Corporate social wars? HELL YES!, Bite em where it really hurts!

[OKthatsIT]

Drastic measures are appropriate, NOW.

VOTING - We organize our grass roots govt and work our way up. We all know this is the only way to get control of corrupt election board practices.

MOVE MONEY - out of the big bank accts. Find a local Credit Union that is not tied to the Federal Reserve. If you can, consolidate your credit card debt with a lower %rate loan through this bank.

CHASE CARD - We are trying to get people untangled from banks and credit cards who have been involved in anti-american activities. It has been suggested that any and all people holding a CHASE CARD to close this acct by July 4th. This type of action takes time, that is why we suggest 'one day at a time' measures such as this.

BUYING BLUE - BOYCOT RED - We have to write to these Blue companies and let them know we are promoting them because they support serious efforts in saving our Constitution and Democracy.

Microsoft has done its own soul searching this past week and has come out with their commitment to our citizens' Bill of Rights, by supporting Gay Rights in the work place. What remains to be seen is...is this announcement a way for MS to slap the Govt back for not changing the 'employment limit' laws in regard to foreign engineers(Microsoft wants to bring many high level engineers from other countries). We'll just have to wait and see what this really means.
-------------------------------------------------------
Here's a link on Microsofts latest announcement:

Microsoft Will Back Gay Rights Legislation
May 07, 2005 05:29 AM ET
By ELIZABETH M. GILLESPIE

SEATTLE (AP) - After being criticized for quietly dropping support for a state gay rights bill, Microsoft Corp. chief executive Steve Ballmer told employees Friday that management would publicly back such legislation in the future.

Ballmer's commitment came two weeks after activists accused the company of caving to pressure from an evangelical pastor who had threatened to launch a nationwide boycott of the software company.

more... http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/ticker/article.asp?Feed=AP&Date=20050507&ID=4391429&Symbol=US:MSFT
-------------------------------------------------------

Microosoft's faux pas past with Christian Coalition:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/221811_msftreed27.html

[K8-EEE]

1. yes yes yes and NOMMED! THIS IS IMPORTANT!

I don't really know if our votes are counting as long as BushCo Pioneers are behind the voting machines & counting....but I DO know this....MONEY TALKS!! MOVE YOUR MONEY, and most especially, your debt. To a credit union if possible. If you can, get a home equity loan through a credit union and pay off any high interest credit card debts. You'll slash your payments AND you can deduct equity interest from your taxes. Caution: only do this if you have a steady income though because if you default thay can take your house.

In short: getting out of debt is crucial to your financial well being and it's the LAST thing the credit card companies want, despite their cry for "financial responsiblity" it's their worst nightmare. Look at MNBA -- they are TANKING because so many people are paying down their debt!

[Warpy]

2. The best thing you can do is pay off those cards, cut them up

and send them in with a note explaining that they've lost your business until the bankruptcy bill is overturned.

Those cards are a scam and a trap. The sooner you can learn to live without them, the better off you'll be. Debit cards work just fine for online purchases. If you really feel the need to go into debt for something, get a loan from your credit union at a fixed rate.

There is no reason for a rational person to cling to the minor convenience that credit cards provide. The risk is now too great.

[eleny]

3. Great advice!

I had several store credit cards I never use. They're all from banks. So, a few weeks ago, I closed them all and let them know why.

[smiley]

4. Every week I recieve at least 5 credit card applications

I cut off all of my personal information from each application and corresponding letters and then place everything back in the return envelope. With my girlfriend and I both doing this we send out about 10 blank applications a week. Each application sent back costs the credit card companies the price of a postage stamp. That would be 14$ a month per household.

I get a lot of satisaction from this!! Imagine if every household did this each week.

I even have some friend who do this also and they have started to place small metal washers or anything to add weight to the postage price.

[K8-EEE]

6. I Send Back The Empty Envelopes And Write

WHY DO YOU HATE AMERICA? On the back. But the WORST thing I've done to them is stop using their product. The worst thing I've done to them is live totally within my means. That's truly what they fear the most. The sad thing is that so many people don't even have that option. They are charging necesities because fewer and fewer people are making enough to pay for the rising costs of housing, insurance, gas, medical and other necessities.

