Target Corp. spending company money on candidates

[catgirl]

Source: Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Here's something Target Corp. isn't advertising in its Sunday circular: The discount retailer is now a major donor to a group backing the Republican candidate for Minnesota governor.
And that's not sitting well with every Target shopper.

Under new laws allowing corporations to spend company money on election campaigns, the Minneapolis-based chain gave $150,000 to a Republican-friendly political fund staffed by insiders from departing GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration. The group, MN Forward, is running TV ads supporting state legislator Tom Emmer, the presumptive GOP nominee.

The corporate money is flowing since the U.S. Supreme Court threw out parts of a 63-year-old law that prohibited companies and unions from donating to campaigns for or against candidates. The decision, which came earlier this year, changed rules in about half the states. But the change is so new that experts don't have a good handle on the likely impact nationally.

-snip-

A Target spokeswoman said the company supports causes and candidates "based strictly on issues that affect our retail and business objectives." Spokeswoman Lena Michaud said Target has a history of giving in state and local races where allowed, but wouldn't provide detail on those donations.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100727/ap_on_bi_ge/us_corporate_donations_backlash;_ylt=AieJNmKWVjh5bzp_YkAqSJWs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTQzdXFhcDhyBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwNzI3L3VzX2NvcnBvcmF0ZV9kb25hdGlvbnNfYmFja2xhc2gEY2NvZGUDbW9zdHBvcHVsYXIEY3BvcwM3BHBvcwM0BHB0A2h

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The group that Target donated to supports the GOP candidate, Tom Emmer. who opposes gay marriage, lauds Arizona's strict approach to illegal immigration, once advocated chemical castration for sex offenders and wants to lower taxes. Shoppers are talking about a boycott.

[Ian David]

1. Fuck Target.

Demand Target Stop Donating to Anti-Gay Politicians

Retail giant Target has given $150,000 to a political candidate in Minnesota, Tom Emmer, who has ties to a radical Christian rock band, You Can Run But You Cannot Hide, that has called for gays and lesbians to be murdered. The money, given by Target to a political action committee known as Minnesota Forward, has made its way to the Emmer campaign, despite Emmer's closeness with the anti-gay group.

What makes this move all the more troubling is that Target openly markets to the LGBT community, and has previously incorporated a number of LGBT-specific corporate policies. For them to filter money, let alone such a high amount, to an organization funding a candidate with ties to an anti-gay hate group flies in the face of their corporate practice, and sends a message that a politics based on fear and hatred toward LGBT people is acceptable.

Please email Target today to demand that they stop funding political candidates with a track record that runs counter to LGBT equality. In this particular case, the Minnesota politician in question, Tom Emmer, has clear ties to a group advocating violence toward LGBT people. Emmer hasn't denounced the group, and instead has welcomed them at events and praised their work. That's not the type of politics Target should be in the business of supporting.

http://gayrights.change.org/blog/view/targets_150000_donation_to_fund_anti-gay_politics

[catgirl]

5. This is an interesting fact from the article

She (the spokeswoman) added that TargetCitizens, the company's federal political action committee, has spread donations evenly between Democrats and Republicans so far this year. Political action committees contribute money collected from employees and shareholders, not from corporate funds.

Target's donations to MN Forward — $100,000 in cash and $50,000 in brand consulting — slightly exceeds the total amount the company has given this year to ALL campaigns and causes at the federal level. By contrast, individuals can give a maximum of only $2,000 to candidates under Minnesota law.

Hmm. I wonder if the employees know where their money is really going.

[Scruffy1]

8. I have been boycotting them for years

Nothing but crappy goods from China and overpriced to boot.

[xchrom]

2. Dear Target: you'll get my business when you

Stop this.

And not before.

[SpiralHawk]

3. Boycott Target (R)

Screw Corporate 'personhood.' They can count on me -- passing them by...

[wordpix]

20. +1

[onehandle]

4. Retail usually donates to the GOP to keep tariffs low and ensure China's future rule over us. nt

[OZark Dem]

6. My favorite store, but no more

More business for Costco I guess.

[Lochloosa]

7. Welcome to DU OZark Dem

:toast:

[Dr.Phool]

9. Didn't they adopt the Circuit City business model last year?

Fire all of the long-time, better paid employees, and rehire them as new hires at the entry rate.

Fuck them. I'll go to a thrift store first.

[TBF]

10. I will boycott them as well. nt

[Owl]

11. Amazing. Mark Dayton is a MN 2010 Gubernatorial candidate, and they give $150K to that Emmer clown?

[a la izquierda]

12. I've been trying to tell my husband this. He though...

Target was better than Walmart, I told him they were the same. We have few choices in Oklahoma. It's Target or Walmart, or an extremely overpriced chain that I can't afford. I'm sort of at a loss as to what to do. And I have to shop today, so suggestions?

