Big "O" to Coca-Cola: Back off!

Today's Oregonian editorial nailed it by telling Coca-Cola to let the Portland Public School district out of the its junk beverage contract with Coke.

Check it out.

The editorial would have had more teeth had it included reference to growing talk around town of boycotting Coke products (Dannon Yogurt, Odwalla drinks, Minute Maid etc.) if the food giant puts a $600,000 hit on our strapped schools for breaking the contract.

Hey, we'll take what we can get.

On hold, waiting for "boycott" comment

I usually put up a post a day on The Red Electric, but I don't want to detract from the previous post or from my invitation for you to comment. (Stop gawking and write!)

My sources tell me that Portland Public Schools is still negotiating over Coca-Cola's demands, which are excessive in light of the terms of the district's Faustian contract with the giant beverage company.

One thing is for sure: whatever Coca-Cola gets out of this in dollars, it is going to lose several times over in bad publicity.

My "boycott donation" proposal (scroll down to yesterday's post) addresses the school district's financial need, and punishes Coke in the Portland marketplace.

A show of support for the idea by you and others could get Coke to soften its demands. Pass the word....

Let's make Coke pay for its pay-off

As the Portland School District hand-wrestles with the giant Coca-Cola Company behind closed doors, a few of us have been considering calling a boycott against dozens of Coca-Cola products.

Coke is trying to force its junk beverages back on our schools after agreeing to withdraw them. If the district doesn’t accept, Coke is threatening to sue to the tune of $600,000, the equivalent of the salaries of more than a dozen teachers.

When it comes to boycotting, Coke presents a big, exposed target. Visit the Coca-Cola brand list site to see just how exposed. The list includes Dannon Yoghurt, Odwalla and Minute Maid orange juice. Ever buy those?

There’s no doubt the school district botched its dealings with Coke, so the district needs to swallow its pride, pay off Coke and kick junk beverages out of our schools.

But then we, nearly 600,000 Portland consumers, need to step up and make Coca-Cola Company pay the price by targeted restraint in the supermarket. What we save by not buying Coca-Cola products—at least $600,000—we should donate immediately to an as-yet-to-be-established PPS "Junk-the-Junk-Food Fund."

To measure support for this idea, please comment below. Please indicate a willingness to contribute to the “Junk the Junk Food Fund.” You can pay up when the fund has been established.

Finally, alert others to this site and the chance to comment and pledge.