Tag Archives: Corporate Greed

Rotten: Egg "Shortage" Nets Major Egg Producer Profits Of Over 700%

Rotten: Egg “Shortage” Nets Major Egg Producer Profits Of Over 700%

Isn’t capitalism the best thing since sliced bread? That’s what we were told, right?

Via CNN Business Reports:

Cal-Maine Foods, the largest egg producer in the United States, reported revenue doubled and profit surged 718% last quarter because of sharply higher egg prices. The company, which controls about 20% of the US egg market according to Reuters, said its average selling price for a dozen eggs in the quarter ending February 25 was $3.30, more than double the average of $1.61 a year earlier.
Despite the higher prices, the total number of eggs it sold edged up 1%, so its overall revenue rose 109% to $997.5 million. That doubling of revenue was nothing compared to its profits, however. Net income soared to $323.2 million from only $39.5 million a year ago. Egg producers’ pricing decisions have been criticized by some politicians, who accuse them of profiteering and price gouging.

As I have said for many years. Inflation is bullshit and we’re just being gouged across the board using any situation or crisis to raise prices but when they are over prices never go down.

Edie and Divine ARE NOT happy.

EXPOSED! – WATCH: TARGET’s New Anti-Union Propaganda Video – “Happy fun time is over”

Target Union

 

Like Walmart, many of Target’s employees are underpaid, forced to work part-time schedules and are forced to resort to safety nets like SNAP, housing assistance, Medicaid, and EITC while shareholders reap the benefits of their hard work and Target’s CEO, Gregg Steinhafel, makes almost $14,000 per hour–(that’s $3,000 per hour more than Walmart CEO Mike Duke)

So natuarally TARGET, like corporate welfare queen Walmart is TERRIFIED of unions coming into their stores

Now, Target has updated its anti-union training video that every Target team member is forced to watch–and it’s one of the worst things you will ever see.

Meet Ricardo and Dawn, the hip young Target anti-union propagandists (and of course non-union actors)! It’s their job to walk new employees through the dark and scary netherworld world that is the encroaching on them. The threat of unions to take away their freedoms and kill puppies (or is it take away their puppies and kill freedoms?).

Dawn highlights the fun “open-door” policy and explains that if a union comes in, that all will probably end. The dictatorial union bosses will force employees to sacrifice their ability to even maintain day-to-day communications with management without union involvement.

“But if the unions did try to organize our team members, chances are they would change our fast, fun and friendly culture,” Dawn adds later. That’s right–if you bring in a union, happy fun time is over!

The video warns that jealous unions “want what we have.” Why? What is so wonderful about Target that unions fear it so? “We’re a target, because unions are threatened by us. And here’s why: when we take business away from retailers that are unionized, those companies may downsize, reducing the number of employees. And that means the union loses members, which is a big problem for the union business. Did you notice how I just called it a business? Because that’s what it is.”

The 15 minute video is complete and utter Koch brothers bullshit.

Avoid TARGET at all cost.  Its nothing more than a Walmart type pig with lipstick.

*Back2Stonewall is a proud union supportive website.

 

Sochi Olympic Sponsors Coke and McDonalds: The Olympic Games Should Stay In Russia

Coke McDonalds Olympic Sponsor

Pink News and Buzzfeed have obtained statements from both the Coca Cola Corporation and McDonalds about the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi Russia.  While both companies expressed support for the LGBT community they also stand steadfast that the Olympic Games should remain in Russia despite it’s heinous anti-LGBT laws.

From McDonald’s: 

There’s no room for discrimination under the Golden Arches. McDonald’s welcomes 69 million customers around the world every day representing different races, nationalities, religions, genders, ages and sexual orientations. McDonald’s supports the spirit of the Olympic Games and its ability to unite the world in a positive and inspirational way. We’ve been a proud sponsor of the Games for 37 years. Regarding the recent Russian legislation, we support the International Olympic Committee’s belief that sport is a human right and the Olympic Games should be open to all, free of discrimination, and that applies to spectators, officials, media and athletes.