[Doremus]

19. You have a world of choices online.

Of course that won't help you today but going forward you'll see you're able to find a plethora of bargains online. You'll save time and gas $$ too.

[a la izquierda]

28. Thanks!

Time is something I will not have much of in the coming months (finishing my dissertation, applying for jobs, teaching a class, training for racing season). Anything that can save me minutes is a huge plus.

[catgirl]

31. Freecycle

It's an online site that gives you the opportunity to give away your stuff and to ask for things
you need. The idea is to keep things out of the landfills.

I got a kitchen exhaust fan from Freecycle. I use the site mostly to give stuff away though.

[magoo221]

13. We need to do something, I sent them an email, email them, write them, call them

I just sent this to Target. I am soo upset with their decision to get political like this. Call them, write them, tell your friends.

I am one of your strongest advocates and was very surprised to find out that Target as a company was supporting a Republican front group staffed by ex members of Tim Pawlenty's administration. I will not shop at Walmart because of their well known workers rights issues as well as the Walton family working against 99% of the American people. I have 2 Wal-Mart’s within 1 mile of my house but I choose to drive 5 miles to Target. I am always telling people that I do not shop at Walmart, and love Target. I let them know why Wal-Mart works against the average American. There are a lot of people like me, we choose to pay a little more because your corporate image is something we can get behind. This is very rare in America today. If Target chooses to go down this path you will see many people like me, stop shopping at your stores and more importantly, will stop telling everyone why Target is a better place to spend your money. I see no problem with your executives giving most of their personal money as they have in the past to Republicans because it is in their best interest. That’s the American way. The very wealthy in America tend to look out for themselves and try to manipulate the masses.
Please rescind this corporate political money that will tarnish your image and force me to change my mind about Target.

Target Form/Email Page-
http://www.target.com/gp/help/display-contact-us-form.html?displayLink=tci

[cbdo2007]

14. Great so now we have to boycott Walmart and Target??? ha ha ha

It's so funny with these "boycotts" because every company out there is doing SOMETHING shitty to SOMEBODY. There is no way you can possibly live your life boycotting everyone you don't agree with.

[rurallib]

15. It is impossible for us not to go to one of these BUT

we minimize our purchases there as much as possible. We go to Walmart about once every two months. Can't remember when I stepped into a Target.

[wordpix]

21. uh---I haven't been to either one for about 12 yrs. so it's possible

and I only went to Walmart b/c it had one item I couldn't get in my small town. Once I realized how bad these corp's are with their Chinese cheap goods and big box stores destroying the environment, I just stopped. I can get anything I need that my small town doesn't have, online.

[Doremus]

24. How can you continue to support companies that work against your best interests?

If there's anything America offers, it's shopping choices. And if one's local retailers are lacking, there are a world of choices online.

Why anyone would continue to give their money to entities that use it to actively work against their best interests should be the subject of a research study.

Hypocritical
Self-loathing
Stockholm Syndrome
Death wish
Self-defeating
Lack of self esteem
Gullible
Delusional
Just a few of the causes

[NorthCarolina]

16. As Target is a "Person", it is within their right

:eyes:

[No Elephants]

17. Target used to be on the list of "Blue" businesses. What happened?

[wordpix]

23. they must be smelling a repuke win in '10 so here's hoping they're wrong

[erodriguez]

18. General practice?

In Target's specific case supporting an anti-gay candidate is awful, I will not be shopping there.


When taking a step back, corporations donate to candidates everyday. I don't like it, but it's happening everywhere. Just not so much in the public eye.

Is this donation is that large? Coming from a corporation, I don't think so. I understand that there is a limit on the amount a single person donates to a candidate. However, corporations have got around this by having their employees donate.


For the record, I don't want corporations donating anything to any candidate, Democrat or Republican.

[denverbill]

22. Sent them a complaint today. Hopefully they get flooded. n/t

[Roland99]

25. This pains me greatly.

Super Target near me is about the only place to get groceries (there's a Publix but it's noticeably more expensive).

Only other option is a WalMart about 15 min. away.



*sigh*

[Cognitive_Resonance]

26. Just say NO to Target and Walmart. nt

[myrna minx]

27. So, Target want to be the store to the Tea Partiers?

They are really foolish.

[xxqqqzme]

29. Target was a big contributor to steroid boy

here in California, both during and after the recall. So this is not a big surprise.

[Scurrilous]

30. K & R

:thumbsup:

[Owl]

32. K&R