The restaurant web site "eater.com" recently reviewed the political contributions of major restaurant companies and their PACS. Taken together it appears that about a third of restaurant chain contributions go to democrats or to the democrat party.
I just have one question - what are you people thinking?
The past seven years have seen increased hostile government action against the leading brands in the restaurant industry. And yet, the corporations and franchisees of these chains appear to be increasing their contributions to the party that is engineering their destruction?
Due to the fact that McDonald's contributions are larger than other chains the McDonald's system gives more to democrats than any other entity in the industry.
In fact, the percentage of McDonald's contributions going to democrats has been steadily increasing over recent years. In 2004 14% of McDonald's PAC money went to democrats, in
the 2014 election cycle 45% of PAC contributions went to democrats.
This after half a decade of democrats, organized labor, and liberal bureaucrats using McDonald's as their primary target for abuse and regulation. Indirectly, McDonald's Operators are funding the "Fight for Fifteen" demonstrations happening in front of their own
restaurants.
Giving 45% to democrats indicates that McDonald's Operators think there's no difference between the political parties. Say it isn't so!
This is not your father's democrat party. This is not the Kennedy, Carter, or even the first term Clinton administration. This is a party that is proud to let socialist Bernie Sanders get within spitting distance of the presidential nomination. This is a party that is increasingly trying to destroy the free enterprise system. This is a party that, along with organized labor, would do to McDonald's what they've done to the city of Detroit.
It's easy to understand how McDonald's corporate people would buy into the democrat mindset. A huge franchise company like McDonald's naturally attracts control-freak,
big-government personalities to their ranks. These people dominate the company and are concerned with three things: 1) complete control of franchisees, 2) political correctness, 3) acceptance by their liberal peers.
McDonald's corporate people should not be allowed to funnel Operator money to their favorite liberal interests. As McDonald's Corporation becomes more infested with executives from the quasi-socialist European Union the corporate culture will be even friendlier to democrats . Operators can't change the political leanings of McDonald's executives but they can refuse to fund their activities.
My advice to McDonald's Operators?
* Decline to contribute to PACs that fund democrats or their party.
* Ignore the advice of political consultants or lobbyists employed by McDonald's Corp. and don't take political advice from McDonald's employees.
* If there are pro-democrat Operators in any PAC leadership decline to contribute until they step or are removed.
* If pressured for contributions by McDonald's corporate employees consider responding with, "When you stop giving my money to democrats, I'll participate". I understand this will take a little nerve because you'll probably be talking to a democrat.
If this means shutting down the national or state PACs - that's a good thing - considering how these PACs are currently operating.
When doing the above you will be told that contributing to democrats "buys a seat at the table" - probably the dumbest thing anyone can say. Does any American business person feel they've had a seat at the table over the past seven years?
For business interests, in this environment, "a seat at the table" is an electric chair.
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A link to the Eater.com article is below as well as a link to the web site "Open Secrets" that contains a wealth of information and is very interesting to explore. Both web sites are interactive so you'll need to click around on the different tabs.
Eater.com - How much are restaurant chains donating?
Open Secrets - Click on "Party Split by Cycle"
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5 comments:
Having said all that, there are occasions to work with and fund an elected person from the democrat party on a local or state basis. But that's an individual decision made for individual reasons. Despite all my rhetoric I've worked with (and contributed to) local democrats. In most cases it's involved working together on highway projects or street improvements. They love spending government money and I understand the benefits to the local economy.
But to write checks to a PAC that's giving money to national figures who are in bed with organized labor and are working against the interests of small business and the economy?
There's no surprise here. The Company is headquartered in the liberal Chicago area and the number of minorities in management/supervisory positions company wide has increased substantially since 2004(not a bad thing)resulting in a bigger slant leftward. What is surprising is that I made an issue of this years ago on your blog, Dick, when I discovered that the McD's PAC was giving a ton of money to the Congressional Black Caucus, which is inherently anti-business, and you would not publish that information because you thought is was "politically incorrect". Maybe with this posting, you've had a change of heart.
The solution to this is simple. NEVER give to the PAC, instead give DIRECTLY to the candidate you endorse. Plus, YOU get the credit, not the PAC.
Not a change of heart but a mild state of shock that the democrat party has moved so far left. I've pointed out the McDonald's PAC insanity before but then it was mostly out of amusement. Since then life has gotten more serious. According to recent surveys 6 out of 10 democrats find the idea of socialism acceptable.
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/02/democrats-poll-socialism-219600
I'm not suggesting that McDonalds Operators let this PAC issue frustrate them. You're not going to change the corporate culture, that battle was lost years ago. Just don't participate. If Oak Brook wants democrats to have a lot of McDonald's money let it come from the executives or from the shareholders, not from real business people.
The solution to this is simple. NEVER give to the PAC, instead give DIRECTLY to the candidate you endorse. Plus, YOU get the credit, not the PAC.
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