For the most part, I don’t concern myself too greatly with a company’s politics unless they’re particularly offensive. I refuse to eat at Chik-Fil-A because of their anti-gay politics and employer-enforced Christianity, but I don’t mind companies making religious references too much aside from that. (Hell, for seven years I worked for a company with a hidden Jesus fish in its logo.)
I care. I vote with my wallet, although I don’t think I’ve ever heard of some of these (we don’t have a Chick-Fil-A around here).
Seed catalogs, really? You never heard of Burpee?
I almost forgot – there is or was a website called Choose Blue, which was supposed to list companies and corporations that contributed to the Democratic Party. I think they also listed Republican donors (so that we could avoid them) and companies that donated to both parties (suck up to both sides, I guess).
The problem was that all of the lefty companies were little regional chains that either aren’t in my part of the country or are too far away for me to get to. The biggies, the ones that are in every town and hamlet, are all Republican. Yes, I know Wal-Mart is evil, but they’re not going to go away if I stop shopping there. Oh, well.
Just today I decided not to patronize a restaurant that spells a beverage “Margarita’s” on their advertising.
Given a choice between union and non-union, I’ll always go with non-union. I also try to stay away from companies that promote “green” products and services.
I care enough that I have never entered a Wal-Mart. There is one a couple miles from my house.
Yup, that’s me. I made a special trip just to tell the tax preparer business down the street exactly why I would never have them do my taxes: unnecessary apostrophes in their signage.
That’s about where I stand, too. My husband is more likely to take a stand against businesses (I can think of at least two that he won’t patronize for various reasons; I think he’s about to add a third) than I am; if I want something they’re selling, I’m not as likely to avoid them.
Does anyone know what the “Gay&Lesbian Yellow Pages of Houston” was about?
It was a small phone book put out around Montrose back in the 90s, we kept a copy on the coffee table as a funny conversation starter(it worked!).
But that was when I was a kid and for the life of me I can’t figure out what it was, a list of gay themed businesses or politically safe companies?
I think the main thing for me is whether my business is likely to have any impact. Is it a small, local shop? Then I might consider their views on things that matter to me; my business may actually have an impact on them, and I would inform them just why I am not patronizing their establishment.
Is it a national or multinational corporation? Then I base my decision purely on whether I like their product. My individual business or lack thereof is utterly irrelevant to the corporation at large, so my decision is based purely on what serves me best as a customer.
In the case of a large corporation, if someone were to organize some sort of collective protest against something I disagree with, I might take part (say, don’t buy from <company> on a particular day, and write a letter explaining why), but denying some company my business in general when they sell something I want at lower cost or higher quality than other places is harming me far more than it’s harming them, so I make the practical decision.
Me neither… I’d even by a GM vehicle if it was the one I wanted.
I wonder why the left tends to vote with their wallets more than the right… at least that’s my observation. Some groups on the right will drum up well-publisized boycotts but I’m talking about rank and file do your own research and vote with your wallet type stuff.
When shopping for stuff, I’ll go for something made in Australia, NZ, or a “Western(ised)” country over something made in China, if the price difference isn’t unreasonable.
That’s not out of a belief that Chinese made products are inferior, but rather because I’m concerned about so many jobs heading offshore. I’d rather spend the extra 50c or $1 and get the crackers made in Australia or the UK than the no-brand Chinese made ones, even though they’re all tasty.
Not an easy task. When melamine laced dog food killed some friends’ dogs, I made a conscious effort to buy nothing from China. For certain things it was impossible.
I have my IRA and brokerage accounts with Charles Schwab, who has donated $500,000 to the pro-Romney super PAC. I have some other issues with my accounts there, but I am reviewing my options, and may move my accounts. Not the only reason, but a contributing factor.
Oh, yes! I have a retirement investment account also. Thing is, it’s a package deal – about a hundred different groups are represented. A litle bit of everything. Two of 'em are Fox News and Big Tobacco! :mad:
Not that they don’t make a lot of money, probably…
The only place I absolutely never go is the gas station that always has irritating religious adages on their sign. I don’t shop at Wal-Mart, ostensibly because I don’t like their business practices, but probably largely because I’m a snob and there are many better, closer shopping options. I do like to shop at locally-owned stores when I can. However, I am generally sort of anti-capitalist, so I don’t know where I would be able to draw the line between large companies that are definitely evil and large companies that are only a little bad. Given that conundrum, I just go ahead and buy stuff from Exxon and Dominos and whoever else is the corporate villain du jour.
There are a few business trucks here that have pro-Tea Party stickers on the back. I’ve never had the opportunity, but if one of those came to the house I’d tell them to go pound sand, since by supporting the TP they obviously don’t want my money that was earned as an evil government employee.
I don’t like supporting businesses that have the Jesus fish on their signs - not because I’m so anti-Christian, but because IME those businesses are just using religious symbols to attract business, which, to me, is wrong. I’d feel the same if there was a business that said “Jewish-owned!” in their advertising.
Cohen’s Kosher Deli loses a customer.
What’s wrong with GM?