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Ambar Espinoza
St. Cloud, Minn.

Coborn's president urges employees to oppose health care bill

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The president of Coborn's, a St. Cloud-based grocery chain, is urging his employees to oppose health care reform legislation.

In an internal memo (pdf), Coborn's president and CEO Chris Coborn asks employees to e-mail or write letters to legislators opposing two pieces of legislation. He said the proposed health care reform bill and a union organizing measure are serious threats to the future of the company.

Coborn's spokesman Steve Gottwalt said the company frequently shares information with its employees about factors affecting its business.

"In this case, we wanted to share some basic information about what legislation is coming forward in Washington, and how employees and others might be able to impact that legislation by letting their concerns and thoughts be heard. That's pretty much it," said Gottwalt, who is also a Republican state representative.

Coborn has given money to candidates from both parties, but he leans Republican by a ratio of more than 5-to-1 in his contributions.

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify that Steve Gottwalt was speaking on behalf of the company, and not in his capacity as a state legislator.