Costco to conservatives: Get lost

http://www.michaelmbates.com ^ | 2/26/04 | Michael M. Bates

[Mike Bates]

After several years of shopping there, it looks like my days and evenings roaming the aisles of Costco are over. It’s a shame really.

The closest Costco, the one in Bedford Park, takes longer to drive to than the local Sam’s Club. The extra travel time was almost always worth it.

Costco has a larger variety of items. It’s well managed and rarely are there long lines as there often are at Sam’s. The store has an excellent electronics department and its spiral ham is out of this world. Holiday times are particularly good as you can always count on Costco to have imaginative seasonal items at sensible prices.

At first the idea of warehouse shopping seemed unusual. I just wasn’t in the habit of buying a dozen cans of mushroom soup at a time. The strangeness wore off when I calculated the savings involved.

I’ve been happy at Costco. But now, because of its executives’ foolishness, I’ll no longer shop there. And I don’t think I’ll be alone in abandoning it.

Bloomberg News reported earlier this month that Costco chairman Jeffrey Brotman gave $95,000 in December to the Joint Victory Campaign 2004 fund. The purpose of the fund is to "change the course of the country away from the Bush administration's radical agenda." This will be done by electing as many "progressive" (read Leftist) candidates as possible.

Also in December, Costco CEO James Sinegal gave $95,000 to the Joint Victory Campaign 2004 fund. He says he contributed because of job losses during the Bush administration, the invasion of Iraq and cuts in social spending.

Unemployment is a real problem and has been since the recession that, according to Alan Greenspan, started while Clinton was in the White House. Still, there is room for hope. In December, an all-time high of 138.5 million Americans had a job and the unemployment rate has dropped.

Mr. Sinegal calls our action in Iraq an invasion. Many people view it as the liberation of a country from a brutal, genocidal maniac bent on exporting terrorism. It’s true that the expected weapons of mass destruction haven’t been found, but many people other than George Bush believed they were there. Even French president Jacques Chirac told Time magazine last year: "There is a problem — the probable possession of weapons of mass destruction by an uncontrollable country, Iraq."

What of Mr. Sinegal’s concern about cuts in social spending? Perhaps he’s not noticed that some conservatives are unhappy with the president because he’s not doing much to curtail expanding welfare statism. Indeed, so far Mr. Bush has failed to veto a single bill sent to him by Congress.

An analyst at the Cato Institute calculated how much non-defense discretionary spending has escalated in the first three years of the Bush presidency. That figure is an eye-popping 18 percent. Some cuts.

Mr. Sinegal, according to Federal Election Commission records, has also given many thousands of dollars to the campaigns of numerous Democrats. He even gave money to someone named Howard Dean who, it is rumored, was running for president.

Mr. Brotman enjoys a similar contribution pattern. Just last June, he sent checks to Howard Dean, Joe Lieberman and John Kerry. Nothing like covering all the bases.

Quite clearly, these gentlemen have every right to use their money to defeat or elect anybody they desire. Correspondingly, I and other Costco patrons have a right not to line those guys’ pockets so they can so munificently support all those Democrats.

When conservatives boycott something, it’s often seen as a form of unfair, un-American censorship. When Leftists boycott, as they have with grapes, lettuce, Anita Bryant, Domino’s Pizza, GE and Target, just to name a few, it’s portrayed as a virtuously moral imperative.

Over the past several weeks I’ve sent a couple of emails to Costco’s headquarters asking if the company is tired of having Republican customers. Each time I’ve received a reply saying I’d hear from the company soon. Shockingly, that hasn’t happened.

Costco’s executives should have been a little smarter than to alienate a considerable portion of its customer base. In 1990 Michael Jordan ignored pressures to take sides in a North Carolina Senate race between a black Democrat and Jesse Helms. His reasoning was flawless: "Republicans buy shoes, too."

Guess I’ll find that spiral ham somewhere else from now on.

[b-cubed]

This one is a little better.
Try not to use the first ammendment in your arguments. The FA is meant to control the government, not private citizens. Private boycotts don't always work but they help to send messages

[Alberta's Child]

There's nothing about the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that is any different from other groups like the Ford Foundation, the Gates Foundation, etc.

You have to remember that once a family's fortune has grown so large, the attributes of the original family members who made it that large have pretty much disappeared. As a result, these foundations show many of the attributes of a young adult who has never had to work a day in his life . . . He is literally bored to tears, and therefore has to involve himself in all sorts of "causes" simply to justify his existence (in his own mind).

[Maigrey]

Go there first and ask for your refund. They will record why you are dissatisfied with them, and get your money back for Sam's.

[ZULU]

Thanks for the heads up. Now Costco is in the same category as George Clooney, Walt Disney, Babs Streisand, etc.

[Solson]

dunno. I was replying to someone else who mentioned it. Probably worth a call to your local Sam's club.

[Alberta's Child]

Think of a large foundation as a government bureaucracy. They can't ever "solve" any of the problems they claim to be dealing with, because then they'd be out of business.

At some point in the future, I fully expect that we'll have a massive public ad campaign by MADD, calling on people to contact their elected representatives to vote for a bill in Congress reducing the legal blood alcohol limit from 0.00002% to 0.00001%. Part of that ad campaign, of course, will be a terrible story about a family of five that was killed in a crash by a drunk driver who had a BAC of 0.24%.

[what's up]

I would love to know where more of the CEO's stand on political issues. It's meaningful because these are the men and women leading the world today...and I prefer to support the more capitalistic-minded, rather than socialistic.

