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View Full Version : Is Target stooping to the levels of Wal-Mart?



Steve Savicki
08-14-2010, 09:15 AM
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Liberal-groups-push-to-apf-2321043209.html?x=0


ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Protesters have been rallying outside Target Corp. or its stores almost daily since the retailer angered gay rights supporters and progressives by giving money to help a conservative Republican gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota. Liberal groups are pushing to make an example of the company, hoping its woes will deter other businesses from putting their corporate funds into elections.

A national gay rights group is negotiating with Target officials, demanding that the firm balance the scale by making comparable donations to benefit candidates it favors. Meanwhile, the controversy is threatening to complicate Target's business plans in other urban markets. Several city officials in San Francisco, one of the cities where Target hopes to expand, have begun criticizing the company.

"Target is receiving criticism and frustration from their customers because they are doing something wrong, and that should serve absolutely as an example for other companies," said Ilyse Hogue, director of political advocacy for the liberal group MoveOn.org, which is pressing Target to formally renounce involvement in election campaigns.

But conservative organizations are likely to react harshly if Target makes significant concessions to the left-leaning groups.

The flap has revealed new implications of a recent Supreme Court ruling that appeared to benefit corporations by clearing the way for them to spend company funds directly in elections. Companies taking sides in political campaigns risk alienating customers who back other candidates.

Target's $150,000 donation to a business-oriented group supporting Republican Tom Emmer, an outspoken opponent of gay marriage, was one of the first big corporate contributions to become known after the U.S. Supreme Court threw out prohibitions on corporate spending in elections earlier this year.

The Minneapolis-based chain has gone from defending the donation as a business decision to apologizing and saying it would carefully review its future giving. But the protests have continued.

Demonstrators gathered near Target's Minneapolis headquarters on Thursday, and two Facebook groups focused on gay rights are organizing protests at Target stores nationwide this weekend. Immigrant rights supporters have joined the protests, citing Emmer's tough stance on illegal immigration.

The company is in talks with the Human Rights Campaign, a national gay rights organization that wants Target and electronics retailer Best Buy Co., which gave $100,000 to the same group backing Emmer, to match their donations with equal amounts to help gay-friendly candidates.

Fred Sainz, the group's vice president for communications, said he is optimistic both companies will respond to the demand. Target has long cultivated a good relationship with the gay community in Minneapolis, and its gay employees have protested the donation.

"The repair has to be consistent with the harm that was done," Sainz said.

MoveOn, which had feared a heavy flow of corporate donations to groups that help conservative candidates after the Supreme Court decision, protested outside Target headquarters last week.

On the other side, conservatives have begun to rally to support Target, but in smaller numbers. A Facebook page urging "Boycott Target Until They Cease Funding Anti-Gay Politics" has more than 54,000 fans. A page declaring "I will NOT Boycott Target for supporting a Conservative candidate" has a little more than 400 fans.

A Target spokeswoman said the company had nothing to add to chief executive Gregg Steinhafel's statement of apology last week. At Richfield Minn.-based Best Buy, a spokeswoman said the company is reviewing its process for political donations and intended the Minnesota contribution to focus "solely on jobs and an improved economy."

Emmer has said he views the Target giving as an exercise in free speech and wants to keep his campaign focused on economic issues.

Target and rival Wal-Mart Stores Inc. have been trying to expand into urban markets after years of saturating the suburbs. Just last month, Target opened its first store in Manhattan, in East Harlem.

The company has 1,700 stores in the U.S. but only 150 stores in cities, and 50 more in cities with more than 100,000 people nearby.

In San Francisco, Target got a warm reception when it originally outlined plans to open two stores. That's shifted since the Minnesota controversy erupted.

"It just illustrates their disconnect, I think, from a city that they would want to establish a successful business in," said Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi. Target stores would be serving "the epicenter of the LGBT rights movement."

Target and BestBuy's donations went to MN Forward, a business-focused group that has run ads supporting Emmer and his lower-taxes message. The group is staffed by former insiders from Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration and has also backed a few Democratic legislators.

MN Forward has continued to collect corporate money after the backlash against Target, bringing in $110,000 through Tuesday from businesses including Holiday Cos. gas stations and Graco Inc., a maker of pumps and fluid handling equipment.

Steve Savicki
08-14-2010, 09:19 AM
We have a Target and Wal-Mart in the same shopping mall as well as a CostCo and Sam's Club! I guess corporate greed does what it does to stay in business.

Sad, I respected Target somewhat when I found out how sleazy Wal-Mart was. Now I have no respect for either of them.

Dr. Love
08-14-2010, 12:23 PM
fuck off steve

Northern Girl
08-14-2010, 12:31 PM
Tom Emmer is the devil.

sadaist
08-14-2010, 01:11 PM
.

