Upping the Price of Free Enterprise

I’m so glad our state legislators think I’m not paying enough for my groceries, and that they have nothing better to do than to interfere with successful business practices [“Bill Passed to Ban Warehouse Sales of Foods, Drugs,” Sept. 11].

Shame on Wal-Mart and Costco for beating the prices of other stores and giving me what I want. I’m sure this has nothing to do with the fact that unions, which spend lots of money on political causes without the permission of members, don’t completely control such businesses.

KEN PELLMAN

Fullerton

* The bill’s author, Assemblyman Dick Floyd [D-Wilmington] says warehouse stores need to be contained. He really means that the consumers need to be contained so they can’t go to the warehouse stores to get greater value for their money.

CLIFF STANFIELD

Aliso Viejo

* How could Dick Floyd author such an obviously biased bit of legislation favoring Safeway, other large market chains and the unions?

His quote about the need for containment--”before these bastards take over the whole country”--is certainly not acceptable for a person of his supposed stature.

What next? Are we going to tell these protected markets to close their pharmacies and liquor departments to protect other small stores in low-income and other areas?

SHERWIN FEINGOLD

La Verne

* Let the market and free enterprise, not late-night deals for special interests made in smoke-filled rooms, decide the format of retail outlets.

Costco has taught merchants in the area a few lessons about retailing and has proved again that if a merchant provides what the public wants to buy at reasonable prices, then the public will buy from that merchant, albeit at the expense of merchants who cannot or will not follow this simple recipe.

DAVID E. WILBUR

Westlake Village