The New York Times Tackles Nannygate at the Slope Food Co-op...
The Times has an in-depth investigation into a rumor posted on Fucked in Park Slope last week about how some members of the Park Slope Food Co-op have their nannies working their shifts. So does it happen, and is it kosher? “‘As much as people think we are Big Brother and watch people, we don’t…
The Times has an in-depth investigation into a rumor posted on Fucked in Park Slope last week about how some members of the Park Slope Food Co-op have their nannies working their shifts. So does it happen, and is it kosher? “‘As much as people think we are Big Brother and watch people, we don’t know these things,’ [Ann Herpel, the co-op’s general coordinator] said when asked how big the problem was. ‘But I don’t think it is one of our major problems.’ She said the most likely situation is one in which a nanny is a member of the co-op in her own right and agrees to work her employer’s shift, and therefore would not be easily detected.” We may never know.
what is an au pair?
*rob*
whitestone –
A kibbutz IS a coop. They are the same thing. And, truly, having a nanny wait on line for their employer for free Shakespeare tix is also wrong. SITP is a free nonprofit event that is meant to be $$-neutral, so that all can participate. Someone with more $$ can easily send an employee or hire someone to get them the tix, which flies in the face of the philosophy of the free event. If everyone sent their nannies, then poorer folks would never be able to get tix. Arguments have been made that municipal condonation of this sort would be tantamount to a constitutional equal rights violation.
“Food coops fly directly in the face of capitalism – surely an hour of my time can be spent working elsewhere, making more $$, which $$ can be spent at the coop and permit for higher prices, which means more revenues and profit to the coop, such profits can be invested elsewhere etc etc”
Well, this is really the point, isn’t it? The Co-op consists of people with values that fly directly in the face of capitalism. Their membership model is specifically meant to create an alternative community within our larger capitalist society. It’s not for everyone, of course. I’m no longer a member, not for these reasons but because of the authoritarian, picayune rules that I personally feel fly in the face of what a co-operative community should be … but that’s another topic.
Do tell rob, how am I a moonface?
eh –
Perhaps take some basic readings/courses in government or political science. Organizational structures have inherent rules that may seem senseless without an understanding of the organizational underlying construct. You may not like the rules, and you may not like the principles, but they exist for a reason. Seems crazy that we have to pay taxes to support municipal services I dont or will never use, but there is a reason behind why we have to. Food coops fly directly in the face of capitalism – surely an hour of my time can be spent working elsewhere, making more $$, which $$ can be spent at the coop and permit for higher prices, which means more revenues and profit to the coop, such profits can be invested elsewhere etc etc . Youre not the only one in the country that has a problem with core socialism….
There are plenty of co-ops around the nation that allow non-members to shop if they pay higher prices. But the PSFC, as a philosophical matter, has decided that only working members can shop there.
They also require all adult members of a household to be members, which is problematic for unrelated adults living as roommates, so lots of people cheat. And yes, there are too many members right now and there is a lot of make-work.
Years ago, we had an au pair living with us for a year, and because she was an adult and we considered her a member of the family, she joined the Co-op. She also generally did my shifts for me, which is consistent with Co-op rules, which allow household members to do each other’s shifts for them. It worked out well for all of us: she had something to do during the day when the kids were at school, she met people and made friends in the neighborhood, and I had more free time on the weekends to hang with my kids, which was the point of having an au pair in the first place. Seemed like a win-win situation all around, and I really don’t see anything elitist about it.
Hmm.. I’m sorry, is a co-op now a kibbutz in Israel.. I don’t understand the comparison. This aint Israel and it’s a freaking grocery store.
It does sound like people are jealous of people having nannies or house keepers..
I remember standing in line for my free tickets of Shakespeare in the park many a time next to nannies.. Is that the next thing people will crack down on.
quote:
that place is grody!!!
cuz youve been in it how many times?
well i pass it a lot and you can peek in you know. it also stinks like ass. a wafty foul smell comes out when the doors open! so yeah from what ive seen it looks seriously grungy
*rob*
“So, I don’t really understand why someone is taking offense by the term [moonface]. That is unless you are a fat Japanese Stoner.. And if you are, I doubt you would really care that much..”
LMAO.