Notes and Meditations

Taking our prize home today is... New Jersey.

The AP is reporting:

In a lawsuit filed Friday, the state charged that Blockbuster failed to disclose key terms in the policy, including that overdue rentals are automatically converted to a sale on the eighth day after the due date.

So, it took about six weeks for this thing to begin to backfire. We'll see how it goes from here. It all depends on whether other states follow suit.

Here's the part of the story that kills me:

In a statement, the Dallas-based chain said it has "taken a number of very thorough steps to let customers know how our new program works. Blockbuster has trained store employees on how to effectively communicate the program to customers, both on the sales floor and at checkout."

See that? The corporation has positioned themselves to be able to claim the problem is the people on the floor being unable to explain the program. Let the little guy take the fall.

I'm not saying I'm a Blockbuster employee, but I do know when a new hire comes on he must sign a confidentiality agreement swearing he won't give away any corporate secrets. He has to do this even if he is merely a low level clerk.

I happen to have information about this employee training that discredits the company's public statements, but cannot disclose it at this time without consulting an attorney. Can a corporation ask you to sign away your constitutionally protected right to free speech as a condition of employment?