Free Republic

A Missouri Tea Party group is rallying its troops to help embattled small businesses in Ferguson rebound in the wake of the turmoil there by staging a "buycott" and lobbying local government to provide a tax holiday. The move, organized by the St. Louis Tea Party Coalition is designed to encourage residents in the surrounding West County area to make a shopping pilgrimage to the West Florissant shopping districts of Ferguson and Dellwood to pump much-needed revenue into the small businesses of the area. Many of the businesses of the area have been hard-hit as a result of the rioting...

When young California-based developer Ivan Pardo launched smartphone app Buycott last year, users at first seized upon its technology to avoid putting coins in the coffers of the conservative billionaire Koch brothers. Everyday shoppers using iPhones or Android devices could scan the barcode of, say, Brawny paper towel or Dixie cups and trace the corporate ownership of both kitchen cupboard staples to Koch Industries , the conglomerate run by the politically active (and thereby controversial) industrialists Charles and David Koch. Other popular user-generated Buycott campaigns at the time of its launch included Demand GMO Labeling, allowing shoppers to scan a...

Below is a list of businesses participating in the statewide buy-cott from August 4th-10th. The list is sorted by region (Denver Metro Area, Southern Colorado, Northern Colorado, Western Slope, and Mountains). Denver Metro Area AT Audio – 138 Federal Blvd, Denver, CO 80219 Joe’s Plaza – 1991 Clinton St, Aurora, CO 80010 Novedades La Morenita – 9558 E Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80010 Restaurant Puerto Vallarta #2 – 9538 E Montview, Aurora, CO 80010 El Mercado Azteca Market – 9701 E Montview, Aurora, CO 80010 Azucar Bakery – 1886 S Broadway, Denver, CO 80210 Appliance Professionals - 78 S Broadway,...

Think you know what's in your grocery cart? Think again. Or use the Buycott app to check. Know where your consumer dollars go with the free Buycott app. Supermarkets are labyrinthine behemoths laid out in a convenient linear fashion. So where's the maze? On the supermarket shelves, of course. Food products galore stare back at us, silently appealing to our penchants for sugar, salt, and fat. We pick and choose, knowing full well what we are getting into. But it's the hidden components that are increasingly becoming a salient issue. If supermarket shelves are overwhelming due to the sheer diversity...

Dear Friend, As the Christmas shopping season begins full swing, AFA has prepared its annual "Naughty or Nice" retailer list. We have taken the top 100 national retailers and reviewed their websites, media advertising and in-store signage in an effort to help you know which companies are Christmas-friendly. Over the past seven years, your AFA has stood firm in the "War on Christmas." Companies who used to refuse to acknowledge Christmas now have Christmas "shops" inside their stores. Many of them now liberally use "Christmas" in their advertising and in-store signage. Sadly, there are still some companies which refuse to...

If you’re in Florida and planning to join in on the Papa John’s “buycott” scheduled for this Friday, you might want to save some room for dessert and hit Denny’s afterward. A West Palm Beach restaurant owner is the latest target of a boycott campaign after floating the idea of adding a 5 percent “Obamacare surcharge” to customer checks starting in 2014. Franchisor John Metz told the Huffington Post that “although it may sound terrible that I’m doing this, it’s the only alternative. I’ve got to pass the cost on to the consumer.” In August, Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter...

The organizer of a large picnic event designed to help unify Republican leaders and supporters in Connecticut next Saturday canceled his plans to serve 100 Chick-fil-A sandwiches after deciding the controversy over the restaurant owner's stand against same-sex marriage might become a distraction. . . Apparently, because same-sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Beck reconsidered his decision, according to the Post. He plans to give 90 of the sandwiches to a homeless shelter and keep 10 for "event staff to taste."

Hundreds of thousands voted with their presence, and their wallets. It was as if August 1 was an election day. Except the voters — people of faith, hundreds of thousands of them — didn’t go to polling places. They went to Chick-fil-A. And they weren’t voting with ballots. They were voting with their presence, and their wallets. By now you’ve seen the photos of the phenomenal crowds, which swamped virtually every one of the 1,600 Chick-fil-A locations nationwide. We saw lines of cars stretching blocks in every direction. To show his support, one man from Oregon drove to the nearest...

