Support your local Costco Stores!!!!! I know I will after reading this:

[LynneSin]

http://www.boston.com/business/articles/2004/07/25/rivalry_between_wal_mart_costco_also_extends_to_national_politics/

Rivalry between Wal-Mart, Costco also extends to national politics

By Michael Forsythe and Rachel Katz, Bloomberg News | July 25, 2004

WASHINGTON -- Executives at Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp., competitors in the $76 billion US warehouse-club market, have taken their rivalry to a new level: national politics.

Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer and owner of Sam's Club warehouse stores, gives more money to Republican candidates than any other company. Its top three managers, including chief executive H. Lee Scott, donated the individual maximum $2,000 to President George W. Bush, and Jay Allen, vice president for corporate affairs, raised at least $100,000 to reelect the president, earning him the Bush campaign's designation of ''Pioneer."

Wal-Mart -- two-thirds of whose 3,580 stores are in the ''red states" that voted for Bush in 2000 -- is backing White House policies on everything from trade to limiting overtime pay.

Costco chief executive Jim Sinegal, 68, is a Democrat who says Bush's $1.7 trillion in tax cuts unfairly benefit the wealthy. He opposed the Iraq war and supports Democratic Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts for president. And he's the only chief executive of a company in the Standard & Poor's 500 index to donate money to independent political groups formed to oust Bush, Internal Revenue Service records show.

......

Issaquah, Wash.-based Costco offers comprehensive health insurance to most of its 78,000 US employees, making it eligible for Kerry's plan, said Kerry's top domestic policy adviser, Sarah Bianchi, 31. That may cut 10 percent, or $35 million, off its annual healthcare premiums.

Costco wouldn't have to raise salaries with Kerry's proposal to increase the minimum wage to $7 an hour, from $5.15 now. It already pays hot-dog vendors as much as $16 an hour, and the lowest wage it pays is $10 an hour. That's higher than the $9.96 average wage paid at discount stores bearing the Wal-Mart name.

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:bounce:

[amber dog democrat]

1. Costco Si, Walmart no

Yet another reason to boycott those bloated/blighted eyesores.

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. Good on them!!! Good to know that we're supporting the right people

Now if we could only get them to have ready made meat trays! Thanks for posting this LynneSin. :hi:

[the Kelly Gang]

3. Costco shows capitalism can actually work..Walmart are scum

[luaneryder]

4. No Costco here

If I have to shop at a mart I go to KMart, but it is in danger of closing due to heavy Walmart influence. If Walmart is the only store that carries an item then I don't need that item.

[jukes]

5. just bought a membership

last week. nice stores, & supporting them supports the party.

besides, they have no agenda for theocracatic dominance of the entire world.

[SarahB]

6. There needs to be a Costco closer to me.

The closest one is about 35 miles away in West Springfield, MA. Not terrible, but not convenient either. I live a town with just about every conceivable store. Where's our Costco? :(

[ScreamingMeemie]

7. It'll get there. They are really expanding. We had one for a long time.

And now there are three in my area within 15 miles. If we give them the money, they'll build more!!! :hi:

[russian33]

10. I used to shop at that CostCo when I went to college in Springfield...

B-)

[GOPisEvil]

8. The savings on gas prices are worth the membership!

I love my Costco! :thumbsup:

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

9. ...and milk

With two kids, my wife figures the milk savings alone pay for the membership.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

11. I love Costco-they have much better quality items than Walmart also

aside from Mr. Sinegal's political affiliations. Also, the help there is very pleasant-must be the good working conditions!

[nuxvomica]

12. When I heard the biz press was castigating Costco...

Because it was paying employees too much money (a cashier with 4 years experience makes around $40,000), I checked to find the closest one and that appears to be in Colchester, VT, which is a 3-hour drive. Damn! The same day I heard that, Merrill Lynch had just upgraded Costco to a "buy".

This isn't just interesting, folks. Costco is a real threat to corporate elitism. They pay their people a living wage and still make a profit. So they are proof that you can run a successful business without skimping on your employees. Walmart management and others are too stupid to figure out how to do this so they fight raising the minimum wage.

[LWolf]

13. <sigh>

I just had this conversation with my mom, a long-time costco shopper, yesterday.

I don't do Wal-Mart or Costco. Wal-Mart for obvious reasons. Costco because I don't want to pay someone for the privelege of shopping and because of the nasty legal battle they engaged in locally, and the deal they brokered with the city to get them to give up public park land for a new Costco.

I'm glad to hear that there is a socially conscious corporation. It would be the responsible thing to do to shop there, wouldn't it?