The Continuing Saga of a Modern Family Feud

It is funny about good news and bad news. On Sunday, it was believed that Artie T was going to purchase New England's Market Basket, a privately-held, family-owned and operated supermarket chain.

In fact, I wrote about this in my commentary Resistance Is Futile where I discussed the possibility that there would be a good result from all the angst the customers and employees encountered since Artie T was terminated by his cousin, Arthur S  Demoulas, and the board controlled by him. Now, the good feelings from Sunday are fast evaporating.

In Wednesday's late online edition of the Boston Herald, reports were circulating that if a deal wasn't reach by this weekend, sixty-one of the seventy-one stores would be closed forever. That means all those employees would be terminated.

In addition, an employee who works in the Main Office of the chain has brought a labor complaint to the NLRB, yes the same entity that was illegally packed by the President because the Senate was out to lunch, because the replacement Co-CEOs or their minions may have violated her right to picket and/or strike alongside store employees.

Bad news to worse.

But, in actuality, the worst is yet to come. Since the chain has not been able to raise cash by selling products, their vendors and suppliers have not been paid on past due bills. Net 15 and Net 30 payments are long past and soon Net 60 bills will be overdue, too.

So, shutting down some stores, and selling the property will raise some needed cash for the short term. But, long-term solutions are not forthcoming. At least, not by the intransigence of probably the dumbest businessman in Massachusetts. Arthur S needs to swallow his pride NOW and take the sure thing on the table. Soon enough Artie T will have his fill of his cousin's stupidity.

Hey, Arthur S! There is $1.5 BILLION on the table!!  No one else is giving you that much to go away!!! Why not pick up that cash before Artie T decides you had enough time to act like a jerk?

Oh, and by the way. The customers of your store will not forgive you in any event for what you have done to disrupt their lives and their pocketbooks. There is no love lost anymore by them towards you.

Finally, Arthur S, if Market Basket is forced to file for bankruptcy protection, it will NEVER reopen. Anyone with half a brain can see that.

Apparently, Sir, you are proving you have no brain at all.

***********   U P D A T E     U P D A T E     U P D A T E  ****************

In a stunning late night announcement, the Artie T team has completed its buyout of ALL shares of Market Basket held by Arthur S and his people. Thus ends one of the longest-running Family Feuds in Massachusetts and the US which began back in 1990 and culminated with the events which began over two months ago, when Artie T was fired by his cousin and the Board.

Ultimately, the $1.5 BILLION deal proves two things: The Business of America is Small Business and MONEY TALKS AND NOBODY WALKS.