Boycott Holiday spending, our first step.

[Hotler]

We can make an impact with this idea I read by stevietheman on another thread about Starving The Beast. We push real hard to get this message to Movon.org and the others. This will work and we can pull this off, because there are a lot of pissed people out there. I'll do my best to get the word out here in Colorado. If we can get a big chunk of the people that voted for Kerry/Edwards we can make a dent in in repug pocket books. We could really piss off Bill O'reily with this if the media got a hold of the plan. I know this will work. I get chills thinking about it. This is the seed we plant to fight back the next four years. Our new slogan;"Starve The Beast. Boycott holiday spending"

[eleonora]

1. yeah but we'll hurt other democrats: the workers

and are you really not going to give your kids gifts this Xmas...

[Hotler]

4. I thought about but....

We're in a fight and some of us have to step up and take one for the team. Lord knows 55 million of us just did. We can be selective and shop only democratic business. My point is that if we unite and jump on this now, we can send a message. GO TEAM GO!!!

[demodonkey]

2. Will Probably Happen at My House

Don't feel like Holiday anyway this year, regardless of boycott/no boycott.

Not enough $$ to spend, either, even if I DID feel like it.

[redwitch]

3. Please don't go there.

I'm a sales rep in upstate NY. My customers are small independent stores whose families depend on them, so do their employees and frankly, so do I. Many, in fact the vast majority of them, were Kerry voters. They are sad, angry, tired too. One of my customers spent the last week of the campaign working for the Kerry campaign in Pennsylvania. I haven't even called him yet, we're both too sad. One of my vendors spent the last few days of the campaign in Ohio working for Kerry. He and his family will be seriously affected if we boycott stores that sell his jewelry. Cutting off our noses to spite our faces is not helpful at all.

[colonel odis]

5. i understand that a boycott could hurt some people. BUT .....

our dollars are, perhaps, the last weapon we have.

in my opinion, a directed and targeted refusal to spend would be much more effective. let a site be created or let skinner and co. create a list here naming companies that contributed to bush, as well as local and house/senate g.o.p. candidates.

write them a nice, polite letter, informing them that because they're contributing to the ruination of america (or whatever) you can't in good conscience spend money with them. i would also recommend a hand-written letter, rather than an email. carries a lot more impact when a couple thousand land on a ceo's desk.

mom and pop businesses that supported kerry won't be hurt. mom and pop businesses that supported bush .... well, i'm not giving them my money. i'm sorry.

as far as not giving your kids presents for the holidays goes ..... buy used cds, shop at thrift stores, do what you need to do. or buy sparingly. (hell, i don't want anyone's kids to be disappointed at christmas.)

i think the overriding point is that we can wield power. we can starve the beast. when the righties were boycotting the dixie chicks, their talking point was that you can speak your mind but it will have consequences.

i believe these businesses can speak their minds and contribute to whomever they want. but those actions have consequences, too.

[Hotler]

6. RIGHT ON, FIGHT ON!

This could work and be our first motivating step in a long campaign against the neo-cons.

[Rainbowreflect]

7. I am more like to just be very careful who gets my money.

No big corps that give to repubs. I'm spending my holiday dollars at local small business' that support issues I care about. I'll give money to positive causes my family & friend support in their names.

[K8-EEE]

10. Yes....No Corporate Spending Support Local Artisans/Shops

My daughter wanted to go to an amusement park for her birthday but we changed it to taking her friends to a play at a local community theater and dinner at a place with Kerry signs on the front window!

[snacker]

8. One idea here.

Last year I decided to buy only Christmas cards from charitable organizations. I noticed that in Great Britain, the great majority of Christmas cards sold/bought are for charities. Finding those in the US is a little more difficult, but they are out there. Often all of the money generated from the sale of these cards goes to the charity. Please consider this. There are many worthy charitable organizations out there. Hallmark doesn't need our money!

[Erika]

9. I Was Forced to Listen to O'Reilly

He is already trying to paint anyone who doesn't embrace Bush as a fanatic and unpatriotic. We CAN hurt them in the pocketbook and force them to recognize our message. Whenever possible, I will only buy products from DEMOCRATS only and encourage others to do the same. I don't even care if I have to spend a few bucks more.

The far righters are not going to lay off of us unless we force it.

