Citizens United: A Cautionary Tale
I hate to shop. Get that? I hate to shop. And I hate Wal-Mart for all of the usual reasons. But Target is another matter. As big-box stores go, Targets are spacious, easy on the eyes and have a terrific product selection. (For example, the best prices anywhere of kitty litter.) And from what I have observed, heard and read, Target treats its employees well while supporting issues I care about -- including gay rights.
But then Target's management, encouraged by the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling that essentially gave carte blanche to corporations to buy elections, donated $150,000 to a Minnesota Republican candidate with decidedly anti-gay views.
The ensuing furor raised by employees and shoppers was deafening, and to his credit Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel has now apologized in what is, in effect, an acknowledgment Citizens United "isn't a slam-dunk for corporations," as Mistermix put it at the Booman Tribune.
Target does treat the store employees ok. However, their warehouses are ran by an Asian consortium that hires temps and illegals by the dozen and they treat them like serfs or worse. It pretty much seems to be how all big box store business is done. I've almost stopped shopping there...but I am running out of store options.
ReplyDeleteThank God the employees and shopper made a fuss.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who just ran the interview gauntlet for a "manager trainee" position. They need a union, just like Walmart does. By the way, Shaun Lovers should check out the review of his book Under the Fox at Broken Turtle Blog. See
ReplyDeletehttp://brokenturtleblog.blogspot.com/2010/08/bottom-of-fox.html
I read a great deal of blogs, and I have not come across an article that articulates these points so well.
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