UCLA should support state with Naked Juice
I was disappointed to see UCLA restaurants have replaced Naked
Juice with Odwalla Juice.
Naked Juice is an independent company headquartered in
California, and its sales and the taxes it pays directly boost the
Californian economy and state budget.
In fact, the company began just a few miles from campus, in
Santa Monica.
Odwalla, on the other hand, is a subsidiary of the Coca-Cola
Company under its Minute Maid division. The state taxes Coca-Cola
pays increase Georgia’s coffers.
I understand that it is more expedient to contract with one
company. However, it now appears that virtually all chilled-bottled
beverages served at UCLA restaurants are Coca-Cola brands. This
greatly limits the choices student have.
As one of California’s public universities, during this
time of a suffering economy, it is most important for UCLA to make
purchasing decisions that stimulate the revenue generated within
the state.
These decisions are particularly easy when they involve drinks
as tasty as Naked Juice.
Robert Hawkes Fourth-year, economics