Best Buy and Target use corporate treasury for ads for Tom Emmer

[Eric J in MN]

At the start of this year, it was illegal to do that.

Then came the US Supreme Court's "Citizens United" ruling.

http://minnesotaindependent.com/61883/more-businesses-join-target-in-funding-republican-pac

[dflprincess]

1. I heard on AM 950 that the CEO of Target was defending this

by saying Emmer is more "business friendly" and concerned about job creation.

If Target's CEO was so damned concerned about jobs they wouldn't be outsourcing and would find more "made in USA" items to sell in their stores.

I've refused to shop at Walmart for years believing that Target was marginally better and it was local and I have friends who work at the corporate offices. At least I never got into doing my grocery shopping at Super Targets and have stuck to union grocery stores.

[jeanne43]

2. Target political contributions

I sent an E-mail to Target regarding their political
contributions.  
This is the reply.


"Target has long believed that engaging in civic
activities is an important and necessary element of operating
a national retail business. What's more important than any one
candidate's stance on a particular issue is how we nurture
thoughtful, long-term growth in the state of Minnesota.

Our support of causes and candidates is based strictly on
issues that affect our retail and business objectives. To
continue to grow and create jobs and opportunity in our home
state, we believe it is imperative to be engaged in public
policy and the political process. That is why we are members
of organizations like the Minnesota Business Partnership, the
Chamber of Commerce and many others. And that is why we
decided to contribute to MN Forward.

MN Forward's objective is to elect candidates from both
parties who will make job creation and economic growth a top
priority. We operate best when working collaboratively with
legislators on both sides of the aisle.  In fact, if you look
at our Federal PAC contributions year to date, you will see
that they are very balanced between Republicans and Democrats.
For more information please visit www.target.com/company, and
view the Civic Activity page.

Target has a large stake in Minnesota's future, which is why
it is so important to be able to provide jobs, serve guests,
support communities and deliver on our commitment to
shareholders. As an international business that is proud to
call Minnesota home, it is critical that we have a business
environment that allows us to be competitive. Our guests, team
members, communities and shareholders depend on Target to
remain competitive.

Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback." 

[Eric J in MN]

3. Their Federal PAC money is the personal money of managers...

...while the money for the Tom Emmer ads came from Target's corporate treasury.

It's a given that when you shop at a big store, some of the employees there donate to causes you agree with, and some donate to causes you're against.

It's not a given that the store will use its corporate treasury to fund ads for candidates.

RE "MN Forward's objective is to elect candidates from both
parties"

But the letter can't name any Democrats they've run ads for.

[bjb]

4. Target

If Target is such a cash cow maybe they could give their employees a raise?

[glinda]

8. I got the same email.

[Echotrail]

5. Ish.

No more Target or Best Buy for me.

What are the better alternatives in MN for the types of mass consumer stuff they sell?

[becxx]

6. I have boycotted Target and Best Buy when possible for years

When folks buy stuff from these types of companies, they eventually get what they paid for -- Target and Best Buy will be happy to use slave labor in the USA as well as abroad. Some of the big corps are about a few corp heads getting as rich as possible at the expense of everyone else.

[dflprincess]

7. And what's really making me crazy is the Target ad where they use the lyrics from

"Free to Be You & Me"

There's a land that I see where the children are free
And I say it ain't far to this land from where we are
Take my hand, come with me, where the children are free
Come with me, take my hand, and we'll live

In a land where the river runs free
In a land through the green country
In a land to a shining sea
And you and me are free to be you and me

Because a good chunk of what Target sells is probably made with child labor and also because Target's candidate, Tom Emmer, really would not be the kind of guy to get behind this "free to be you and me" liberal propaganda.

[Brickbat]

12. Oh my sweet jumping bippy.

Do they really? DO THEY REALLY? Because that makes me want to FUCKING VOMIT. I LOVE that song -- sang it in grade school -- and it is a crime that Target uses that song while it busts unions and traffics in goods made with slave labor. Fuck 'em. They can go to hell.

[dflprincess]

13. This will link you to a copy of the ad

http://homadge.blogspot.com/2010/07/targets-free-to-be-you-and-me-back-to.html


You & I seem to be in the minority as the person who posts at the above link just loves this & the Facebook page for "Free to Be You & Me" seems to be swarming with people who also like it. If I weren't at work I would hit the "like" on Facebook and add comments about slave labor.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Free-to-Be-You-and-Me/44092522222

[glinda]

9. Sad. But unfortunately it is our largest and most well known Company.

I think the best approach is to keep on them, hound them and make them accountable to their people. of course, they will probably move their headquarters out of State as they have already started to do.
This BS about going with Emmer because it is good for business is bullshit. What is good for business is when people have money to spend at Target which will not be the case if Emmer gets in.

