Progressive Pages- Need your feedback!

[fudge stripe cookays]

I just visited DancingBear's thread about wanting to come up with a directory of Repuke businesses to boycott and provide decent progressive alternatives for folks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2587076&mesg_id=2587076&page=

I'd like to help any way I can to compile this book.

Here's what I need from ya'll:

Give me the names and approximate locations of any local IL businesses you saw the last year or so with Bush/Cheney signs outside, behind the counters or in windows. Any "I support President Bush and our troops?" or anything equivalent?

Alternately, provide the names and approximate addresses of progressive or Democratic owned or Democratic-supporting businesses you can recommend instead.

Let us know about good AND bad experiences you've had patronizing good or bad businesses all over the state!

Thanks everybody!
Let's hear em!
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[fudge stripe cookays]

1. KICK!

[dogman]

2. It seemed like most landscape and floral shops.

Businesses that rely on immigrant labor. There will probably be a lot more of these businesses in four years judging B$$$'s remarks in the debates. Any business that cannot find employees willing to work for minimum wage will be allowed to import labor.

[renoray]

3. What kind of people own ABT?

My dad in Buffalo Grove seems to really like them. I've driven by one of their stores when I was back home, but I'm not local anymore and I don't know much about them. I would think they have to be better Best Buy and Circuit City. Should progressives be looking at them as an alternative or are they just as bad?

Also, thanks for your great showing on election day, IL! Sorry we couldn't do better, but then our electronic voting machines mysteriously came up with a different winner than the exit polls. If anyone has extra Obama campaign stuff they don't need anymore(stickers, yard signs, etc.), send me a message and I would be happy to take it off your hands.

[grace0418]

4. Oberweiss Dairy

Jim Oberweiss was trying to run on the GOP ticket against Obama, he's a stupid, racist, right-wing pig and we should totally boycott his business. Too bad because the milk from there was awesome. There are Oberweiss ice cream shops around the Chicagoland area, avoid them at all costs. The admittedly delicious products from this dairy are tainted with right-wing-crazy-drugs. Consume them and you'll start shouting racial slurs and screeching about gays and abortion...Okay so I made up that last part but we should still boycott this loon's business.

[mopinko]

5. this hurts

but i feel the same way. i grew up in aurora, which is where oberwiess started. the original ice cream shop was down the street from me. i have such fond childhood memories. like the time that one of the oberwiess kids found a baby fawn, and they put it in a pen in the ice cream shop, and bottle fed it, until it got too big. people started to bring lost fawns to them, and they ended up raising several. they gave some money to the park district to build an enclosure for rescued deer. last time i was there there were a dozen or so.
it's especially hard to let go of this cuz i don't have all that many happy childhood memories. i was so happy when they started opening stores here in the city.
who'da thunk they could go so wrong. now i see the sign, and my stomach churns. oh, well.

[grace0418]

6. I'm sorry, that sucks

It's hard when a happy memory gets tainted like that. I'm finding more and more of them these days.

[mopinko]

7. that's one more reason why

it sucks to get old.

[fudge stripe cookays]

8. Thanks grace!

And sorry about that mo.

Let us know if you think of any others. I'll let family in Chicago to avoid the ice cream shops. Thanks for the tip.

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[grace0418]

10. no problem

I'm sure there are more, that was just one that really gets my goat. Ice cream is supposed to be about happiness and goodness, not racism and greed.

[dogman]

9. He also has an investment service.

I began my boycott of him when I saw an interview on WTTW in which he said interest raes were too low and employment too high under Clinton. He was complaining that his wife at that time, who was running the store business could not find help to work cheap enough. A real POS.

[Logansquare]

11. Potbelly's CEO is a big Republican donor

as is their former VP. Look it up on opensecrets.org
Kell, Bryant
Fisher, David

[fudge stripe cookays]

16. Damn!

I had my first Potbelly in DC and damn it was good!

Bastards.
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[Logansquare]

18. I know, I really like their chicken soup n/t

[grace0418]

20. That totally sucks

first Oberweiss then Potbelly's. Why can't places who's food I hate be on the list? I wouldn't care at all if Baja Fresh or BW3 was right-wing.

[CubsFan1982]

26. Nooooooooo!!!!!

That's about the only place I can get a decent sub in this God-forsaken town!

[Logansquare]

12. Motorola's CEO: $25,000 to the RNC

BROWN, GREGORY MR
LONG GROVE,IL 60047
MOTOROLAINC./PRESIDENT & C.E.O.
7/28/2004
$25,000
Republican National Cmte

as well as $2000 to Bush for the 2004.

[grace0418]

23. I have a personal story about him that makes me dislike the guy

without even knowing he was a repuke. My brother-in-law works for Motorola and called us up one day offering us tickets to a Cubs game about two weeks later. They were given to him by his boss to use as he pleased. We were thrilled and invited my brother (a huge Cubs fan who has no money and can never go to games) to come with us. He was ecstatic. We took a day off work and planned to make a day of it. Then, the DAY BEFORE the game, my b-i-l called and said the CEO of Motorola demanded to have the tickets returned to him because he felt like going. Nevermind that he could've easily scored other seats in a skybox or something with all his millions, or that he'd already given the tickets away weeks earlier. Nope. He wanted these exact tickets back and we were expected to FedEx them to his sorry ass. I was so pissed I was fantasizing about smearing dog crap or boogers on the tickets before I sent them back, but obviously I wouldn't really do that. What a jerk though. And a typical repuke. Put on an act like you're generous, but then take it back when it suits your whim, never bothering to think about how your actions affect others.

[Logansquare]

13. Portillo's Hotdogs--GOP, but not Bush.

Richard Portillo donated $1,000 to the odious Jim Oberweiss and another $1,000 to Guiliani (!) No Bush or RNC donations listed yet...perhaps they're too liberal for him.

[Logansquare]

14. Lettuce Entertain You, Inc. (abt. half Dem, half GOP)

They only own about half the restaurants in Chicago.
Rich Melman and his wife have contributed to both GOP and Democratic candidates, with a slight edge to the Democrats. That's probably just smart business. Give them a thumbs up?

[Logansquare]

15. Paul Toback, CEO, Bally's Total Fitness-Dem

No Kerry donations, but many other Dem candidates, including Dick Durbin.

[fudge stripe cookays]

17. Well that's good,

but I still hate Bally's with a purple passion.

Thanks for the great feedback Logan!
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[fudge stripe cookays]

19. Keeping it kicked...

The Progressive Pages are really starting to groove with all sorts of new information in multiple states!

Please help us out by providing any local businesses you can think of, good or bad. And make sure to specify which one they are when you post them!

Thanks!
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[renoray]

21. Pita Inn!!!

Looks good...and tastes good. Donated to Obama and Schakowsky. After reading about Portillos and Oberwise I was worrying I wouldn't be able to eat anything the next time I went home. At least now I know Pita Inn is one of the good guys....

http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=Pita+Inn&txtCand=&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&txt2000=Y&Order=N

http://www.pitainn.com/

[grace0418]

24. They're awesome and cheap too

Yay! Some good guys!

[fudge stripe cookays]

25. Cool!

Thanks renoray! I'll have to check em out while I'm up!

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[Radical Activist]

22. Where can I get liberal bumper stickers in Chicago?

This is somewhat related to this thread. Does anyone know a good place with lots of political bumper stickers? Hopefully one that isn't way up north in Evanston. I'm on the south side.

[kster]

27. I'd like to

see something similar done to companies who operate in 0hio and Florida. Maybe the corporate giants, if boycotted will push for fair elections in there own state.

[fudge stripe cookays]

28. I have threads in those state forums too.

This is nationwide.

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