Home Depot Founder: Retailers Who Don't Support GOP "Should Be Shot"

The Oxdown Gazette:

This is what Home Depot's founder Bernie Marcus said on a conference call yesterday:

"If a retailer has not gotten involved with this, if he has not spent money on this election, if he has not sent money to Norm Coleman and these other guys," Mr. Marcus said, apparently referring to Republican senators facing tough re-election fights, then those retailers "should be shot; should be thrown out of their goddamn jobs."

It's nice to know Home Depot supports the death penalty for not supporting their politics. The coming EFCA fight is going to be bloody.

Read the whole story: The Oxdown Gazette

Comments

[ModeratePoliticalJunkie]

10:09 AM on 11/23/2008

Unions shall be permitted to solicit employee interest in forming a union by using registration cards. An employee’s signature on such a card shall only indicate interest in learning more about unionization and not an implicit acknowledgement or affirmation to form a union. Upon receiving signatures on ‘interest cards’ from 51% of all employees at the employer location, the union organizer may request and conduct additional information dissemination meetings for all employees willing to attend, directly followed by a NRLB monitored secret ballot whereby all employees in attendance are afforded an opportunity to vote ‘yea’ or ‘nay’ on forming and moving forward with forming and certifying a union for workers in their workplace. At least 51% of all employees must ratify to form a union. Employers may not view the ‘interest cards’ or learn the identity of voters in support of unionization. Employers and Unions are forbidden from using unfair labor tactics such as fear, coercion, inducements, promise of entitlements, and related activities as specified in the National Labor Relations Act, to discourage or encourage participation in union-sponsored activities.

[ModeratePoliticalJunkie]

10:08 AM on 11/23/2008

Amendment Language
Employers and Unions shall be allowed to present their respective viewpoints regarding unionization to workers during a limited time period not to exceed 30 days. Union officials and Employers may choose to develop and distribute literature supporting their viewpoints jointly or separately. All such literature must be submitted to and approved by the NLRB thirty-days prior to dissemination to employees. Any such literature found to have erroneous, misleading, and/or outright nonfactual data will be rejected and may not be distributed. Rejected literature may also subject its authors to fines not to exceed $20,000 for each violation (e.g. a document that has multiple violations would be subject to multiple fines). Union representatives shall be permitted by employers to schedule times during non-work hours to meet with employees while on the employer worksite. Union recruiting meetings to be held at locations other than the employer’s worksite do not require employer cooperation or approval. Employers must provide access to employees and adequate space for union recruiting meetings provided such accommodations do not impose costs to the employer beyond those typically incurred for internal employer-initiated meetings with a similar number of attendees.

[ModeratePoliticalJunkie]

10:07 AM on 11/23/2008

The debate, as framed by recent comments from those on the right (U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Conservative Republicans) and those on the left (Unions and Liberal Democrats), has been simplified in a way that denigrates both camps, harms our democracy, and does a disservice to the American public at large. As President-Elect Obama has said repeatedly throughout his campaign – “we are all in this together”. Therefore we should all dispense with the ‘us versus them’ mentality as it serves no useful propose in this debate. With this new spirit of cooperation and quest for fairness in mind the following amendment to H.R. 800 is proposed:

[ModeratePoliticalJunkie]

10:07 AM on 11/23/2008

The National Labor Relations Act is a key component in this discussion yet very little debate has centered on the need for reform of this legislation. After all, it was written in 1935 when the U.S. economy and its labor force looked very different than it does today. The other topic that seems to be overshadowed in the larger debate is that of ‘fairness’. It seems the unions are desperate to gain more membership, which translates into additional revenues from dues, increased leverage with employers, and additional political power in Washington. Employers appear desperate to hold on to their profit margins by keeping labor costs low, especially in a faltering economy, and feel threatened that Unions will make unrealistic demands that will cause them to lose their competitiveness. Both sides are losing sight of the larger goal – fairness for workers and businesses, and the need for collaboration to grow their businesses and the overall economy.

[ModeratePoliticalJunkie]

10:06 AM on 11/23/2008

Summary
EFCA has been proposed by organized labor to address issues it has championed for decades, to counteract its decline in membership, and to gain influence in labor relations and politics in general. Both sides of this issue have legitimate concerns that could get lost in a fight that is increasingly becoming more adversarial. In such an environment the areas of agreement get minimized while items of disagreement become blown out of proportion and largely distorted.

[jalapeno]

10:59 AM on 11/22/2008

Lowes has better domestic partner benefits, treats workers better.

[ModeratePoliticalJunkie]

10:21 AM on 11/23/2008

Lets all spend our money with companies that support american workers!!

