u/BeccasDreamboat

Photos of the racist and hateful comments are included in the Bluesky post. Spread the word! Alchemy is either owned by or supported by racist and anti-trans bigots. If it were my business, I would put out an apology, prove the garbage was cleaned up and get rid of the owner/employee/friend/supporter who is posting this stuff.

The comments were in response to community members asking Alchemy to clean up their garbage dumped on the roadside.

The Bluesky account also broke the story about APD officer Crume operating the notoriously racist reddit account hallofthemountaincop.

"The gunman’s mother apparently shares her late son’s conservative politics, according to her Facebook page – which features videos praising US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and ripping former president Joe Biden."

Our community is aware of many Asheville area tourism-based businesses who received COVID/Helene funds in order to pay employees, and ended up paying half or fewer of their relief funds to employees. The community is also aware of tourism-based businesses raising prices without raising wages, contributing to the wealth inequality we see across the Asheville area and nationwide today.

While families are struggling 6+ years later due to the debt of their unemployed time during COVID and Helene (1.5 years later).

A Chestnut/Corner Kitchen Restaurants owner who pays their servers at or close to the NC minimum wage ($2.13/hr) purchased a $1M+ house after receiving Helene funds meant for employees. **They didn't purchase this home prior to receiving these funds meant for their employees' paychecks and they purchased the home with the knowledge their former employees were hungry and without adequate housing.**

**During this time, they rehired approximately half of their pre-COVID staff.**

While half of their employees were without food, life-saving medication and housing, they were purchasing million dollar homes.

Among the staff reportedly let go and not rehired during COVID included a long-time staff member who was recovering from a brain injury successfully, but whose healthcare costs the company may have illegally taken into account in their decision not to rehire. These restaurants were reported by employees to be on a self-insured basis for healthcare at the time, meaning the owners could see the cost per employee based on their small employee base and their self-reported health issues. At the time, only one employee reportedly had a brain injury and the company was reportedly in regular discussions regarding the cost of healthcare for said employee. The question of whether it was profitable to continue to employ them was reportedly brought up at least a month+ prior to COVID's downfall. Management was reportedly displeased with the healthcare costs of this employee and one other whose condition remains unnamed.

Internal meeting notes by insiders indicate a coordinated discussion and effort to reduce healthcare costs by eliminating or replacing employees with the highest healthcare costs.

The top two most expensive employees (relating to health insurance costs) were terminated either right before or right after COVID.

Which Asheville businesses have been price gouging or misusing government aid in order to fill their own pockets?