BOYCOTT BERKELEY (start of ping list;)

Drango | 2/16/08 | Drango

[Drango]

I started to make a list of Berkeley firms to boycott. I don’t lightly believe that firms should pay the economic price for their city council views, but these firms are the enablers of one of the most repugnant regimes in our history and they unfortunately will be innocent casualties in the campaign. The city could not run without their tax dollars. Thus the boycott is on!

Obviously the German run Bayer, Berkeley’s largest corporate job source is a top choice. http://www.bayerus.com/communities/berkeley/index.html

http://www.jettonconstruction.com/

www.ddorn.com

http://techsafety.com/contactus.html

http://studiobfilms.com/index.html

www.techsoft3d.com

http://www.techsoft3d.com/company/team.html (see bio on Brook Aaron Seaton)

http://www.sightspeed.com/company/our-team

OK how does a boycott work in practice? Let’s use sightspeed as an example. First we dig for information. Here is what 10 minuets of hunting got me. What can others dig up? http://www.sightspeed.com/business/customers

dig, dig, dig… http://digitalmediaupdate.blogspot.com/2007/10/sightspeed-open-for-business-sightspeed.html

Peter D. Csathy email: pcsathy@sightspeed.com; CEO of SightSpeed Inc. (www.sightspeed.com); …. live ….., in sunny San Diego, California; …)

Second we email all the principals. A polite letter. State our case. Ask them to leave Berkeley. Repeat. CC to the Mayor, Chamber of Commerce and the press. We FIRMLY ask them to leave Berkeley. If there is no response we escalate. Email their customers. Escalate. Perhaps we put boots on the ground and picket.

Polite, dignified and steady pressure. Times 10. Times 100. If you are interested please bump this thread or Freepmail me. Eagles up.

A side note: I don’t believe snark or extremely hot rhetoric will achieve what we want. It’s fun to blow off steam here, real fun, but the economic boycott should be above that to achieve success. There are perhaps 100 other Berkeley firms that we need to email or call. From emailing Hilton and asking them to sell the Doubletree at the Berkeley marina, to asking associations not to have a meeting at HS Lordships http://www.hslordships.com/

Let's partner with MoveAmericaForward, GOE, HotAir, LGF and others. Who’s in?

[AwesomePossum]

We ask everyone to try to separate the actions of the City Council and not harm the good, hard-working small business owners - most of whom do not live in Berkeley and therefore cannot vote in Berkeley.

In order for this boycott to work, it needs to be as near total as possible. Business owners do not need to live in the immediate Berkeley area in order to march, in very large numbers, on city hall, to hold demonstrations, to write letters to the editor, to organize support for new city council and mayoral candidates. To work for those candidates in upcoming elections. To call for the resignations of most of the current city council, and for the resignation of the Mayor, and any other city official responsible for this assault on our brave troops. To organize signature gathering for a recall of said Berkeley public officials............

The business owners and citizens of the Berkeley area will not do the above unless there is a tough, serious, effective boycott...............

[AwesomePossum]

Let me get this straight. Cliff Bar is sponsoring the Marines, so you’re boycotting Cliff Bar because it’s headquartered in the wrong city? How freakin’ stupid can you be? You’re now boycotting people who are directly supporting the Marines!!!!!

You seem to be the one with a limited understanding...........Cliff Bar will not get off their butt and take action against the City of Berkeley unless they are poked with a sharp stick..........

[davidlachnicht]

.

[BoycottBerkeley.org]

http://www.boycottberkeley.org

Log on and help stop that fascists..

[Drango]

welcome!

[Drango]

Very original!

[USMC Brat]

Nice work David! Very nice.

I especially like the “Not One Penny More STOP Funding” design.

[USMC Brat]

"I think you'd be shocked to find out that the majority of people who'll be affected by the boycott don't get to vote in Berkely." - Melas

"I think some people are misguided in attacking the business community (which they do because they are an easy target) as opposed to the real culprits, the City Council." - Bob J

I hear your voice of reason and I appreciate that you engaged my compassionate side.

Bob, you wrote a very thoughtful letter to the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce. I hope it is received with sincerity and will motivate the Chamber into a pro-active response. Please post any reply you may receive.

====

"It is the Chamber’s job to be the pulse and mouthpiece of Berkeley’s businesses and they would be smart to get vocal and active on this issue and not just blow smoke." - 444Flyer

"Business owners do not need to live in the immediate Berkeley area in order to march, in very large numbers, on city hall, to hold demonstrations, to write letters to the editor, to organize support for new city council and mayoral candidates. ...etc et al" - AwesomePossum

As a small business owner in a major metropolitan area that encompasses two states, it's not surprising that I totally agree with Flyer and Possum. My small business is located in the neighboring state, just a few miles from my residence, and I'm a member of the Chamber of Commerce. I spoke with my CoC President today, who happens to be a retired Marine, about the Boycott Berkeley movement. Our views are very similar concerning the actions of the Berkeley City Council and how the Berkeley CoC should proceed.

The Berkeley CoC is the business owners representative and they have a responsibility to their members to address the Berkeley City Council on behalf of all business owners, regardless of membership status. (This recognizes that some businesses may not be members of the CoC but their interests should still be represented.) Silence from the business community is deafening and leads reasonable people to conclude they support the resolutions made by their City Council who, in my opinion, acted with careless disregard toward their residents and businesses.

