Poll: Business and Politics

[lungs]

We've probably covered this on numerous occasions but the thought is fresh in my mind. I recently made an order from a company in the $2-3000 range and now I find out that a percentage of their revenues in February will be donated to some anti-Abortion group.

If you were a bed wetting liberal like me, would this cause you to cancel the February order (I made the order in Jan but will pay in Feb) or even furthermore to stop doing business with this outfit altogether?

I disagree with the use of funds, but I'm not going to cancel the order. I try not to let politics cloud my business dealings. The reason I'm ordering from this company is that they have a quality product that will in turn make me money which I am more than free to give to liberal causes if I so choose. In general, the ag industry that I am in is rather conservative, so I've just come around to the idea that I'll be doing business with people I'm ideologically opposed to.

Another example would be a prominent cattle breeder that is dying wrote sort of a farewell letter on a popular breeding website calling for Christian cattle breeders to unite and take back the industry. I'm kind of scratching my head. Take it back from who? What does being a Christian have to do with breeding cattle? Are they trying to drive heathens like myself out of the industry? There's a comment section on that letter but I'm thinking I'll just keep my mouth shut as I don't care to trample on a dying man's words.

[DaddyTorgo]

1) Oooh that's a toughie. Depends on if the quality product is available from elsewhere, and/or how much you "need" it. You could try to offset it by doing an equal amount of business elsewhere - or else ask them what % they will donate and match that % yourself to an opposing cause.

It's a lot easier when it's a company like WalMart where there are ready alternatives.

2) Good idea.

[JonInMiddleGA]

It's nigh on impossible to be as strict about this sort of thing as I'd like to be, but where a reasonable opportunity exists and especially when there are suitable alternatives that do not discomfit me, I definitely try to steer funds away from certain companies.

I really can't get my head around not doing so to at least some extent, There's cases where you've actively providing funding that's in direction opposition to some of your other contributions/activities, I just can't see how that makes sense.

[chesapeake]

Making political decisions with your business is a luxury. If you can afford it, great. If not, it isn't the end of the world.

You can always make up for it by painting a large pro-choice banner on the side of your dairy barn. :)

[lungs]

I actually have gotten to know the owner of the company fairly well through social media, and he's a nice guy. Just misguided politically :)

I had another saleswoman pull into the yard one time with a Feingold sticker on her truck and the first thing she said when she got out of the truck was "Don't worry I'm not a Feingold supporter" and she was a bit taken aback when I laughed and told her she would've been better off not saying that. Guess it's natural to assume all farmers are conservative these days!

[CrimsonFox]

I would say yes from the standpoint of I do not give my business to those that do extreme things which somewhat violate my own views so that's political. Also those that support horrible candidates i try to stay away from.

But that's not a hard and fast rule.

[Logan]

If you have a good relationship with the guy, and you want to continue to use him as a supplier in the future, why not just ask him if he would mind not including your particular order in his running total of "X% of revenues will be donated". Everyone will have different viewpoints, and if he's a good guy as you say, he should appreciate the fact that you're not letting politics get in the way of business by canceling your order entirely.

[lungs]

So I misconstrued the original plan of this company. They are only donating 25% of their sales from farmers in their two home counties to the anti-abortion group. None of my sales will be going toward that.

Even so, I guess I wouldn't even really care to make a stink about it if my money was going to fund anti-abortion groups. I believe that once my own transaction has been completed, what you do with the money I pay you is your own damn business. And honestly, what good will funding an anti-abortion group do? Even if a guy like Rick Santorum got elected President, I don't see Roe v Wade being overturned any time soon. Let people sink money into black holes if they want.