Buy Blue For The Holidays!

[orleans]

HOLIDAY SHOPPING? BUY BLUE (.ORG)

http://www.buyblue.org/directory/alpha

support those who support us

The following are some companies buyblue.org has listed that has a 100% donation to dems:

CLAIRE’S STORES
BOSTON BEER COMPANY
BLACK & DECKER CORP.
JAMBA JUICE
JO-ANN STORES
MEN’S WEARHOUSE
BENIHANA
LINENS ‘N THINGS
BALLY TOTAL FITNESS
FREDERICK’S OF HOLLYWOOD
FOOT LOCKER
BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY
CONSOLIDATED RESTAURANT OPERATIONS
YANKEE CANDLE COMPANY
BLIMPIE INTERNATIONAL
DRESS BARN
GYMBOREE
LEVI STRAUSS *
SONIC CORP
BUFFETS HOLDINGS
AFC ENTERPRISES (POPEYES CHICKEN)
SKECHERS
POWELL’S BOOKS
SPS STUDIOS (BLUE MOUNTAIN ARTS CARDS, BOOKS, POETRY)
REI * (RECREATIONAL EQUIPMENT)
VERMONT TEDDY BEAR
STARBUCKS
POLO RALPH LAUREN
LOEWS HOTELS (CHECK BUYBLUE.ORG FOR SPECIFICS)


The following companies donate largely to dems:
APPLE COMPUTER 99%
COSTCO 99%
J. CREW GROUP 99%
L.L. BEAN 98%
ADOBE SYSTEMS 98%
BED, BATH & BEYOND 97%
BEBE STORES 97%
LILLIAN VERNON 97%
MARTHA STEWART LIVING 96%
CARIBOU COFFEE 95%
SHARPER IMAGE 94%
E. & J. GALLO WINERY 93%
BARNES & NOBLE 93%
SIGNET GROUP (KAY JEWELERS) 89%
REEBOK 85%
OVERSTOCK.COM 85%
ELECTRONIC ARTS (CHECK LISTING FOR SPECIFIC VIDEO GAMES/ITEMS) 84%
7-ELEVEN 84%
GAP 82%
NBTY (SUNDOWN, GOOD N NATURAL, CHECK LISTINGS) 82%
GATEWAY 81%
MATTEL 81%
ESTEE LAUDER 80%
NEIMAN MARCUS 77%
SEVENTH GENERATION 76%
XM SATELLITE RADIO 75%
CRATE & BARREL 72%
NETFLIX 72%
TIMBERLAND COMPANY 70%
CLOROX* 69%
FRONTIER AIRLINES 67%
HARRAH’S ENTERTAINMENT 66%
ROBERT MONDAVI CORP 62%
TRIARC COMPANIES (ARBY’S) 62%

to learn more about these companies go to
http://www.buyblue.org/directory/alpha
*=company appearing on the blacklist for air america
http://www.fair.org/images/ABCmemo.pdf


The following is who/what to AVOID (according to buyblue they donate 90-100% red)

DOLLAR TREE STORES, WINCO FOODS, FRUIT OF THE LOOM, MICHAELS, DOMINO’S PIZZA, WAFFLE HOUSE, BROWN SHOE COMPANY, FRESH MARKET, PIGGLY WIGGLY, KOHL’S, KRISPY KREME, EHARMONY.COM, LOWE’S, IN-N-OUT BURGERS, STEAK N SHAKE, CITGO, DAIRY QUEEN, KB TOYS, SLUMBERLAND, RUSSELL STOVER CANDIES, CARTERS, ACE HARDWARE, WOLVERINE WORLD WIDE, GREAT ATLANTIC & PACIFIC TEA COMPANY, PETSMART, SCOTTS MIRACLE-GRO, BEST BUY, HOOTERS, CHICK-FIL-A, RALEY’S, BOB EVANS, AMWAY, QUIXTAR, RUDDICK CORP. KOHLER, PAYLESS SHOES, FOSSIL, PACIFIC SUNWEAR, TIFFANY & CO, RED WING SHOE, CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN, GUITAR CENTER, RUBY TUESDAY, CASUAL MALE RETAIL, ADVANCE AUTO PARTS, REMAX, MICHELIN, SHOPRITE, PANDA RESTAURANT, IHOP, CIRCUIT CITY, APPLEBEES, OLIVE GARDEN, RED LOBSTER, MAYTAG, PETCO, WEGMANS FOOD MARKETS, GEICO, ORACLE, WENDY’S, URBAN OUTFITTERS, CARLSON (HOTELS) COMPANIES, DOLE, HERSHEY, CHILDREN’S PLACE, HORMEL, EXXON MOBIL, MCDONALD’S, AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS, HUFFY BIKES, HYUNDAI, NEW BALANCE ATHLETIC SHOE, JOHNSONVILLE SAUSAGE, OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE, MCCORMICK & SCHMICK’S SEAFOOD, CINEMARK, KMART, NORDSTROM, BROOKSHIRE GROCERY

