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®)
Thanks for the info. Luckily I give little to no money to most of them without trying :)
Posted by: Marnie | November 30, 2004 at 04:26 PM
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.
Posted by: Jenna | November 30, 2004 at 04:52 PM
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!!
Posted by: kat | November 30, 2004 at 09:28 PM
target?! oh man! i could do without any of the others, but target?
Posted by: maryse | November 30, 2004 at 09:33 PM
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.
Posted by: Gina | November 30, 2004 at 09:58 PM
...enlightening and depressing...
Posted by: mrspilkington | November 30, 2004 at 10:22 PM
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.
Posted by: Deb | November 30, 2004 at 10:41 PM
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.
Posted by: Em | December 01, 2004 at 08:30 AM
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.
Posted by: sue | December 01, 2004 at 09:15 AM
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!
Posted by: Colleen | December 01, 2004 at 10:02 AM
thanks dude. i guess i can kiss mcgriddles goodbye.
Posted by: carolyn | December 01, 2004 at 10:33 AM
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.
Posted by: jackie | December 01, 2004 at 10:53 AM
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.
Posted by: Amie | December 01, 2004 at 12:37 PM
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?
Posted by: heather | December 01, 2004 at 05:17 PM
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.
Posted by: Amy | December 02, 2004 at 08:11 AM
*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?
Posted by: David | December 02, 2004 at 10:10 AM
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?
Posted by: Beth | December 02, 2004 at 10:45 AM
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!
Posted by: KS | December 03, 2004 at 11:23 AM
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?
Posted by: Cici | December 19, 2004 at 09:56 PM