From Coca Cola:

We have long been a strong supporter of the LGBT community and have advocated for inclusion and diversity through both our policies and practices. We do not condone human rights abuses, intolerance, or discrimination of any kind anywhere in the world. As a sponsor since 1928, we believe the Olympic Games are a force for good that unite people through a common interest in sports, and we have seen firsthand the positive impact and long-lasting legacy they leave on every community that has been a host.

Quick translation: “My God, we’ve already invested millions!  But good luck to all you little LGTB people.”

Da da da da da. I’m hating it!

EXPOSED – GayPatriot Blogger B. Daniel Blatt Traitor and Danger To The LGBT Community

GayPatriot blogger B. Daniel Blatt, a D-List Matt Drudge wannabee is an active member of GoFuckYourself GOProud , a propagandist, and a liar who is nothing less than a traitor to the LGBT community.

Concerning LGBT discrimination in the workplace and ENDA  Blatt wrote:

Americans know that advancing employees by merit is what ‘wins’ for business. And that is why most employers don’t discriminate against gay people. Once again, government shouldn’t be telling entrepreneurs how to run their enterprises. They don’t need a nanny state to tell them as much. If a company discriminates against quality gay people, it will suffer in the marketplace, with a lower caliber of worker and a reduced efficiency of operation.

Alas that Log Cabin cannot put forward a conservative position on gay issues and still feels instead it just has to join the gay groups in looking for solutions to the perceived problems in our community. With increasing social acceptance of gay people, with more and more corporations adopting non-discrimination policies and offering domestic partnership benefits, ENDA is a solution in search of a problem. And conservatives would do well to oppose it.”

Those are very interesting words coming from someone who barely worked a day in his life and was born with a silver dildo up his ass.

Blatt grew up in an upper-middle class family in Connecticut, went to liberal Williams college, has a JD from Georgetown (but never become a lawyer), and is finally getting a Ph. D in Mythology(?!) and lives in uber-gay  West Hollywood.

Like most “gay conservatives” Blatt has no idea what its like to work for a living and/or live in one of the 33 states that do not have LGBT employment protections and probably will never unless the Federal Government mandates it. Places where people are really fired, not hired, not promoted or harassed in the work place for being gay and there is absolutely no redress unlike WEHO where Blatt has his swanky trust fund digs.

Blatt like Chris Barron, Jimmy LaSalvia, and the Ken Mehlmans of the world are so obsessed with greed and power they have no problem at all throwing the LGBT community under a bus on issues that don’t really affect them and they have no problems being boot licking gay Kapos for the GOP. in the hopes of getting something out of it for themselves like unfettered capitalism which is always a plus for the wealthy (and bigoted) elite

Blatt and his kind should be treated as we treat Maggie Gallagher, Tony Perkins and Bryan Fischer, with disgust and revulsion be they should be shunned and publicly ridiculed by everyone in the LGBT community who believes in Equality.

They are con-men, charlatans and traitors and deserve NO TOLERANCE or NO PASSES just because they like to suck cock and say they are “gay

They are greedy traitors pure and simple that hate the LGBT Community and most probably themselves and we should waste no pity or time and energy on trying to reason with them other than to destroy their credibility and thier dangerous agenda.

They are beneath contempt, and a threat to our very existence and should be treated as such.

BREAKING: ExxonMobil Shareholders AGAIN Reject LGBT Protections – BOYCOTT ExxonMobil!

In what has been called the largest margin of defeat for the proposal in recent memory.  By an 80-20 margin of defeat, ExxonMobil shareholders have voted down once again  a proposal to add gay and transgender employees to the Irving-based corporation’s nondiscrimination policy.

From the Dallas Voice

Meeting at the Meyerson Symphony Center in the Dallas Arts District, the ExxonMobil shareholders voted 80 percent to 20 percent against a resolution asking the corporation to amend “its written equal employment opportunity policy to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and to substantially implement the policy.” The 80-20 margin of defeat was the largest in recent memory for the proposal, which has been introduced each year since Mobil and Exxon merged in 1999. The percentage of shareholders voting for the policy had increased steadily over the years to about 40 percent, before dropping off significantly this year.

Mobil was one of the first companies in the world to include sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy and offer benefits to the same-sex partners of gay employees. But ExxonMobil rescinded those policies after the merger.

