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DippyDem

(659 posts)
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 09:53 AM Apr 2012

KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut’s Owner Is The 12th Corporation To Drop ALEC

Source: Think Progress

Yum! Brands, the owner of fast food brands KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut told Color of Change that they will no longer support the American Legislative Exchange Council, the right-wing front group that, until recently, was a driving force behind state voter suppression and “stand your ground” gun laws. Yum!’s decision means a dozen corporations (plus the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) have now dropped the conservative group:

“Now we know that Yum! Brands has joined the 11 other companies that have announced in recent weeks that they’re no longer members of ALEC. These companies are McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Mars Inc., Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, Intuit, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Reed Elsevier (owner of LexisNexis and publisher of science and health information), American Traffic Solutions and Arizona Public Service.

“We want to thank these companies for making the right decision, and we want to thank ColorOfChange members and our partners. We continue to call on all major corporations to stop funding ALEC given its involvement in voter suppression. Our members and allied groups are prepared to hold accountable companies that continue to associate themselves with an organization that has attacked voting rights, causing irreparable damage nationwide.”

Yum!’s decision to remove ALEC from the Colonel’s Special Recipe is particularly significant because it shows that the group remains toxic even after it announced earlier this week that it would shut down its “Public Safety and Elections task force,” which led ALEC’s efforts on voter disenfranchisement and guns. Even without a task force devoted to promoting firearms and hindering democracy, ALEC remains committed to a regressive economic agenda that includes union-busting, repealing the minimum wage, and, of course, cutting taxes on the very rich.

Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/04/19/467264/kfc-taco-bell-and-pizza-hut-owner-is-the-12th-corporation-to-drop-alec/

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bluedigger

(17,086 posts)
1. I'm noticing a trend here.
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 10:08 AM
Apr 2012

Corporations that directly market to the consumer are much more sensitive to public pressure than those that market to other corporations. Same thing happened with Rush.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
4. Maybe there needs to be some kind of highlighting of "degrees of separation".
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 10:29 AM
Apr 2012

"Boycott abc because they use xyz as a major supplier and xyz supports ALEC."

Something like that might work, except you can't take it too far without diluting the message by asking everyone to boycott everything.

BadgerKid

(4,552 posts)
10. Same with food ingredients.
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 12:22 PM
Apr 2012

When people discover they don't want to eat something (Pink Slime, HFCS, etc..) , the food industry RENAMES it so we can't tell they are still putting it in our food.

AND then they wonder why we don't trust them when they tell us it's safe to eat.

Frustratedlady

(16,254 posts)
2. The connection of ALEC to the Koch Bros. needs to be highlighted, though...
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 10:13 AM
Apr 2012

in every ALEC article that comes out. The more people hear "Koch Bros" connected to/with bad groups and events, the better.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
5. At least it makes things more difficult for them for a while.
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 10:31 AM
Apr 2012

If we can slow them down for even one election cycle it can make a difference.

And when they do regroup you attack whatever new form they take.

sendero

(28,552 posts)
16. Knocking down these organizations.
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 05:02 PM
Apr 2012

.... is definitely beneficial. Just like the weeds, after a while they give up.

 

peace13

(11,076 posts)
14. Now let's see the whole list and boycott these corps until they get the message!
Thu Apr 19, 2012, 02:07 PM
Apr 2012

OK so we won't be having pizza, fast food or soft drinks for a while. We have to hit them in the wallet that is the only thing they know.

drm604

(16,230 posts)
20. There are lots of little mom and pop pizza parlors around,
Fri Apr 20, 2012, 12:36 PM
Apr 2012

at least where I live. We should be patronizing them anyway.

Monk06

(7,675 posts)
18. This is actually quite important. It means Corporate America sees no advantage in associating
Fri Apr 20, 2012, 03:26 AM
Apr 2012

with Stand Your Ground laws or any of the rest of the ALEC agenda.

They will go underground and regroup but overt vigilantism, hatred of women and
union busting are off the table at least in terms of public RW advocacy groups.

Everything will be below the radar from now on.
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