Have you heard this (Home Depot) ad in your state?

[Sparkly]

My husband suggested I ask this question to see whether this ad is airing in states besides ours (Maryland). It's a deceptive radio ad, sounding at first like a PSA.

It discusses VOC emissions from faulty home gasoline containers, and their potential as a fire hazard. At the end of the ad, Maryland citizens are invited to take their old 1-gallon gas cans to Home Depot, who will replace them with brand new 2-gallon cans. It ends by saying something like "This is brought to you from the office of Governor Ehrlich with the generous cooperation of Home Depot."

Ehrlich is a Repugnican. We all know about Home Depot. It makes us wonder: Is anyone in a state governed by a Democrat hearing this ad? Is it unique to Maryland, or is it in other states, too?

Thanks!

[Divernan]

1. A way for big bidness to contribute to a pol w/out limits.

This is really incredible. If Home Depot is paying for the ads and/or the gasoline containers, it is in effect providing Ehrlich with quantifiable donations and tons of goodwill/free publicity, all without having it count under the limits of donations under the campaign finance regulations and laws. PLUS people who schlep all the way to Home Depot for this freebie will be very likely to purchase other stuff. Wonder if Home Depot is writing off its expenses as a charitable donation.

[gmoney]

2. Sounds like a real PSA...

It sounds like Home Depot is giving the gas cans away, and it is a safety issue, so it does seem fair that they get a plug.

It's not like when Tom Ridge was telling us all to go out and BUY duct tape, plastic sheeting, and cyanide capsules. I don't think he endorsed Home Depot at that time, but if he HAD, THAT would be a real problem.

So, if you don't like it, stick it to them... collect all the old gas cans you can find in your neighborhood and take them into Home Depot for new ones and distribute them to your neighbors, but don't buy anything else while you're there. (Probably a limit of one per customer, but you could make multiple trips.) That'll teach them...

Get used to it, too, I'm afraid. With tax revenues drying up, states and cities are going to be forced into doing MORE of this stuff to support public programs. Like selling naming rights to everything... I'm not saying it's right, but it does seem inevitable.

I'd say this Home Depot thing is actually on the generous side, as these things go.

P.S. It doesn't have to qualify as a charitable expense to be deductible to Home Depot... it would probably fall under advertising and promotion, or some other regular business expense. Even if they call it "shrinkage" (shoplifting), it's still deductible as a loss.