[Vincardog]

13. Try gluing their prepaid envelope to a brick drop that into a mail box.

[AndyTiedye]

5. There Is Also the Not-Quite-Boycott

I have a Chase card. There is one monthly bill of about $10
that gets charged to it, and an automatic payment that pays it
off each month. Sometimes it overpays a little, so they have
to send me a refund check. They send me out periodic
offers of credit, which I use to start my woodstove.

I'm probably costing them money.

[cally]

7. A Zogby poll this week indicated that about 2/3

of Americans boycott. Money does talk and I think companies are noticing the buyblue campaign.

[AndyTiedye]

8. Walmart Just Had Another Lousy Quarter

The financial press didn't even whisper the "B" word.
They said the sector was in a slump (but Walmart especially so).
But somehow the slump that Walmart is in seems to have missed Costco.
Not sure if it's Costco's 99% blue rating or their unique ability to
sell higher quality stuff at lower prices.

I'm off for a Costco run.

[OKthatsIT]

10. Costco is BLUE!

Buy BLUE.

[K8-EEE]

15. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Costco....

Heading there right now for stuff for Mother's day bbq here tomorrow -- I get everything there...chicken, potatoes, corn, spinach salad, wine and dessert. You can have quite a feast on a budget at CostCo.

Will probably pick up Jane Fonda's book there for my mom too, although I prefer just to spend some time with my kids & mom and not focus so much on the gifts. Really trying to resist the corporate-mandidated type spending!

[lala_rawraw]

9. I would add

Be the delivery mechanism for real news... we have the news and the news writers, we simply do not have the delivery mechanism. The approach of pulling ourselves out of a corrupt system must be partnered with various other pro-active and empowering elements.

Example: if you pull your money out of large corporations either by not giving them business or via stocks, then you HAVE to invest in small local businesses. When corporations lose money, people lose jobs. We have to empower the small business model so that those coming from the corporate world have a place to go.

Example: Devalue the USE of money. Barter your skills for other skills and/or goods. By doing so, you are stimulating a productive and mutually rewarding relationship that has no need to subscribed to taxes or any such controls. I would go a step further and say galvanize your own communities into micro-business models where the skills/goods are traded for skills/goods and where money is needed, it is distributed locally.

Example: Work with local medical people to establish a pay plan outside of the HMO system. Sort of a contract where a physician will have an entire community of patients in exchange for a sliding rate. If you can avoid going to a corporate pharmacy, that would be great. Find a local person and or store that can help or work within the small community to establish this.

Example: Churches and other religious insituations are welcome, but NOT those who demand political view as somehow equal to faith and members that support these churches cannot be part of a community such as this. Sorry to say, but these people are not operating "in-good" faith, they are propaganda mills. I would also add that Republicans should be avoided. Is this harsh? Yes. But we are trying to create survivable communities. Including Republicans who have created this mess is not conducive to such growth. Republicans can either turn their back on this administration or they can live off the bones they are thrown. We need no longer tolerate this abuse. I am, it seems, a political bigot. But I am also not going to let my parents starve to death so that Republicans can get their extra tax cuts.

Just a few examples.

[OKthatsIT]

12. Keep them coming....i'm reposting your ideas on other blogs

thank you for all of your insights

[OKthatsIT]

11. HESS GAS ...is BLUE

Here's the link to find a station near you. Sorry, but for now, Hess only has stations on the east coast. BUT WITH OUR HELP, they'll be able to expand.

They are 98% Blue (donating to Democratic party, only)
They support alternative energy research.

FIND A STATION: http://www.hess.com/storelocator/storelocator.aspx

[AndyTiedye]

14. We Need Some Blue Oil Companies Out West

Hess is only on the East Coast.
A lot of folks in California would buy from a blue oil company if we could.

[understandinglife]

16. And, "MNA 1608"

www.missionnotaccomplished.us

[BigBearJohn]

17. I took out a 2nd Mortgage and paid off ALL my credit cards

I only buy gas from Arco
Never shop at walmart
Always buy from the LITTLE GUY whenever possible.

Hey guys and gals -- it all adds up!

To HELL with corporations

[Just Me]

18. So,...is this about money or conscience?

I wanna' know.