Gay marriage activists are planning to swarm Starbucks on Tuesday in an attempt to counter the record sales from last week’s Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day. The chicken chain enjoyed a surge of support during the Wednesday event, dreamed up by former presidential candidate Mike Huckabee after Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy went on the record backing the “biblical definition of the family unit.” A follow-up protest from Chick-fil-A critics on Friday, which was dubbed Same Sex Kiss Day, was more subdued.

Chick-fil-A announced Thursday morning that supporters who flocked to the restaurant for "Appreciation Day" propelled the company to a "record-setting day." The statement confirmed anecdotal claims that the long lines seen at Chick-fil-A's across the country Wednesday fueled unprecedented sales. The turnout came after CEO Dan Cathy came under fire in some circles for his opposition to same-sex marriage. "We are very grateful and humbled by the incredible turnout of loyal Chick-fil-A customers on August 1 at Chick-fil-A restaurants around the country. We congratulate local Chick-fil-A Owner/Operators and their team members for striving to serve each and every customer with...

Supporters of Chick-fil-A are eating at restaurants in the chicken chain Wednesday as the company continues to be criticized for an executive's comments about gay marriage. Long lines were reported at Chick-fil-A restaurants at malls in Peabody and Burlington. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, declared Wednesday national "Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day." Chick-fil-A president Dan Cathy told the Baptist Press last month that the Atlanta-based company was "guilty as charged" for backing "the biblical definition of a family." That unleashed a torrent of criticism from gay rights groups and others, who have called for boycotts and efforts to block...

Americus Reed, a marketing professor at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School who studies brand loyalty, says Cathy underestimated what might happen once his comments to a niche religious publication and a syndicated radio show spread to a wider audience. "I think this is part of the wake-up call for companies to understand that social media makes these decisions very, very risky," Reed said, "because it's much easier now for these messages to get out to consumers and consumers to virtually organize."

Tweeting photos of yourself at Chick-fil-A is the new hotness, and Sarah and Todd Palin are the latest to join in.

In response to attacks by the powerful and offensive homosexual lobby, friends of Chick-fil-A are promoting National Eat at Chick-fil-A Day on July 25th and August 1st. I’ll be there on both days. In fact, all the employees at our various businesses will be eating at Chick-fil-A the next two Wednesdays. As is typical of the homosexual lobby, many angry messages were left on Chick-fil-A’s Facebook page, including: “Hate mongers! Never again! Not another $ from me.” “Goodbye Chikkk-fil-a! Your food was delicious, but I can no longer eat nuggets filled with hate!” Of course, it’s not about hate. It’s...

Business is booming for a Des Moines cake-maker who took a stand for her faith when she was approached by a lesbian couple for a wedding cake. Victoria Childress, owner of Victoria's Cake Cottage, tells OneNewsNow the couple arrived for a taste testing. "But at that point I just said, I have to tell you that I'm a Christian, and because of my Christian convictions I cannot do your cake," she says. Childress has stated she did not belittle the couple. In fact, she tells OneNewsNow that she provided the lesbians names of some bakeries that might be willing to...

I'm putting in an order for my Arizona lapel pins to show support for Arizona. Thought perhaps some of you might want to order one too. Order extra for family and friends. This is an Arizona company.

Share Your Arizona Vacation Recommendations Here!

A new website promotes Arizona.

THE STAND WITH ARIZONA RALLY Diablo Stadium, Tempe, Arizona Saturday, May 29th 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm JOIN US!!! STAND WITH ARIZONA!!! StandWithArizona.org Email here for more information!

Arizona's recent immigration law has led to cities and organizations, including the city of Seattle, calling for boycotts of the state. Now, a reverse boycott is underway to support Arizona and its new law. Arizonan Brett Scott is fighting back by creating a website called AZFightsBack.com. It lists cities and organizations boycotting Arizona. "It's my sincere hope that we return the favor of boycotting them back, if you will, as a way of saying we understand that you're attacking us so we'll respond in kind by withholding our dollars as well," he said. Scott isn't the only one. The Arizona...