if you can't "buy blue" then check out the website as there are many companies who do not donate to any political party--

[NoBushSpokenHere]

1. Excellent Reminder! nt

[Sugarcoated]

2. Damn

Aren't there any restaurants that are blue?

[ChazII]

3. Thanks for this information

I am passing it along to co workers and family.

[IndyOp]

4. CITGO may donate to R's, but the $$ goes to Chavez' people...

Medical care, schools, homes, roads...

[orleans]

7. (okay, then never mind about citgo)

bp donated 38% to dems HOWEVER it worked out to this:
$79,610 to dems
$129,889 to repubicpukes
http://www.buyblue.org/node/409/view/summary

citgo, on the other hand, donated 100% to the pukes but it was ONLY
$2,500!
http://www.buyblue.org/node/588/view/summary

[Bozita]

5. Great info. Please list the bad guys in similar alpha notation.

It makes scrolling with the eyes a lot easier.

Good stuff!

[senseandsensibility]

6. kick

Thanks for the info.:)

[dubykc]

8. Great information...

I just sent an email to one of our favorite restaurants (McCormick & Schmick's Seafood) telling them I will find if extremely difficult if not impossible to continue to support them based on their choice of political contributions.

[1932]

9. Save Blue, too.

Democracy depends on an economically powerful middle and working class. If you don't need to spend your money, think about saving it and investing it in something that gives you more power and control over your life. Don't put it under your mattress. But think hard about which direction the power is flowing when you spend, save and invest your money.

[orleans]

10. yep. if i had money to invest i'd go with innovative energy--solar & wind n/t

[orleans]

11. .

[seabeyond]

12. i thought LOWEs was blue and the other REAL red. what is the name,

it left my head.

[seabeyond]

14. home depot? n/t

[NMDemDist2]

13. K& 4th N, do I hear one more to vote with our wallets this season? n/t

[MzNov]

15. more info

here's another link to the green vendors who participate in the festivals....

http://www.greenfestivals.org/component/option,com_mtree/Itemid,7/

I went to the SF Green Festival. These vendors are simply awesome and have wonderful green products, pet products included.

[The Count]

16. Anyone knows about Trader Joe's?

As it's the one place my family keeps in business
Got it at the great website - no political donations.

[wryter2000]

17. Men's Warehouse

They're from around here. Glad to hear they're blue.

[ooglymoogly]

18. k&r citgo should be taken off the list....they supply oil to the poor

in the northeast through joe kennedy and the citizens for energy charity at a 40% discount and others i do not have the skinny on...i believe citgo is wholly owned by venazuala...and it is hugo chavez who made this possible and it was chavez who called bush the devil...so it is highly improbable that he gives to the pugs. i think the 7/11 stores which used to franchise citgo and that franchise has been taken away from them may be the culprit, just a guess.

[populistdriven]

19. there are alternatives to lowes, home depot and ace hardware

sears
costco
local lumber supply
?

[BrightKnight]

22. True Value Harware, and possible Ace Hardware

True Value Harware has not made any contributions to anyone.

Ace Hardware only gave $300 to the Repugs.
----------

http://www.buyblue.org/directory/96

[byronius]

20. Makin' my list, checkin' it good...

Not gonna buy from the freeperville 'hood...

[mondo joe]

21. Hmmm Apple and Gap vs Piggly Wiggly and Hooters.

I think I could have safely bought blue all year long without a guide at all!

