[PEN-L:3765] RE: ATT and Working Assets

[blairs@xxxxxxxxxxx (Blair Sandler)]

At 8:07 AM 4/14/96, Mike Meeropol wrote:
>JDevine@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
>stuff omitted
>>
>>      Like Wojceck (sp.?), I use Working Assets long distance. But nowadays,
>>      they bill using Pacific Bell (if that's what its called these days,
>>      having recently merged). Without the mailer direct from WALD, it sure
>>      feels as if I were dealing with AT&T instead of WALD. There's no
>>      clip-off form saying "send a protest letter to Newt" or whatever.
>>      Without that connection, WALD is going to die.
>
>I'm shocked.  I still get the mailer direct from WALD (recycled paper,
>etc.).  It has all sorts of information and makes me feel I'm doing a (tiny
>bit of)little good ... I agree, if they start billing using someone else,
>forget it!
>
>I think Jim oought to call them and complain.  I'm going to do the same as a
>warning.
>
>cheers, Mike

I, too, use WALD, and like Mike, I get their bill directly. But in any case
we should be clear about Working Assets: it is a for-profit capitalist
enterprise. True, they produce a commodity with some high-quality social
attributes, but as previously noted they also participate in some pretty
shoddy social processes (subcontracting with Sprint, e.g.). Without
commenting in any way on the personal integrity or beliefs of Working
Assets owners, executives or managers, we can still recognize that green
marketing is widespread; that many capitalist enterprises participate in
some socially beneficial processes (even while they may simultaneously
participate in socially detrimental processes), and that WALD consumers
could if we chose contract with a less expensive LD phone company, and use
the money we saved to contribute time and/or money to "good causes" of our
choosing.

Before I get flamed, I want to reiterate that I *do* use WALD. I just don't
think it's a big deal that I do; and I don't feel there is any moral or
political superiority associated with using WALD compared to using AT&T,
Sprint, MCI, or any of the others. If I'm not mistaken, AT&T is still
partly unionized, which is a prima facie reason to use AT&T over WALD.

By the way: I don't eat Ben and Jerry's because I think their ice cream
isn't any good (and in any case in the past year or so they dropped the
provision that limited executive pay to a relatively small multiple of
workers' pay). Look at the ingredients: it's loaded with all sorts of
additives. Breyers is every bit as good and a lot cheaper, and here in the
S.F. Bay Area we have a local producer, Double Rainbow, which is *much*
better ice cream and fewer stabilizers, additives and the like. I'd eat
Hagen Daz but I believe they are owned by a rabidly anti-women, anti-union,
etc. company (Grand Metropolitan PLC? The company that owns Green Giant?).
If anyone can confirm or deny this I'd be grateful.

Blair Sandler
blairs@xxxxxxxxxxx