Working Assets - Disturbing "Progressive" Long Distance Program

vanity | April 12, 2004 | ntnychik

[potlatch]

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!

[kayak]

FYI

[Mo1]

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

[Axenolith]

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...

[Mo1]

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.

[Howlin]

Tides is involved with this?

[Axenolith]

101 Market St. Ste. 700

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

[Fledermaus]

I bet they outsource work! lol

[Howlin]

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

Here is that scam again!

[Mo1]

YEP

[ntnychik]

Excellent information. Thanks!

Tides! But of course.

[Howlin]

Will you look at #29. Does that mean Lands End and B&N are donating money every time we purchase something online?

[MattAMiller]

Shop and give back at the same time

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

[Mo1]

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

[jsbankston]

McCain and Bush should have included a ban on such liberal Activity in their Campaign Finance Reform Bill.

[Torie]

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.

[Diddle E. Squat]

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

[Diddle E. Squat]

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?

[Torie]

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.

[Diddle E. Squat]

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?