Sad, I respected Target somewhat when I found out how sleazy Wal-Mart was. Now I have no respect for either of them.


Then don't shop there. Or build Steve-Mart to take away their business. But when you do open Steve-Mart, don't forget that the gay libs get to tell you what you can do with your money or else they will protest on the streets & scream for days.

bueno bob
08-14-2010, 01:25 PM
But when you do open Steve-Mart, don't forget that the gay libs get to tell you what you can do with your money or else they will protest on the streets & scream for days.

So your position is that corporate America should only be beholden to conservative, straight and moral people then?

Get fucked, dickcheese.

Unchainme
08-14-2010, 01:50 PM
Target as a corporation has the right to donate to whatever candidates it feels it should donate to. Something tells me this moreso has to do with "Hey, uhh...this congressman will give us tax cuts, why not support him?", rather than say "Fuck the gays!"

More power to the gay community for not wanting to support it, but it really doesn't impact me as a consumer. Neither would any companies supporting a congressman that I disagree with.

Unchainme
08-14-2010, 01:50 PM
also, STFU Steve.

GAR
08-14-2010, 02:05 PM
WECOME Steve, don't cap on him? What's WRONG with you!

FORD
08-14-2010, 02:18 PM
Target won't be getting any of my money. Now if someone tells me Fred Meyer is giving money to the "Oregon Citizens Alliance", I'm gonna be really pissed off.

bueno bob
08-14-2010, 02:47 PM
Target won't be getting any of my money. Now if someone tells me Fred Meyer is giving money to the "Oregon Citizens Alliance", I'm gonna be really pissed off.

WTF? You mean the Lon Mabon OCA?

I thought they went the way of the Rashneesh Puram years back?!?

FORD
08-14-2010, 03:34 PM
Actually, Lon's former loony lieutenant Scott Lively has taken the hate further than Mabon himself ever did. He was involved with that hate group that went to Uganda and encouraged them to make homosexuality a death penalty offense..

The Daily Show exposed him for the closet queen he is though.....

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Nitro Express
08-17-2010, 10:55 AM
The reality is both the Democrats and Republicans are bought and paid for. The Democrats claim to be the people's party and the working man's party. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Obama administration has bent over backwards to make sure Wall Street and the insurance industry get whatever they want at the expense of the average person they clam to be standing up for. The Republicans do the same. They claim to uphold the US Constitution while their president George W. Bush ignored it. Maybe both parties differ in strategy but the result is always the same, more perks for big business and less for the average working person.

Nitro Express
08-17-2010, 10:57 AM
Both seem to love war too. Obama has been as much as a warmonger as Bush, so give me a fucking break. Nothing has changed, the shit has just accelerated.

Anonymous
08-17-2010, 11:00 AM
WECOME Steve, don't cap on him? What's WRONG with you!

http://www.rotharmy.com/forums/showthread.php?59986-If-you-are-using-the-internet-at-a-public-library-and-are-unemployed...

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Cheers! :bottle:

vanhalen1r2
09-06-2010, 12:50 AM
We have a Target and Wal-Mart in the same shopping mall as well as a CostCo and Sam's Club! I guess corporate greed does what it does to stay in business.

Sad, I respected Target somewhat when I found out how sleazy Wal-Mart was. Now I have no respect for either of them.

They both suck for sure

FORD
09-06-2010, 12:55 AM
We have a Target and Wal-Mart in the same shopping mall as well as a CostCo and Sam's Club!

Wait a minute.... You have a Wal-Mart and a Sam's Club in the same mall?

Sam's Club is just Wal Mart on steroids. Same company, same cheap imported Chinese crap, just in bigger packages.

Costco is a good company though. Not perfect, but at least they treat their people right.

Northern Girl
09-07-2010, 07:22 PM
On the other hand, Target gives over 3 million dollars a week to schools. That's 5% of their profits. Giving $150,000 to a politician is basically pennies to them.

Unchainme
10-13-2010, 08:18 PM
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704696304575538402294440806.html


The attack on Target was especially dishonest because of the company's history on gay issues, which includes sponsoring gay pride events and offering benefits to domestic partners. Only months before, the company received a 100% score on Human Rights Campaign's 2010 Corporate Equality Index, which rates companies on sexual preference policies in the workplace.

going to bump this up a bit. A bit unfair to criticize in my opinion a company like this.

GAR
10-14-2010, 02:12 AM
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BigBadBrian
10-14-2010, 07:38 AM
Target won't be getting any of my money. Now if someone tells me Fred Meyer is giving money to the "Oregon Citizens Alliance", I'm gonna be really pissed off.

Relax Princess, Target didn't donate to any anti-homo candidates. They donated to a pro-business organization who then in turn donate to candidates on both sides of the aisle who hhave a pro-business platform. This is all about supporting business and no other issue.

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