This year, the resolution was initiated by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who wants the company to not only amend the nondiscrimination policy, but also to begin offering health benefits to the spouses of employees married in the Empire State.

The comptroller controls the state’s pension funds. As of May 18, New York’s pension fund held more than 16 million shares of ExxonMobil worth more than $1 billion.

Exxon Mobil has called the measure unnecessary. It says the company is a “meritocracy” for its 82,000 workers worldwide, and that it already prohibits all forms of discrimination.

ExxonMobil maintains the lowest possible rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index, with a minus-25.

BOYCOTT EXXON-MOBIL! If you don’t you are hurting your own people and supporting a company that does not care about equal rights and human dignity.

And for once it would be nice to see the Task Force, Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD and all other LGBT Organizations grow some balls and stand up and say to the community BOYCOTT EXXON-MOBIL and lead this boycott instead of being afraid they might lose a possible donation in the future.

GLAAD Responds To Stepping Out Of Bounds And Endorsing The AT&T/T-Mobile Merger

Yesterday Back2Stonewall.com and almost every LGBT blog and news service except for one *cough*JMG*cough* posted about GLAAD sending  a strongly worded letter to the FCC in support of the AT&T-T-Mobile merger coming just ONE WEEK AFTER the State of Tennessee put into law a harmful piece of anti-LGBT legislation that AT&T helped push through because of the fact that AT&T is not only a MAJOR Donor to GLAAD, but also one of’ AT&T’s past Vice President, External Affairs in  Los Angeles sits on the GLAAD Board of Directors.

Well since GLAAD could not respond to EVERY irate LGBT Blogger and Newspaper, GLAAD sent a nice  long statement to Querrty.com  (which you can read below) explaining, in a nutshell that they felt it their duty to support the merger because will make it easier for LGBT activists to communicate. And had nothing to do with the thousands upon thousands of dollars that AT&T donates to GLAAD every year.

This morning, Queerty asked ‘Why is GLAAD Supporting the AT&T and T-Mobile Merger?’ Unfortunately, they forgot to ask us first. For GLAAD, it’s about the results of the merger—an increase in phone functionality and speed. With better phone functionality, more people will be able to engage in social media and online LGBT advocacy.

Groups as diverse as the American Federation of Teachers, LULAC and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce have spoken out in support of the AT&T/T-Mobile merger for a variety of reasons. Among the diverse views in support of the merger is Pride at Work, an LGBT contingency group of AFL-CIO, an organization affiliated with organized labor. They released a statement today detailing an angle that was not addressed in today’s earlier post about how this will impact LGBT workers.

The proposed AT&T / T-Mobile merger has significant impact for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender workers. AT&T is a union business with a good record on LGBT issues. In contrast, call center workers at T-Mobile have been fighting to form a union, but T-Mobile has been aggressively trying to stop them.

In a majority of states, workers can be legally fired or discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. Because of the lack of federal employment protections and the lack of relationship recognition, a union is often the only protection for LGBT workers – and the most powerful way to have a voice on the job. As the only union cell phone company, AT&T has a policy of neutrality & majority sign-up recognition – allowing workers to freely make their own decisions about forming a union.

“The fact is that T-Mobile was put up for sale by its German parent company,” said Shane Larson, Legislative Director for the Communications Workers of America and Pride at Work National Executive Board member.

“Only two companies were interested in buying T-Mobile: pro-union, pro-equality AT&T, and union-busting, jobs-outsourcing Sprint. For T-Mobile employees, the future is much brighter at a pro-union company like AT&T that enshrines LGBT equality in a legally enforceable union contract,” Larson concluded.

For thousands of T-Mobile workers – and the LGBT employees in particular — this merger will make the difference in whether or not they have the opportunity to negotiate for fair and equal working conditions. It will make the difference in the ability to negotiate for job security, domestic partner benefits, family, medical and bereavement leave and other workplace issues vital to LGBT and all workers.

GLAAD also stands behind the AFL-CIO and Pride at Work in believing that this merger will increase access to domestic partner benefits, family/medical/bereavement leave, and survivorship benefits to make life easier for thousands of LGBT employees.

