BOYCOTT BERKELEY (start of ping list;)

Drango | 2/16/08 | Drango

[Drango]

I started to make a list of Berkeley firms to boycott. I don’t lightly believe that firms should pay the economic price for their city council views, but these firms are the enablers of one of the most repugnant regimes in our history and they unfortunately will be innocent casualties in the campaign. The city could not run without their tax dollars. Thus the boycott is on!

Obviously the German run Bayer, Berkeley’s largest corporate job source is a top choice. http://www.bayerus.com/communities/berkeley/index.html

http://www.jettonconstruction.com/

www.ddorn.com

http://techsafety.com/contactus.html

http://studiobfilms.com/index.html

www.techsoft3d.com

http://www.techsoft3d.com/company/team.html (see bio on Brook Aaron Seaton)

http://www.sightspeed.com/company/our-team

OK how does a boycott work in practice? Let’s use sightspeed as an example. First we dig for information. Here is what 10 minuets of hunting got me. What can others dig up? http://www.sightspeed.com/business/customers

dig, dig, dig… http://digitalmediaupdate.blogspot.com/2007/10/sightspeed-open-for-business-sightspeed.html

Peter D. Csathy email: pcsathy@sightspeed.com; CEO of SightSpeed Inc. (www.sightspeed.com); …. live ….., in sunny San Diego, California; …)

Second we email all the principals. A polite letter. State our case. Ask them to leave Berkeley. Repeat. CC to the Mayor, Chamber of Commerce and the press. We FIRMLY ask them to leave Berkeley. If there is no response we escalate. Email their customers. Escalate. Perhaps we put boots on the ground and picket.

Polite, dignified and steady pressure. Times 10. Times 100. If you are interested please bump this thread or Freepmail me. Eagles up.

A side note: I don’t believe snark or extremely hot rhetoric will achieve what we want. It’s fun to blow off steam here, real fun, but the economic boycott should be above that to achieve success. There are perhaps 100 other Berkeley firms that we need to email or call. From emailing Hilton and asking them to sell the Doubletree at the Berkeley marina, to asking associations not to have a meeting at HS Lordships http://www.hslordships.com/

Let's partner with MoveAmericaForward, GOE, HotAir, LGF and others. Who’s in?

[Melas]

I recieved a bunch of responses and they all said pretty much the same thing. Perhaps you’re all right, and I’m wrong. Perhaps not.

What I do know is that these are the threads that always seem to put me on the opposite side of the fence of many FReepers. I understand where you’re coming from, but I can’t for the life of me relate to the anger and/or hate.

While I share your disdain over the actions of the city council, I just can’t find it in me to want their constituents to suffer for it. What I do know here is that I’m never going to grasp these strong negative emotions, so I’m not going to try.

[MrEdd]

Try serving your country as a young enlisted man in a foreign country. Then come back and listen to code pink.

[Syncro]

“Legislation has been started”

Correction!!! Legislation has been SUGGESTED.

Be sure to follow it through the process and see if it actually makes it anywhere. In government, the power of suggestion lulls people into complacency. We tend to go on with our lives, thinking something is getting done, when in reality it don’t.

I agree with your second paragraph completely.

We need to keep on this and do all we can to help it become a reality.

Here is where it was suggested, Feb 6, 2008:

I do not believe a city that has turned its back on our country's finest deserves $2 million worth of pork-barrel projects. So, I will introduce legislation to revoke the funding.

On Feb. 6^th, 2008 it was introduced in the Senate, on the same day it was suggested:

February 6th, 2008 - Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina), Saxby Chambliss (R-Georgia), Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-Oklahoma), John Cornyn (R-Texas), James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma), and David Vitter (R-Louisiana) introduced the Semper Fi Act of 2008.

This is where it stand as far as I can find now (Dated Feb 13^th):

Senator DeMint introduced the Semper Fi Act to rescind over $2 million in hidden earmarks for Berkeley, California in the Fiscal Year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, and transfer the funds to the Marine Corps. Until yesterday,
(Hot link separation) Senate Democrat leaders used parliamentary maneuvers to block consideration of the bill. Last night, Republicans asked to pass the Semper Fi Act by unanimous consent after no Republican member opposed its passage, but Democrats have placed an anonymous hold on the bill.