[claude raines]

11. Data from opensecrets.org - companies to boycott

This is the tip of the iceberg. There are many more companies listed at opensecrets.org This might be the place to start compiling a list of companies to boycott..

THE CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS

Retail Sales
PAC Contributions to Federal Candidates,
VIEW FULL SECTOR: Misc Business

Total Amount: $3,593,462
Total to Democrats: $766,390 -21%
Total to Republicans: $2,821,572 -79%
Number of PACs Making Contributions: 41

PAC Name Dems Repubs Total % to Rep % to Dem
7-Eleven $0 $750 $750 100% 0%
American Fur Merchants Assn $0 $1,000 $1,000 100% 0%
Amway/Alticor Inc $0 $9,500 $9,500 100% 0%
Federated Department Stores $0 $5,000 $5,000 100% 0%
Footwear Distribs & Retailers of America $0 $1,500 $1,500 100% 0%
Jewelers of America $0 $4,500 $4,500 100% 0%
Kerr Drug $0 ($2,250) ($2,250) 100% 0%
Lowe's Companies $0 $2,000 $2,000 100% 0%
National Automatic Merchandising Assn $0 $2,500 $2,500 100% 0%
National Pawnbrokers Assn $0 $8,000 $8,000 100% 0%
Payless Shoesource $0 $3,000 $3,000 100% 0%
Schottenstein Stores $0 $1,000 $1,000 100% 0%
Beall's Inc $500 $6,000 $6,500 92% 8%
Saks Inc $2,150 $23,100 $25,250 91% 9%
National Retail Federation $13,000 $126,500 $139,500 91% 9%
Circuit City Stores $2,500 $21,000 $23,500 89% 11%
Tom James Co $2,000 $14,500 $16,500 88% 12%
May Department Stores $10,000 $65,000 $75,000 87% 13%
JC Penney Co $11,000 $70,000 $81,000 86% 14%
National Assn of Convenience Stores $73,500 $409,472 $482,972 85% 15%
International Mass Retail Assn $4,250 $22,500 $26,750 84% 16%
Home Depot $52,000 $228,000 $280,000 81% 19%
National Assn of Chain Drug Stores $29,000 $110,100 $139,100 79% 21%
Wal-Mart Stores $350,000 $1,250,500 $1,606,000 78% 22%
Limited Brands $26,000 $85,500 $111,500 77% 23%
Target Corp $36,940 $121,300 $158,240 77% 23%
Radioshack $4,900 $15,100 $20,000 76% 25%
Office Furniture Dealers Alliance $4,000 $12,250 $16,250 75% 25%
Eckerd Corp $3,500 $10,500 $14,000 75% 25%
Staples Inc $3,000 $7,000 $10,000 70% 30%
Washington Independence Day Assn $1,750 $4,000 $5,750 70% 30%
Sears, Roebuck & Co $47,500 $93,500 $141,000 66% 34%
Walgreen Co $28,000 $47,500 $75,500 63% 37%
Rite Aid Corp $13,000 $13,500 $26,500 51% 49%
Electronic Retailing Assn $4,000 $4,000 $8,000 50% 50%
CVS Corp $13,550 $13,000 $26,550 49% 51%
Direct Selling Assn $6,850 $4,500 $11,350 40% 60%
Gap Inc $15,000 $6,000 $21,000 29% 71%
Bear Creek Corp $7,000 $750 $7,750 10% 90%
Family Express Corp $1,000 $0 $1,000 0% 100%
National Assn of Recording Merchandisers $500 $0 $500 0% 100%

[bettyellen]

12. boycott the repug donors for sure, here are 3 threads w/ resources.....

bettyellen (341 posts)
Sun Nov-07-04 06:16 PM
Response to Original message

4. here are three good threads, look in + kick 'em good!






Subject: threads on wher to shop/ not shop
Message:
starve the beast:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...

progressive pages, there's one in every state forum:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...

both dem and repug alternatives + resources.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...


pls vivit all and kick en up there, while you're at it.

pass around the list for xmas!!!

[Keirsey]

13. if you need to convince your friends and family

about boycotting Wal-Mart...

http://www.responsibleshopper.org/basic.cfm?cusip=931142

[mondo joe]

14. Better: Support Local Dem Businesses

We're spending the $. Let's make sure they go to each other.