As for Queerty’s commentary that GLAAD supports AT&T’s position on net neutrality, GLAAD does not – and has not- endorsed AT&T’s position on net neutrality. GLAAD believes that equal, fair and universal access to the Internet is vital to our community and to our national dialogue. While GLAAD does not take a position on particular legislation or regulations, we continue to believe in the importance of adhering to these values.

The notion that GLAAD does not demand action from corporate sponsors is entirely false, and we take these accusations extremely seriously. Like many other watchdog non-profits, we are in part funded by entities we monitor. More on our philosophy around protecting the integrity of our work is listed in our transparency statement on our site.

While today’s earlier post called attention to actions from years ago that Queerty disagreed with, the writer failed to inform readers of the very public instances when we have demanded – and received – action from our corporate sponsors, as recently as yesterday:

*  AT&T and Time Warner Cable pulled advertising after GLAAD and the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) asked advertisers to drop advertisements from Jose Luis Sin Censura, a Spanish-language talk show where the audience frequently chants the word f*ggot and violently assaults LGBT guests. This campaign is continuing.

*  After NBC received a ‘failing’ grade on GLAAD’s Network Responsibility Index, which measures the quantity and quality of LGBT characters, GLAAD wrote a highly critical letter about NBC/Comcast’s merger to the FCC.GLAAD placed a public call to action against CNN for repeatedly featuring anti-gay voices on the channel in the name of ‘balance’: www.glaad.org/tellcnn. Last year after GLAAD and community members demanded action, CNN’s Kyra Phillips debunked a myth about so-called “ex-gay” therapy put forth by a guest.

*  Last fall, GLAAD spoke out publically against an episode of MTV’s Jersey Shore that we described as “the most blatantly transphobic scenes aired anywhere on television”: MTV apologized and met with GLAAD to improve coverage of transgender people and edited the episode to remove the offensive material.

All of these media companies are sponsors of GLAAD.

While these stories may grab headlines, much of GLAAD’s core work is on-the-ground trainings with local couples and allies to speak out in their communities and share their stories with voters in states where our equality is being debated. We’ve worked with couples like Shelly and Kristin of Oregon as well as Carol and Anne from Rhode Island. It’s these images and stories that we need in the minds of Americans if we are to gain support for equality, and it’s this work that is more crucial than ever.

It is the GLAAD Media Awards and our corporate sponsors that fund these programs. In addition to being a fundraiser for this media work, the GLAAD Media Awards have become the most visible LGBT event in the nation and a platform for high-profile advocates to speak out for equality. This year videos of Russell Simmons and Rev. Al Sharpton speaking out for LGBT equality ran on Essence.com, and we worked with Naya Rivera of Glee to call for more transgender characters on television.

But we need the help of sites like Queerty and its readers to continue this work. When you see anti-LGBT content in the media, contact us at incident@glaad.org. It’s because of incident reports and community participation that we were able to recently take the anti-gay AFA to task when Bryan Fischer stated being gay was “as dangerous as injection drug use” and to work with country music singer Blake Shelton to send a message to his hundreds of thousands of Twitter followers that anti-gay violence is unacceptable.”

These are the stories and messages that GLAAD is all about and will continue to be about.

To learn more about GLAAD’s recent work, please visit our blog at www.glaad.org/blog.

Grab a shovel kids because the bullshit is neck deep in this one.

It’s very telling that GLAAD is not saying T-Mobile itself is not unionized but that it’s T-Mobile’s call center that isn’t. But what GLAAD leaves out is that the future of T-Mobile’s existing call centers remains uncertain in the merger and may lead to the firing of nearly 800 employees , some of which I assume are LGBT.
No mention of AT&T’s heinous backing of the Tennessee Anti-LGBT law, no explanation about the ex-AT&T Vice President of External Affairs sits on tGLAAD’s Board of Directors and his involvement, if any in it.  Just praise for their many yearly lame Media Awards, and the fact that they go after a few shows a yaer that say the word “fag”.  One would think considering that the whole point of GLAAD is to work with the Media they would try harder to keep hate groups and spokesmen from being portrayed as legitimate on Narional news programs and telling lies and doing major harm to people  instead of running after “Jersey Shore for saying the word “fag” 

And as for the much of GLAAD’s core work is on-the-ground trainings with local couples and allies to speak out in their communities and share their stories” Other than the fact that its news to me. WTF does that have to do with media?