John Chambers - CEO Cisco - Supporter of Bush...held fundraisers for him.

Carly Fiorona - CEO Hewlett Packard, I believe is a supporter of Bush.

Michael Dell - CEO Dell - I believe a conservative?

Charles Schwab - CEO Schwab - Conservative.

[Andrewksu]

http://www.costcoscholarshipfund.org/

Joycelyn Elders as their scholarship keynote speaker?

The problem is that the heads of these companies influence the direction of their company. For instance they would support democrats because they are more likely to have chummy relationships with China. While that is good for their bottom dollar, their stockholders, and their customers in the short term, it may not be the best for the country.

These major companies have huge influence over politics and contribute to moral advance or decay. It looks to me that their scholarship fund is a typical lefty give away. All of their keynote speakers are lefty, (not sure about Magic) and Elders is a complete nut. By giving your money to them, you contribute to their ideals and them personally.

I will not stop shopping, I will just shop elsewhere, where politics are more subdued or to my taste. That is everyone's choice, so it can go either way. It is our responsibility to support or not people, ideas, companies, parties, etc that are of good moral, ethical and political worth. If not us, who?

[Andrewksu]

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"

It's a little dramatic in this case, but it is necessary to start with the small things and work up. It works the same for ethical decisions of companies with CEO's that lie cheat and steal. If you support ideas, companies, politicians, people that are ethical and moral, then that is what many will strive to be. It's social supply and demand.

[Gabz]

That is very true.

However, when it comes to the RWJF, knowing that the foundation is one of the largest holders of stock in Johnson & Johnson products - I do refuse to buy those products as much as possible.

Does it matter to them in the long run? Of course not. But at least, in this little way, I know that as a smoker, gun owner and beer drinker, I am not contributing anymore than I absolutely have to those who wish to make me into some type of social outcast.

[Gabz]

I'm surprised such hasn't occurred as of yet - RWJF controls MADD now.

[yoe]

I also sent them a letter and had the same response - to date nothing. I also agree that the 'boys' have every right to fund and vote for whomever they choose - but it should not be made a political food fight. They chose and I will too, Sam's here we come.

Mr. Brotman & Mr. Sinegal are among those who look the other way when the torture, killing, maiming, and oppression is not in their back yard. Appeasement is more to their liking and let it be known, their best customer is China. To my way of seeing it, the Bush administration's radical agenda is nothing more than an agenda to protect America and her allies, maintain democracy and promote freedom around the world.

Sinegal says he contributed because of job losses during the Bush administration, the invasion of Iraq and cuts in social spending. Perhaps if Americans were better educated, more jobs would be available to them. I did not know it until recently, but we spend half again the amount on education as we do on defense – an unconscionable waste of taxpayer money that the teacher’s unions must answer to...60% of our high school students are illiterate, low paying jobs are their future as the progressives intend it to be.

[yoe]

Your pictures are just breathtaking! 'An that's saying a lot from a gal raised in the Great Smoky Mountains!

[Katya]

wow...at least you got a response...so far and it's been a few weeks, I've gotten no email reply at all. However, Progressive auto insurance sent me a letter similar in tone to the one you received from costco.

[Doctor Raoul]

Wonder what kind of wages and benefits the people at Costco get?

Bet they don't buy ANYTHING that's produced by jobs that have been "outsourced" overseas.

Yeah, and Bill Clinton told Monica, I promise not to......well, as Hillary would say, "You know".

[Clemenza]

Ping!

[uncitizen]

Demorats in the town of San Ramon (i think), California are working on legislation to keep Walmart and Costco out of their town altogether. To protect unionized grocers of course.

So why all the love for Dems?

[b-cubed]

Here's my letter to Costco on 2/5/2004. I haven't received an answer. You don't suppose they consider me not worth consideration do you?

To Whom it may concern at Costco,

My wife and I have been loyal Costco customers since 1986. Most of our furniture, electronics, music, videos, medicine, cigarettes (before we quit) and many other things were purchased at either the Northridge CA Costco or The Issaquah store. I would guess that, through the years, we've spent well over $50,000 at Costco.

We've always been amazed at the quality of both the employees and the products in the Costco establishment. We've often commented on our hopes that nothing would ever happen to Costco that would hinder our relationship with them.

Well, dangit, it appears something has happened. The Tacoma News Tribune is reporting that "Costco chairman, CEO give $95,000 each to defeat Bush".

That's just the type of thing we were hoping wouldn't happen. Seeing the way the company was run, we would have believed that Costco management had the same capitalist ideals as we, our families and our friends throughout the western United States do. It appears that we were dreadfully wrong.

If the socialists defeat Bush, our country is in for some rough times.

In the mean time, as much as it's going to hurt us (there's no better toilet paper than Kirkland's) we're going to have to say "so-long" to Costco.

ps: A copy of this letter is going to our families and friends throughout the western United States.

[GOP_1900AD]

This is indeed about borders, language and culture. By the time all the Catoites councilling the apolitical approach to spending decisions realize that the very environment which allows their business success has been destroyed, it will be too late. Most Catoites are either ideologues, and are not involved directly in business, or, they are small fish. The big fish toe the Catoite line when convenient, but with tongue in cheek. It is power they want, since they have way more money than is meaningful. The worst thing is hippie billionaires with far left political leanings - a horrible combination of attributes! Anti patriotic enemies of all we care about....

[Mike Bates]

That's a fine letter. Reading it made me wonder how much I've spent there. I checked and it was about $9,000 in the last three years. Obviously, they don't need folks like us.