So it has been introduced and in the works, not just suggested.

It does take some research to discover that something is being done. You are right, we need to watch out for complacency and also not to put out information that makes it seem nothing has been done until this time, when indeed the process was started already as I mentioned in my post to which you replied.

By reading the links, it can be seen that a campinion bill is going to be started in the House by Congressman John Campbell (R-California)

[BigIsleGal]

AND...
Make sure it isn’t manufactured in CHINA.

Aloha

[USMC Brat]

[Syncro]

Here is an addendum to my previous post to you

Here are Some Links starting on Feb 8th about the Semper Fi Act to read if you wish to.

You can go anytime to that link to see the resourcefulness here at Free Republic.

It does need to be kept on the top of awareness in other venues as well.

[Bob J]

That’s the best idea so far on this thread.

[Monkey Face]

Only if I had no other choice...

That’s “Sold Pink,” isn’t it? (The traitors...)

[Drango]

NICE (so nice, I’m stealing it!)

I’m looking for suggestions for low cost bumper stickers and (perhaps posters). I’m near Berkeley and we can use MAF (perhaps, I have no contact with them)and local FReepers to distribute bumper stickers to local veterans, GOP, college Republicans etc. Perhaps even hand ‘em out at the BART stations.

Putting the cart ahead of the horse, I can fund the first $100. Wondering out loud....Perhaps MAF can serve as a collector of funds???? They are a tax exempt group I believe. Any suggestions? I really don’t want to handle the money side....

[Syncro]

True. simple and to the point, effective.

Perhaps altered to say

Marines and Military Personnel Welcome

Some people would come in because of the sign, and some would not for the same reason.

The brave little Trust Fund Babies would probably be afraid to enter past that sign.

It would be interesting to see what the financial outcome would be.

Taking a stand is necessary.

[Bob J]

It’s also a positive step which gets the businesses on your side as opposed to turning them into scapegoats and trying to ruin their lives.

[Drango]

Marines and Military Personnel Welcome
20% discount

(grin)

[CometBaby]

I support of a Boycott of people who are supporting this nonsense with the Military .. but why boycott a City? Places are not anti-Military .. PEOPLE are.

I'm sure there are some companies that don't support the city council. Why would we want to boycott patriots in Berkeley?

Why not attack the true enemy .. those who are anti Military? Let them take a pledge they are pro-military and if they are, don't punish them

[Melas]

A much better idea than anything that’s been offered so far. Imagine that, a proactive solution instead of wanting to inflict suffering and ruin on someone else. I like it.

[444Flyer]

Their constituents are the ones who keep these America haters in office. I don’t boycott Berkeley out of hate because that would make me the same as them, a reprehensible thought.

Yes, I do boycott them out of anger. I saw a Marine last week at a Naval hospital who was back from Iraq on crutches because his leg had been amputated. His wife and four small children were visiting him there. It angers me that people would slap him in the face with actions such as those Berkeley took and during a time of war nonetheless. He chose to willingly serve and protect our country. He deserves our nation’s respect. That Marine sacrificed his leg for our country, God Bless Him!!!

I figure Berkeley can go without my money supporting their city. That’s the “sacrifice” (VERY pale in comparison with what our Marines are doing for us daily) they’ll have to make for acting in such an amoral fashion. I boycott them because they deserve to be held accountable for their actions and money seems to be the only thing that gets through to these people.

[kcvl]

bttt

[Melas]

A fresh breath of common sense in this thread. Thanks.

[combat_boots]

“...that we Vietnam Veterans didn’t have upon our return home from the Vietnam War.”

A toast.
Lifting a cold one to the VV.
And hoping business is outstanding in the ME for our guys.

[combat_boots]

Anonymous hold? WTF?

[Bob J]

"Their constituents who voted for them are the ones who keep these America haters in office.

Ready-->Shoot-->Aim will only get you a sore foot.