So in reality kids to make a long story short The fact that GLAAD had to EXPLAIN their comments means that their original comments not only were not clear, but they most likely bullshit and still had nothing to do with Gay Rights

In other words, AT&T has shown them the money.

So don’t be surprised in the future if Exxon/Mobile ever donates to GLAAD that when they need help in congress over their excessive profits, even though the company refuses to extend its non-discrimination policy to include gays, lesbians and transsexuals that GLAAD will come out supporting them because after all they provide the gasoline for  our cars, which allows the LBGT community to go to work and earn money, thereby supporting our families.

The same insane logic that GLAAD is using above to cover its ass.

GLAAD Chooses Money Over Integrity – Supports AT&T/T-Mobile Merger After TN Anti-Gay Involvement

One of the biggest problems that the LGBT community has as a community is the lack of integrity with our major “advocate” organizations. HRC, The Task Force and GLAAD all worship the almighty dollar over the whats right and whats wrong when it comes to advancement that they not only tarnish themselves, but also tarnish us because there are those of us out there who give them a free pass just because they “gay”.

No further proof is needed than today’s news that  GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation ) has used it and the LGBT communities name in a strongly worded letter to the FCC in support of the AT&T-T-Mobile merger trying to justify it somehow with an off the wall “social justice” argument coming just ONE WEEK AFTER the State of Tennessee put into law a harmful piece of anti-LGBT legislation  that not only repeals what little LGBT protections that are on the books in Tennessee towns and cities, but also STOPS any city to put any anti-LGBT discrimination laws on the book.  And who exactly helped get this law through legislature?  A representative of AT&T.

But here one week later we have GLAAD not only supporting AT&T but stepping way beyond it’s bounds in doing so.   And the reason…..

MONEY and CRONYISM

AT&T is not only a MAJOR Donor to GLAAD, but one of’ AT&T’s past Vice President, External Affairs Los Angeles also sits on the GLAAD Board of Directors.

AT&T in the past has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to GLAAD in money over the years, so GLAAD honors AT&T with the “Corporate Leader Award” at one of its many wasteful GLAAD Media Awards (Which AT&T underwrites btw) , turns a blind eye to the damage that it caused many LGBT brothers and sisters in Tennessee, and then then continues to pander to AT&T so they keep giving GLAAD the money to pay Jarrett Barrio’s ridiculous $350,000.00 a year salary , and only exceeds in throwing parties and damaging the integrity of our community as a whole.

Enough is enough.

I don’t want myself, my rights, or my equality represented by any organization that cares more about money than it does the members of its own community.

I call for not only Jarret Barrios to resign, but for the entire Board of Directors to resign and the organization to either cease to exist or be overhauled to such an extent that we can once again put our faith into them.

GLAAD and Gay Inc. you are hearby put on notice.

The REAL Reason HRC Gave A Pass To The Companies Behind The TN Anti-Gay Bill – MONEY!

Yesterday The Human Rights Campaign issued a statement about the Tennessee’s LGBT hate law SB 632/HB 600 that repealed LGBT protections in Nashville and set into place a law effectively outlaws all local LGBT rights laws statewide and bans any future discrimination protections not already offered by the state of Tennessee which of course does not include sexual orientation.

