry from the ravages of the private sector. Love of government is embedded deep within the Democratic DNA, so much so that media observers were surprised that a corporate executive actually gave a featured convention speech.

As Huffington Post reported, “[Costco’s] top executives are also aligning themselves with the Democratic Party this election season — a rarity in the retail industry. At the Democratic National Convention Wednesday night, Jim Sinegal, the co-founder and former CEO of Costco, plugged President Barack Obama’s investment in education and affordable energy, as well as his immigration policies.”

Despite the apparent disconnect, having Jim Sinegal at the DNC is no more of a surprise than seeing Joe Biden there also. Costco is not an aberration in its support for the Democratic platform. It is, in fact, the embodiment of the kind of pliant, government-subsidized corporation that Democratic leaders prefer these days.

I’ve tussled with Sinegal in the past, back when his company was strong-arming local governments in Southern California into using eminent domain to clear away properties to make it easier for Costco to expand. Costco offers some great merchandise, but its success is built as much on special governmental privilege as it is on hard work and ingenuity. The company takes millions of dollars in subsidies from local governments chasing sales-tax revenue.