You Get What You Pay For

Like a really crappy President?

The sad truth is that as American consumers, those of us who didn't support Bush at the polls have been supporting him by patronizing corporations that do. An acquaintance (and director of the brilliant documentary, Tying The Knot) forwarded this list, culled from Political Moneyline.

From his email:

"I put together a list of businesses that gave oodles of money to Bush and the Republicans. What do you say we all stop giving them money to give to Bush? The next time you find yourself eating a Baja Fresh taco, getting some paint at Home Depot, pumping gas from Exxon or Mobil, or cuddling up at the Mariott, know that your hard-earned dollars are paying for fascist judges, unending war, regressive taxes, attacks on abortion and gay rights, a filthy environment and the erosion of civil liberties. I’m making a vow to go elsewhere with my dollars, will you join me?

Without the support of companies like the ones listed below, Bush would have been handed his pink slip. So maybe your next consumer choice won’t be as convenient or might be a little more expensive, but, as the right likes to remind us, Freedom isn’t Free . . . "

CORPORATIONS WHOSE POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS HELPED PUT BUSH BACK IN THE WHITE HOUSE

Wendy’s International, the owner of Baja Fresh. 93% of Wendy’s political donations went to the Republicans. (They also own: Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers, Tim Hortons (Canada), Cafe Express and Pasta Pomodor.)

Meadwestvaco (90% to the Republicans) : AT-A-GLANCE® (the handy calendars), Cambridge®, Columbian®, Five-Star® and Mead® products.

Mariott Hotels, $323K, 81% to Republicans

Holiday Inn, $38K, 71% to the Republicans

WalMart, $467K, 97% to the Republicans

K-Mart, $524K, 86% to the Republicans

McDonald's Corp., $197K, 86% to the Republicans

Home Depot, $298K, 89% to the Republicans

Target, $226K, 70% to the Republicans

Tricon Global Restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell,) $133K, 87% to the Republicans

Circuit City Stores, $261K, 95% to the Republicans

3M Co., $281K, 87% to the Republicans

Hallmark Cards, $319K, 92% to the Republicans

ExxonMobil 96% to the Republican

Amway, $391K, 100% to the Republicans

Kohler Co. (plumbing fixtures), $283K, 100% to the Republicans

B.F. Goodrich (tires), $215K, 97% to Republicans

Proctor & Gamble, $243K, 79% to Republicans

Coors, $174K, 92% to Republicans

Brown-Forman Corp. (Southern Comfort, Jack Daniels, Bushmills, Korbel wines - as well as Lennox China, Dansk, Gorham Silver), $644K, 80% to Republicans

Pilgrim's Pride Corp. (chicken), $366K, 100% to the Republicans

Outback Steakhouse Corp., (Carrabba's Italian Grill, Lee Roy Selmon's, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Bonefish Grill and Paul Lee’s Chinese Kitchen) $641K, 95% to the Republicans

Brinker International (Maggiano's, Brinker Cafe, Chili's, On the Border, Macaroni Grill, Crazymel's, Corner Baker, EatZis,) $242K, 83% to the Republicans

Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Smokey Bones, Bahama Breeze), $121K, 89% Republican

Int'l Paper (90%) (Hammermill, Chamex, Chamequinho, Ballet, Pol, Rey, Duo, Great White, Jet Print Photo, Invent-It! , Beckett®, Brite Hue Strathmore®, Via®)

Comments

[Marnie]

Thanks for the info. Luckily I give little to no money to most of them without trying :)

[Jenna]

Thanks for putting this up, it's strengthened my resolve against corporate burritos. Something that should be noted, however, is that many corporations give millions to both candidates so that, no matter who's in office, they will have their ear (there's a website that shows this that I can't find right now). It's just a crazy, messed up system.

[kat]

Damn.... I kinda like shopping at target (well in Australia anyway - never been in the US). I also bought a ten dollar dress and a yoga mat at Walmart when I visited OK in June. I have also been to the Outback Steakhouse here in Tokyo three times (their onion ring thing is delicious). I also admit that in my life I have eaten a number of McDonalds cheeseburgers too...

It sucks that really only rich, influential people have a chance at truly becoming the president of the US, or people that pander to these massive corporations. Capitalism can be very ugly (see strip malls) and basically has the majority of people by the balls (most can only afford the cheap stuff at these stores).

Let go of my (so-called) balls please!!

[maryse]

target?! oh man! i could do without any of the others, but target?

[Gina]

I am saddened to see Target up there with WalMart. If Target gives to right-to-life radical groups then it's really over between us!

I live in a staunchly Republican NYS county, so even the little stores are Bush supporters. But thanks for the information.

[mrspilkington]

...enlightening and depressing...

[Deb]

Thank you so much for posting this!! Bushmills and Jack Daniels are coming off the bar menu in my restaurant tomarrow!! That is the only one on the list I supported.

[Em]

Excellent post. Thank you! I, too, am dismayed to see Target up there--not that it's on the list, but that it gave more money to the Republicans than the Dems. And 3M? What happened to these Minnesota companies?

Otherwise, I've been boycotting P&G products since I was a grad student at a university that farms its graduates out to the P&G headquarters in Cincinnati, so...done and done.

[sue]

Oh, no! Not target! Anyone but target! I think I can boycott everything else on the list but that one...I mean, if you have a family and already boycott walmart because of their crappy labor practices, what the heck are you supposed to do? Jeez. This country is certainly going to you-know-what in a handbasket.

[Colleen]

TARGET?! TARGET??? Grrr. Thanks for this list; I posted a link to it on my blog. This is changing some of my Christmas shopping plans, I can tell you that!

[carolyn]

thanks dude. i guess i can kiss mcgriddles goodbye.

[jackie]

Damn. I bought my home theatre and TV at Circuit City, but I don't usually support any of those other places. Good to know, good to know.

[Amie]

Damn. I can live without Target, but Carrabba's???? And it was going to be a very Home Depot Christmas for my husband this year... not anymore...

Damn again.

[heather]

truly truly marvelous info (and for the first time i can rejoice in the lack of targets in the nyc region! - no temptation!), but the really good question is - which companies are out there giving money to the dems? who should i be giving my dollars to?

[Amy]

Sadly, I live in MN and Target is almost impossible to avoid. I'm bemused though that everyone is so surprised Target gives money to the Republicans.

[David]

*sigh*

I'll brace myself and give up Taco Bell, the only one on the list that I'll have trouble substituting elsewhere.... But a more important question, for myself and for all of us:

Are we telling these companies WHY we're taking our business elsewhere?

Obviously, pandering to a political party known for its wealth is good business sense. But do they KNOW how many of us (and how many of our dollars) are going elsewhere because of their politics?

[Beth]

It seems like it would have been a shorter list to name the companies who _don't_ send their money that direction. I must live at Republican headquarters. Where can I shop now?

[KS]

Shop at Costco. They are the anti-Sam's Club and now it looks like they are the anti-Target too.

But they do have the best free sample lunch buffet in town!

[Cici]

This list is great. Now I know where I should shop. Do all of you know how you're going to get your food now since it will be hard to find any wheat, veggies, meat, etc... that didn't come from "red" farmers?