[slyde734]

11:13 AM on 11/21/2008

This is the response I received from the Depot:

"Thank you for contacting us regarding this matter. We are aware of the
concerns about Mr. Marcus' comments and we are forwarding that feedback
to him. Please be aware that Mr. Marcus does not speak on our behalf,
nor can we speak for him or his intent with these comments. Mr. Marcus
is not a current executive of the company.

We look forward to your continued patronage and assisting you with all
of your home improvement needs.

Sincerely,

Ram
Customer Care"

[LeBeau59741]

11:01 AM on 11/21/2008

I told HD's Customer Care that Marcus' remarks had cost them my patronage, and this was the reply

Dear Ms. *****

Thank you for contacting us regarding this matter. We are aware of the
concerns about Mr. Marcus' comments and we are forwarding that feedback
to him. Please be aware that Mr. Marcus does not speak on our behalf,
nor can we speak for him or his intent with these comments. Mr. Marcus
is not a current executive of the company.

We look forward to your continued patronage and assisting you with all
of your home improvement needs.

Sincerely,

****** *******
Customer Care


I'll be explaining that unless he's no longer a major shareholder, my decision stands because I do not care for a dime of mine to contribute to his dividend checks.

[LeBeau59741]

08:30 PM on 11/21/2008

And, in case anyone's interested, here is my reply to the Customer Care e-mail:

I'm aware that Mr. Marcus is long since retired from his position with Home
Depot, but it is also my understanding that he's still a major shareholder.
His public comments were so vile to me as to cause me to hate the thought of
a single dime of my money becoming a penny contributed to his dividends.

It may very well be unfair to hold HD accountable for Marcus' words but the
fact is that it appears that Home Depot is going to be made an example of
how NOT to win over the American people.

One thing we've been learning from this economic meltdown is that doing the
convenient thing with our money is not really wise.

My money, in the future, will be spent at businesses intent on everyone
making a living, not on a few making a killing.
Marcus' comments could not have been more clear in dismissing the importance
of the worker in comparison to the bottom line.
Any retailer who does not understand that Americans frequently vote with
their wallets and their feet deserves to see many Americans walk out of
their establishment, taking their collective wallet with them.


Sincerely,

[Max01]

09:49 AM on 11/21/2008

Bernie Marcus is missing all of his Home Depot screws. Must have happened when he glued on that rug to his head.

[evan la]

11:01 PM on 11/20/2008

Good grief. If I wasn't already boycotting HD, I would start now. I haven't been shopping there ever since they instituted the "checking the receipt" policy at the exit. You should have seen the looks on their faces when I returned several hundred dollars worth of purchases right there on the spot. I will NOT be presumed to be a shoplifter - and no, I don't care if they check everybody, I will not tolerate it.

[RayRayofLight]

07:24 PM on 11/20/2008

Unfortunately, Lowes' politics probably aren't much better. Support your local independent hardware store. BTW, I don't own a hardware store.

Wait a minute. That's a RUG on his HEAD. EWWWWWW!

[tea in the harbor]

05:59 PM on 11/20/2008

I just sent home despot an email explaining why they won't be getting any more money from my contracting buisiness. I don't think a more un-American attitude exists.

[IslandGyal]

04:24 PM on 11/20/2008

Communications:
Say thanks to Marcus for me; he made my decision between Lowes and Home Depot easy, seeing they are a very short distance apart in Waldorf, MD. Even IF I don't boycott this store for a lifetime, I surely will within the immediate future. I would think that a businessman whose income depends on the money of Democrats and Independents (who may or may not be Union members) also, should shut his trap and do his partisan nonsense in private. My husband, who is a republican, is a Union member, but I decide where we spend our money, and it won't be in Home Depot.

[ranchboy]

04:22 PM on 11/20/2008

As much as I disagree with Bernie, I support his right to say it. Indeed, this is what we are all about. Bear in mind, when Home Depot was founded it was very innovative in that area of retail. Old time hardware stores really suffered from a bad image and The Home Depot really cleaned that up. Unfortunately, as THD continued to grow they fell into the same old cracks that most all mega companies fall into. In many ways Bernie and his co-founder realized that and tried to bring in new management as they realized that they were out of their element. Sadly, they brought in Bob Nardelli (yes the same dips**t who is begging for a bailout at Chrysler) who subsequently ran THD into the ground in record time who then bailed out with a golden parachute of $200 Million. That is why THD is in the mess it is in and that is also the reason why Chrysler and the other two U.S. auto giants are asking for a $25 Billion handout. Boycott THD if you must, but don't use Bernie as your scapegoat.

[ranchboy]

04:29 PM on 11/20/2008

I also forgot to add that Bernie co-founded THD in Atlanta, GA. Isn't that where Sen Saxby Chambliss is in a runoff and fighting for his political life?

[cliffdogg]

02:40 PM on 11/20/2008

I'll never shop at Home Depot again. Thanks for showing your true colors Mr. Marcus!