Pay attention darling, pay attention. REI is worse than voting for president - your vote for president actually matters!
I complain about REI because they have consistantly disenfranchised the owners (members) and consolidated control in the board.
The only way the owners (members) can get a canidate up for election to the BOD is by a writein campaign featuring 1% of active members (yes I actually received the canidate package). Then you have the possibility of being elected. There can only be 2 writein canidates on the BOD, all other members are nominated by the CEO and BOD. Ergo the owners can effect minimal change over the company they own - the managers control and run the company at their whim. Because the managers have chosen to do some decent things (green power, etc.) doesn't change the cronycapitalism way they now function. Cronyism's ultimately bad for us in both the small and large sense. Sorry if that make me selfrighteous
Would I like REI to operate differently? Yes, but I'd like even more to have a say in their operation! If the membership chose the course it'd be different.
you said you were born in DC... you should be used to lack of representation