HRC’s Statement read:

“In an apparent attempt to score cheap political points, Tenn. Governor Bill Haslam has ignored the business community and signed into law a bill that wipes out county and city anti-discrimination laws, despite the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and Industry reversing their earlier support and now opposing the bill. The measure – SB 632/HB 600 – passed the legislature last week and was designed to remove protections for LGBT Tennesseans by prohibiting cities and counties from enacting discrimination bans. Since there are no state protections for sexual orientation or gender identity, the Governor’s signature of this bill becomes a green light for anti-LGBT discrimination across the state…….Discrimination should have no place in the Volunteer State and the Chamber [of Commerce]’s opposition to this law sent a strong signal that corporations are on the leading edge of positive change. In contrast Governor Haslam has put discrimination ahead of the state’s values and even business interests by signing this horrible legislation.” – Joe Solmonese

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce and some o the following companies that were behind this bill: Nissan, FedEx, AT&T, Comcast, DuPont, Pfizer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caterpillar, KPMG, Whirlpool, Embraer, Alcoa, and United HealthCare.  Did indeed come out against the bill. ONLY after they were caught and it was apparent that they knew the ramifications of this Bill against the LGBT population of Tennessee and ONLY when it was too late to do any good. 

The Tennessee Chamber of Commerce held its statement until 20 seconds literally 20 seconds – before the governor signed the bill into law, making it utterly worthless

So why is Joe Solmonese and the HRC, the United States’ largest LGBT advocacy group giving the companies listed above that worked with the GOP and the religious right to push this hateful anti-gay bill a “get out of jail free card”?  MANY of them are highly rated on HRC Equality Index and are also HRC Sponsors.

A simple Google search shows:

Comcast – Annually sponsors various Annual HRC Fundraising Galas   *AT&T    Donates and sponsors HRC Events and even has an award named after it, the AT&T E-Hero Award  which is presented at the HRC Fundraising Gala.  *DuPont has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the best places to work for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender peopleDupont has been officially recognized as one of the BEST companies for LGBT workers.  *Pfizer is a sponsor of HRC and has also scored a 100% on HRC’s Equality Index for 6 consecutive years.  *Blue Cross/Blue Shield sponsors the HRC Equality Gala in North Carolina.  *Whirlpool’s  Mark McLane is currently the Director of Global Diversity of Whirlpool is on the HRC Business Council and Whirlpool also scored a perfect 100% on HRC’s Equality Index

In less than 10 minutes I found out that almost half the companies involved in backing Tennessee’s LGBT hate law SB 632/HB 600 are sponsors of, and have connections to the Human Rights Campaign.   THIS is the real reason HRC is giving them a pass and has sent out press releases with enough “spin” to make a whirling dervish nauseous to cover for the companies asses that are involved.

Obviously money and sponsorship to keep their Gala’s rolling, their 8 million dollar headquarters all nice and shiny, and Joe Solmonese’s 350k a year salary intact is more important than standing up, putting the blame where it should lay and the LGBT Community’s Equality.

I’m not really a religious man to say the least, but there is a passage from the Bible that rings true.

No man can serve God and Money.  And obviously in the HRC’s case, the HRC cannot serve Equality and Money. The HRC should be ashamed.  And we should be ashamed to have them as “our leaders”

A time for a change has come. 

AWESOME Video – "Dirty Fu*%ing Hippies Were Right" Greed and the American Political Landscape

We’re all in this together, folks.

This is a rant about the greed that permeates the American political landscape. In fact the very core of who we are as a nation and a people.

Until we re-regulate our glorious corporate overlords, our condition -the Human Condition- in this country and on this planet remains in the hands of a select group of sociopathic plutocrats that care nothing of their nation and only about their personal fortunes.

Self appointed Masters of the Universe who don’t seem to realize that their gene pool has been diminished and dulled by decades of greed, avarice and a sense of entitlement.

All born on 3rd base, swearing they hit a triple.
We Were RIght. They will devour themselves.
My only hope is that the rest of us survive the feast.

“The Dirty Fucking Hippies Were Right”  Joeyess

MANY Thanks to Gottalaff of Twitter (aka Paddy Laffy of The Political Carnival) for turning me onto this video!

The Heartbreaking Photos That BP (British Petroleum) DOESN’T Want You To See! – BOYCOTT BP!

Dear god what have they done!  All in the name of corporate greed and saving a few bucks to increase profits.  When will the regulatory system ever be fixed so it can actually regulate again?

Please, please, please be outraged by these pictures! Do not just skim over them and avoid taking action to protect those who cannot protect themselves. This has to stop! Now!

Please repost the link to the photos to everyone you know. The more people see this devastation the more we can all make a change!