My CoC President recommends that any meeting(s) between the Berkeley CoC and City Council should be made public through a press release. Whether or not business owners live/vote in Berkeley, anyone who is a major stake-holder (i.e. potential collateral damage) in the ensuing Boycott Berkeley movement should be very vociferous in denouncing the council's actions and insist that the council rescind all the controversial actions of 1/29/2008, and formally apologize to the Marine Corps, the City of Berkeley, and the nation at large.

Anything less than a total reversal of the City Council's anti-military actions and a heartfelt apology, in my opinion, will not sufficiently quell the growing national outrage.

[444Flyer]

You are absolutely correct. I think they are just hoping this will magically fade and go away (Berkeley thinking). Not so. BIG reality check!

[Syncro]

You might want to put a link to the ad In This Thread on your BoycottBerkeley.org website

[Syncro]

Here is another one if you wish to link to it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6VeLpMloUs

Debbie Lee addressing the Berkeley Council 2-12

Debbie Lee is a Gold Star Mother, which you may know.

[Syncro]

Anything less than a total reversal of the City Council's anti-military actions and a heartfelt apology, in my opinion, will not sufficiently quell the growing national outrage.

Hopefully correct.

I do think that the Mayor and the majority of the City Council Members could never muster up a "heartfelt apology" because their hearts just don't work like that.

I do believe if a large enough financial burden is placed upon them, they will fake a "heartfelt apology" after trying a few more times with half-hearted efforts to appease America, which will not work.

The other solution to get reversal of the City Council's anti-military actions and a heartfelt apology is if the city council has a nice turnover from a recall or Federal and State charges being pressed upon them and being removed for that reason. (What they would be, I don't know, but laws were broken by the Police and the Council IMO.)

[USMC Brat]

Thanks for the links Syncro.

Looking forward to watching MAF’s new tv ad on tv! We’lll see how long it takes after being released to media today.

Move America Forward Fights Berkeley Council
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMEWflz-L8I

[USMC Brat]

Excerpt from Feb 17 op-ed article http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/1916

Toledo Free Press is out of Line
Don’t Blame Us For Berkeley/Toledo Attacks Against Marines Say Businesses
by Warner Todd Huston

The Toledo Free Press also reported the moaning of Ted Garrett, CEO of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce who said his office has been flooded with cancellations for the businesses in Berkeley since the City Council’s stupidity made national headlines.

Garrett said his staff has since been explaining to responders that the Berkeley chamber’s viewpoint is not the same as the city’s elected representatives.

“Unfortunately what’s happening is our businesses are being targeted as result of the city council’s actions,” Garrett said during a Feb. 12 phone conversation.

Garrett said several Berkeley restaurants and hotels received an “unprecedented” number of cancellations after the council’s Jan. 29 actions. Most callers and writers, he said, are blaming “everyone other than the person who’s responsible” for the incident.

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time,” Garrett said. “The economy is in the throes of a recession and this now just adds insult to injury.”

OK, it is true that the businesses in these two cities [Toledo and Berkeley] are hurting as a result of the disgusting actions against our soldiers by the two city governments. But, to a patriotic American, it would seem to be logical and just deserts for the denizens of those two places. Losing revenue and business is exactly the sort of retaliation that Americans specialize in when they find a business or city that violates good taste and patriotism. The power of the purse is a persuasive force as these whiny businessmen are discovering.

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

I'm not sure if you've seen this , but it seems to be another hit on Berkeley

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Doing business in “this terrible economy”? Was that a stab at our current administraction? Am I living in a bubble, I’m just not seeing this horrible economy.

[444Flyer]

USMC Brat. Using the excerpt you just posted I may now have my letter for Mr. Garrett of the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Garrett, representative of the businesses in the city of Berkeley, California.

Dear Sir,

I think you have the beginnings of a great speech for the next City Council meeting. Using you own words (which have been quoted in the press) and adding a few, you have a great argument to take before your city government.

“Council Members,citizens of the City of Berkeley and members of the press. Unfortunately what’s happening is our businesses are being targeted as result of the city council’s actions. Berkeley restaurants and hotels received an “unprecedented” number of cancellations after the council’s Jan. 29 actions. Most callers and writers, are blaming “everyone other than the person who’s responsible for the incident. This couldn’t come at a worse time. The economy is in the throes of a recession and this now just adds insult to injury.”

Then Mr. Garrett, you could request that the City Council, in the best interest of the community, make an complete retraction of any statements or actions they have made which came across as insulting or belittling to our fine men and women of the Marine Corps, and make a formal apology to them. Mr. Garrett, you might say something along the lines of, “The other option is to let the city and our businesses continue to suffer the consequences of these actions and have its’ reputation and future forever tarnished in the eyes of America.”

Mr. Garrett, these are only suggestions but your actions must speak as loud as your words if you are to properly represent the constituency of the Chamber of Commerce in Berkeley.

Sincerely,

[USMC Brat]

Good job Flyer. Print & Send

My CoC President sent a letter to Roland Peterson, Chairman of the Board. He hasn’t said if he received a reply.

Hopefully the Berkeley CoC will address the City Council at their meeting this Tuesday evening. There’s no indication on the City Council posted agenda that there’s anything from the CoC at this time, but members can add things after the meeting is called to order.

[444Flyer]

It will be faxed and e-mailed in the morning. Let’s see if there is anyone in Berkeley who isn’t a coward (with the exception of our USMC that is, I’m so proud of them I could burst!).

[Glenmerle]

Thanks very much! I've been looking for a list like this.