[DemBones DemBones]

23. Great site! It's a good idea to check numbers on the site before

making a decision about boycotting a business, though; look at how much a company gave. For example, Ace Hardware gave 100% to the GOP -- but they only gave a measly three hundred dollars!!! I don't think $300 should stop anyone from buying a hammer at Ace Hardware.

Similarly, Chick-fil-A gave $13,000 to the GOP but that's peanuts to owner Truett Cathey, who gives far more money to scholarships, camps, charities, etc. The Chick-fil-A scholarships are available to all Chick-fil-A employees, so I wouldn't feel guilty about eating at Chick-fil-A.

As for gasoline, Exxon-Mobil gave $779, 964 to the GOP; Citgo gave only $2,500 to the GOP (and they help the poor, as was noted upthread.) So we can see which is the really red company.


Among the blue businesses, I noticed that Ballly Total Fitness only donated $1,500 and Benihana $3,000, obviously small donations for large companies. (We should thank them, and others like them, and encourage them to give more!) E. & J. Gallo Winery gave $211,450 to Democrats, which is more impressive, so we should thank them and buy their wine.

It's more complicated than looking at just the retailer, too. For example, yesterday I ordered Barbie dolls for my great-niece. I ordered them from Amazon, which is red, but Barbies are manufactured by Mattel (blue) and my other option was Toys R Us, which doesn't donate to either party, and would have required a 30 mile round trip, making an Amazon purchase better for the environment.

If you've purchased from Amazon, too, you might want to send a note to Amazon asking them to donate to Democrats. (They gave $106, 250 to the GOP.)

FYI, Powell's Books is BLUE, donating $26, 250, good for the size of the company, and so is Barnes & Noble, who gave $96, 250.

[orleans]

25. i did a ton of my xmas shopping at barnes & noble last year and then

last week--

i'm a big fan of books (obviously)

and i agree a little more research could come in handy here. (i just didn't have the time or energy to do it & i wanted to get the buy blue list up before "black friday")

[DemBones DemBones]

27. I'll definitely look at Barnes & Noble online in the future,

knowing Amazon is really red. (Please don't tell me Zooba is red because I love those $9.99, shipping included, books!)

Hope you know I didn't intend to criticize your list, just wanted to point out that people could get more details on degrees of redness and blueness at the site itself. Being a reading addict, once I went there, I couldn't stop myself from making comparisons. It would only be worth the research for regular shopping or big purchases. Or for reading addicts. . . ;-)

[orleans]

28. i agree. people should take the time to look around on that site

and weigh out the differences.

[Lost-in-FL]

24. Wine enthusiasts make a note

Robert Mondavi Wines are now owned by CONSTELLATION which is RED!! Notes on Constellation:

Constellation Brands is a spirited company. The company makes and distributes about 200 brands of beer, wine, and spirits in the US and the UK. Its Constellation Wines division is the global leader in wine sales, offering brands such as Almaden, Banrock Station, Hardys, Inglenook, Vendange, and Arbor Mist. In late 2004 the company bought Robert Mondavi Corporation for $1.36 billion. The US wine divisions are operated as three quasi-separate entities: Constellation Wines, Pacific Wine Partners and Franciscan Wine Estates. Robert Mondavi Winery in Oakwood, CA, is now part of the Franciscan Estates portfolio, while Woodbridge and Robert Mondavi Private Selection will fall under the Pacific Wine Partners umbrella. Other premium wines include Ravenswood, Estancia and Simi. Constellation Brands through its Barton Beers unit imports beers such as Corona and Tsingtao. The company markets distilled spirits such as Fleishmann's and Barton, and produces and distributes cider, wine, and bottled water in the UK. The founding Sands family controls about 88% of the firm's voting power.

In December 2004 Constellation Brands acquired Robert Mondavi, including its top-selling Woodbridge and Robert Mondavi Private Selection brands and luxury brands like Opus One (in partnership with France's Rothschild family). Robert Mondavi currently leases vineyards in California that supply about 10% of its neede

[tabasco]

26. Alright Blimpies ! I always liked their subs.

Michelin, OTOH, has lost a sale.

Thanks for posting.