The scoop on Menards....

[Zookeeper]

Hi Michigan DUers! Since you have Menard stores in your state, I thought I'd let you know what I've found out about Billionaire John R. Menard's political donations. Granted, he is pretty stingy for the man Forbes Magazine named: The richest person in Wisconsin, the 51st Richest American, and #136 on their list of Richest People in the World. Here are the numbers from Open Secrets:

-$10,000 to the RNC, 10/00
-$10,000 to the RNC, 8/00
-$2,000 to Bush, 6/03
-$1,000 to Mark Green (R-Wis), 3/04
-$2,000 to Normie Coleman (R-MN), 4/02
-$2,000 more to Norm, 5/02
-$500 to Richard Shelby (R-Alabama, Mr. Flat Tax), 6/03
-$500 to D. Stenberg (Neb. Attorney Gen., anti-choice)2003
-Soft Money contributions: 0% to Democrats; $10,000 to the RNC, 2000

To his credit, he has donated $3,000 since 2000 to Ron Kind, a Democrat in western Wisconsin. However, in looking at Mr. Kind's website, it required a fair amount of digging to discover his party affiliation.

I also came across this article in Forbes:

"Menard is so hands-on that in 1997...he personally carted bags of chromium and arsenic-tainted incinerator ash home from a company plant in his pick-up truck and then put them out with his household trash. He and Menard, Inc. paid $1.15 million in fines."

<snip>

"...an ex-manager of a Menards store, now suing for age-discrimination, had a contract containing such provisions as a 60% cut in pay should his store be unionized..."

He is also at odds with the IRS over tax fraud.

http://www.forbes.com/free_forbes/2003/1006/048.html

He still may be the lesser of two evils if the choice is Menards or Home Depot.

(Hello from Minnesota! :hi: )

[Ann Arbor Dem]

1. Thanks for the info.

There is a Menard's in the town where most of my family lives. I'll be sure to let them know.

[Zookeeper]

3. You're welcome, A2 Dem....

Even though they have crummy tools and their workers never look very happy, I have no particular grudge against Menards. I'm just trying to collect information to help us make informed decisions about where we spend our money. :hi:

[Strawman]

2. They can lick Menards

I'll never shop there. I've always found the name funny in a "Beavis and Butthead" kind of way

[Zookeeper]

4. I hadn't thought of that...

but, now I will everytime I pass one of their stores. ;-)

[auntAgonist]

5. Thanks ... crossing another one off our list !