[annm4peace]

10. Target just be another Walmart for me

I just can't stomach going in there. I hope the CEO has to resign over this.

It also goes for Best Buy and Holiday Gas station but I hardly go to those stories anyhow.

[Minnesota Raindog]

11. There are plenty more donors to MN Backward than Target and Best Buy--boycott them all

Every dollar spent with these businesses is a dollar spent to promote bigotry and ignorance in Minnesota by helping to elect Tom Emmer. Boycott them :puke: all:

Target ($150,000 donated to MN Backward)
Best Buy ($100K)
Davisco Foods ($100K)
Hubbard Broadcasting ($100K)
Polaris Industries ($100K)
Regis ($100K)
Securian ($100K)
Federated Insurance ($100K)
Holiday ($25K)
Cold Spring Granite ($35K)
Red Wing Shoes ($50K)
Pentair ($125K)

[myrna minx]

14. Thanks for posting this.

:puke:

[dodger501]

24. Any way to know how much they contributed to Pride?

Both Target and BB are listed in the Sponsors section:

http://tcpride.org/index.php/festival

I'm getting hit with the 'hypocrisy' angle, need some help here.
Thanks.

[dodger501]

15. Target says they are sorry

http://www.startribune.com/local/100051999.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUycaEacyUs

[wellstone dem]

16. Target execs have long history of supporting anti-gay candidates and right wing

http://www.theawl.com/2010/08/real-america-target-doesn...

"The truth is not that Target and its leadership have suddenly turned on their commitment to gay rights. It's more that it never really existed to begin with. Further research shows that Target has funneled significant funding to the most socially conservative of Republicans and that it boasts a frightening culture of anti-gay candidate support from Target's own stable of top executives.

We have already noted that CEO Gregg Steinhafel and his wife both maxed out their personal contributions this year to Michele Bachmann and Tom Emmer. But Steinhafel is just the captain of the crew.

....

Of the small handful of donations he's made, Target CFO Douglas Scovanner has given to both Rep. John Kline and Rep. Erik Paulson. John Kline joined Bachmann with a group of Republican members of Congress who put their names on a lawsuit to force the District of Columbia to put gay marriage to a Prop 8-like referendum. Meanwhile, Paulson supports amending the constitution to ban gay equality.

Of the five candidates to whom Target CMO Michael Francis has donated, three are George W. Bush and the aforementioned John Kline and Erik Paulson. Target's Chief Information Officer Beth Jacob gave her largest personal donation ever to Erik Paulson. John Kline also received money from Terrence Scully, Target's president of financial services. So did anti-gay amendment-supporter Mitch McConnell, who isn't even a representative of Minnesota.

[dodger501]

17. This FB post says MN Forward includes some Dems, too:

What do you think, is it true and what effect does it have on the overall Emmers debate:

Right now it's very popular to hate on Target because of the political donations to anti-gay politician Tom Emmer. How dare Target hate the gays? What asshats! Handing money directly over to-

Oh wait. The money wasn't handed to Emmer, but to MN Forward, a group that's running ads for Emmer. Well, that's the same thing. Friggin' right wing, Republican ass-kissing-
Wait, what? They're not all Republican? Of 7 candidates currently endorsed, 3 of them are DFL. Including Terri Bonoff, who has been know for her incredibly strong battle FOR gay rights.

Now, okay. The other 6 were not announced until recently. And I get that. I honestly don't know if, at the time of donating, Emmer was being supported.
The money was not given to Emmer. Target did not go out and say "here, anti-gay asshole. Have a bunch of money." They said "here, newly formed political action committee focused on jobs and economic growth. Have a bunch of money."
And Target has spent YEARS supporting gay rights, Pride festivals, and the like. I'm just having a really hard time with the whole boycotting thing. I feel like information is missing. Maybe I just need a pitchfork before I can join the angry mob.

[Eric J in MN]

18. How many Democrats has MN forward run TV ads for? NT

[dflprincess]

19. There's Democrats and then there's Democrats

If she ever had to make the choice, I have no doubt that Terri Bonoff, like Target,would sell out human rights for business interests.

[mascarax]

20. It's part of their scam

So MN "Forward" can say they're "bipartisan" when no doubt most money and certainly major advertising will be spent on Emmer. I can't remember the other 2 Dems but thought they were in the "let's not raise taxes, keep a balanced approach, blah blah" camp.

[Minnesota Raindog]

21. Killer video of in-store Target protest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FhMMmqzbD8

[geardaddy]

22. Awesome!

[dflprincess]

26. That is great.

What would have been cool, and maybe they did this, would have been to have a few "shoppers" with full carts or baskets that would have gone to the manager and told them him/her they had to leave because after hearing the protest they just couldn't shop there anymore.

[Owl]

23. Has Best Buy made any apologies yet?

[DFLforever]

25. No. They're laying low.

Letting Target take the brunt of the storm.