I'm Just Saying

It's 117 years old.  It's run by a group of amateurs in its field.  It's always asking people to donate money to it.  Its prices are among the highest in its industry and keep going higher and higher.

And yet it's recognized as one of the best in the country-- and really the world.  I'm proud to be associated with it, but I'm just saying...

Comments

[A]

Seriously? Are you meaning to highlight the similarities between the U of C and the Co-op? This not a legitimate comparison -- U of C puts out some of the best produce on earth, as you note. The Co-op does no such thing (not even the best produce in HP -- Hyde Park Produce does that).

And people donate to U of C because they believe that what they got and what they continue to get after graduation is worth it. If you leave the Co-op and cease being a member, you get no continuing benefit after you have finished eating and digesting any food you bought. But having a degree from U of C (or any other fine university) continues paying dividends.

[withrow]

Yeah, among my cohorts, the "I'm just saying" line means you're not being completely serious. Obviously, the Univ enjoys a much better reputation for quality at this point.

Nonetheless, when an organization's tuition rates are among the highest in the country, it does seem a little hypocritical to complain about someone else's high prices.

Ditto the argument that a 75-year-old organization should be put to rest because it's old. That's silly.

Or this thing about amateurs running a grocery store. The board of directors of the Co-op should act like the trustees at the Univ-- we should find a professional to run the business for us.

[nate]

"Nonetheless, when an organization's tuition rates are among the highest in the country, it does seem a little hypocritical to complain about someone else's high prices."

I think people expect to get what they pay for.

"Ditto the argument that a 75-year-old organization should be put to rest because it's old. That's silly."

Agreed. Who's saying that? All I've heard is that we should save the co-op because it's so old, the history, the institution, etc...

[Jar Jar Binks]

There's a critical difference b/t the Co-Op and the U of C:

The U of C is at an optimum. It produces a high quality product that is in high demand. A high demand that is partially fueled by its high prices (the industrial organization of Higher Education is a little counter-intuitive).

The Co-Op is not at an optimum. In fact, it is so far from an optimum it's not even funny.

They may behave similarly, but they face very different obstacles and constraints. One firm deals with those efficiently. The other doesn't.