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Working Assets - Disturbing "Progressive" Long Distance Program
vanity | April 12, 2004 | ntnychik

Posted on 04/12/2004 9:10:16 PM PDT by ntnychik

I got some really disturbing mail today from something called Working Assets Long Distance. If you join their long distance telephone plan, you get a free pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream every month for a year, 60 free minutes of long distance for 3 months, paid connection fee, free calls every day to targeted decision-makers, and 1% of charges to progressive nonprofit groups.

"Progressive organizations" that were listed were ACLU, Stand for Children, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Center for Economic Justice, Planned Parenthood, Sweatshop Watch, and Children's Defense Fund (of Marian Wright Edelman and Hillary fame).

The final page of the three page insert says, "Check the boxes, and we'll send low-cost CitizenLetters on your behalf." Examples of checkboxes are "protect water supply" and "Fund Public Broadcasting." A detachable coupon to enclose with payment will include two issues a month. Here are the blurbs for the two mentioned:

Keep Sewage Out of Drinking Water

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the relaxation of national sewage-treatment standards. The new rules would allow treatment plants to skip critical sanitation measures when it rains and pump pathogen-filled sewage directly into lakes, rivers and coastal waters. that would mean more disease-causing parasites, bacteria and viruses in your drinking water supply. Urge EPA Commissioner Leavitt to protect our water supply.

Increase Funding for Public Broadcasting Public broadcasters provide an oasis of thoughtful news commentary and culture amid the racket of commercial programming. The federal government supports public broadcasting through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). But Congress has neglected to reauthorize the CPB for the last six years, and funding has lagged badly behind what's needed. Urge your Senator to reauthorize and increase funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The page says "Just check the box on your bill and we'll send a low-cost, well-argued CitizenLetter for you." Other quotes are: "Call targeted decision-makers FREE any day of the week and we'll pay for the call." "Round up your check--it's an easy way to increase support for progressive causes."

Other services:

Read hot-off-the-wire progressive news (WorkingForChange)

Shop and give back at the same time (ShopForChange)

Give decision-makers a piece of your mind (ActForChange)

A page of address labels was included with the mailing. The labels have symbols for environment, peace, human rights, equality, and education. At the bottom of the sticker sheet is written "Your Vote Matters. Not every candidate wins. But every voter does. If you aren't registered to vote, please do so at" a website they provided.

The whole mailing flacks the "progressive" agenda under the guise of normal business solicitation.

A google search of Working Assets includes a mention of voter registration and change of voting registration services.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; US: New York
KEYWORDS: cfr; left; liberal; longdistance; pike; progressiveorgs; tidescenter; workingassets
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To: onyx; ntnychik
It just doesn't sound legal, that if you just check a box, they can send 'things' out in your name.

What 'dum-dum' would allow that to be done?

Guess there's a lot of them out there!
21 posted on 04/12/2004 10:02:03 PM PDT by potlatch ( Medals do not make a man. Morals do.)
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To: ntnychik; Dog; Molly Pitcher; JohnHuang2; ABG(anybody but Gore); Neets; Bitwhacker; M Kehoe; ...
FYI
22 posted on 04/12/2004 10:02:13 PM PDT by kayak (Stop FReepathons. Become a monthly donor.)
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To: kcvl
http://www.american-partisan.com/cols/2004/king/qtr1/0331.htm

Mr. Pike, who fancies himself an uber anti-capitalist, nonetheless is spectacularly successful in running his Foundations. Pike’s personal income from his positions as President of the Tides Center and President and Director of the Tides Foundation amount to over $103,000 in salary and $22,126 in benefits annually. Pike has also profited from establishing for-profit companies which donate a portion of their income to Tides. Pike’s “Working Assets” company sells credit cards, long distance phone service and mutual funds. In 1995, Working Assets gave away “Stop Newt” phone cards containing 10 minutes of phone time so that the recipient could phone Congress to protest the Republican plans for welfare reform
23 posted on 04/12/2004 10:06:57 PM PDT by Mo1 (Make Michael Moore cry.... DONATE MONTHLY!!!)
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To: ntnychik
I guarantee you this will end up costing more that your average LD service and will only attract those of the stupi... I mean liberal bent with lots of cash to burn. IMO, like all liberal drivel, conservatives should figure out HOW to help it burn more cash. If they have an 800 number, you could engage them in a LENGTHY discussion of just how effective "your" progressive dollars will be.

In the case of unsolicited mailed offers, see how much finely shredded junk mail you can pack into the postage paid return envelope. My personal best is around 6 ounces...
24 posted on 04/12/2004 10:10:14 PM PDT by Axenolith
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To: onyx
Guess who the founder of Working Assets has ties to



http://www.patriot-paradox.com/archives/000532.html

* Back in 1985, Drummond Pike and two colleagues started the Working Assets Funding Service, a for-profit company whose family of credit-card, mutual fund, and long-distance telephone services have grown into a $130 million business. Working Assets lures consumers (over 400,000 so far) with promises of “socially responsible” commerce. A two-percent cut of the profits go to activist causes -- funneled, of course, through the Tides Foundation.

25 posted on 04/12/2004 10:10:53 PM PDT by Mo1 (Make Michael Moore cry.... DONATE MONTHLY!!!)
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To: Mo1
Tides is involved with this?
26 posted on 04/12/2004 10:11:50 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: goodnesswins
101 Market St. Ste. 700

I'd be willing to bet dollars to donuts they give a fat chunck to anti gun groups too...

27 posted on 04/12/2004 10:13:02 PM PDT by Axenolith
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To: Mo1
I bet they outsource work! lol
28 posted on 04/12/2004 10:13:56 PM PDT by Fledermaus (Ðíé F£éðérmáú§ ^;;^ says, "John Kerry could bore a rock to erosion!")
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To: Mo1; onyx; Diddle E. Squat
http://www.workingforchange.com/shop/index.cfm

Here is that scam again!
29 posted on 04/12/2004 10:15:25 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: Howlin
YEP
30 posted on 04/12/2004 10:15:46 PM PDT by Mo1 (Make Michael Moore cry.... DONATE MONTHLY!!!)
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To: Mo1; Howlin; All
Excellent information. Thanks!

Tides! But of course.
31 posted on 04/12/2004 10:16:19 PM PDT by ntnychik
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To: Torie
Will you look at #29. Does that mean Lands End and B&N are donating money every time we purchase something online?
32 posted on 04/12/2004 10:16:42 PM PDT by Howlin
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To: ntnychik
Shop and give back at the same time

Isn't giving back part of the standard shopping protocol? I thought anything else was shoplifting.

33 posted on 04/12/2004 10:16:56 PM PDT by MattAMiller
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To: Fledermaus
Military Families Speak Out Dover AFB to DC protest (Peaceful Tomorrows, et. al. at it again!)

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-news/1097419/posts

funding comes from these organizations - that I've found so far

The Paul & Edith Babson Foundation * The Bydale Foundation * Colombe Foundation * Janelia Foundation * The HKH Foundation * The New World Foundation * Peace Development Fund * Ploughshares Fund * Iraq Peace Fund, Underdog Fund, Tides Foundation * The Scherman Foundation, Inc. * Sisters of St. Joseph of the Third Order of St. Francis * Unitarian Universalist Funding Program * Courtney Knight Gaines Foundation * Sisters of Loretto * Dominican Sisters of Springfield Illinois * Working Assets Long Distance
34 posted on 04/12/2004 10:17:34 PM PDT by Mo1 (Make Michael Moore cry.... DONATE MONTHLY!!!)
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To: MattAMiller
McCain and Bush should have included a ban on such liberal Activity in their Campaign Finance Reform Bill.
35 posted on 04/12/2004 10:23:50 PM PDT by jsbankston
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To: Howlin
I suspect it is only if you do it through that website as the source. Just a guess. I don't see how Lands End being identified as a contributor to one political ideology every time you buy from them is a good business model. Maybe a majority of backpackers,etc. are liberals, but enough are Pubbies, and after all Pubbies tend to have some discretionary spending money, that it simply does not make sense, particularly for a mail order house (I use Lands End myself, and it is a life saver), who certain males use more and more rather than endure shopping during the Xmas madness, because such males hate to shop, and particularly hate to shop when too many other noisome homo sapiens are too nearby.
36 posted on 04/12/2004 10:28:34 PM PDT by Torie
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To: Howlin
Not as I read it, the donations are only on online purchases made via their website to those merchants.

http://www.workingforchange.com/shop/aboutshop.cfm

But it does look like Barnes & Nobles does give a 3% referral fee to working4sparechange.com. Guess they don't need my business.

http://www.workingforchange.com/shop/aboutshop.cfm



37 posted on 04/12/2004 10:29:26 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
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To: Torie
In the past there have been similar setups with political sites setting up a portal and getting a referral fee from a merchant for each purchase, which these political websites marketed as implied support from these merchants. When contacted with complaints, many of these merchants claimed to be unaware that they were being presented as supporters, and asked the websites to remove the links. I wonder if B&N and Lands End are similarly unaware?
38 posted on 04/12/2004 10:33:35 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
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To: Diddle E. Squat
Your theory makes sense. It is a horrible business model for those that are not hawking a clearly ideological product, unless that was the original business model, ala Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream. Their ice cream is great by the way, but high fat ice cream kills aging men, and thus it is easy for me to just say no.
39 posted on 04/12/2004 10:36:20 PM PDT by Torie
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To: jsbankston
McCain and Bush should have included a ban on such liberal Activity in their Campaign Finance Reform Bill.

Why? It is just another way of raising funds. As long as all involved are willing participants, more power to them. For example, why shouldn't a Christian website be allow to setup a similar gig, with 5% of the proceeds going to Operation Rescue?

40 posted on 04/12/2004 10:37:26 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
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