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Home Depot stops doing business with federal government (even cash!)
Saint Louis Today ^ | June 16, 2002

Posted on 06/16/2002 11:29:08 AM PDT by John Jorsett

Edited on 05/11/2004 5:33:47 PM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

Home Depot Inc., the nation's largest hardware and home-improvement chain, has told its 1,400 stores not to do business with the U.S. government or its representatives.

The Post-Dispatch checked with managers at 38 stores in 11 states. All but two said they had received instructions from Home Depot's corporate headquarters this month not to take government credit cards, purchase orders or even cash if the items are being used by the federal government.


(Excerpt) Read more at stltoday.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
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To: Zon
If a person wants to know what the federal government really thinks of it's veterans compare the VA hospitals quality of service to the private hospitals' quality of service.

The government tried to close down many VA hospitals and subsidize the treatment at regular hospital while upgrading those still remaining. There was a swell of opposition as the "fear-mongers" declared the republicans were trying to shutdown the VA hospitals (implying LESS service) to the veterans. So, in the midst of it all, the program was dropped.

121 posted on 06/16/2002 3:19:27 PM PDT by cinFLA
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To: Wonder Warthog
READING COMPREHENSION ALERT!!!!! The article says NOTHING about refusing service to "uniformed military personnel". It says it will refuse PURCHASES BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, which is a whole 'nother thing. I am sure that if the guy in uniform was buying something for his/her own use, Home Depot would happily sell it to him/her.

Please re-read the paragraph below.

One Home Depot associate at a store in San Diego said, "It feels weird telling some kid in uniform that I can't sell him 10 gallons of paint because we don't do business with the government."

Sure sound like they are going to not sell to military personel.

Didn't Home Depot align itself with PFLAG about a year or so ago?

a.cricket

122 posted on 06/16/2002 3:20:30 PM PDT by another cricket
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To: monkeywrench
I don't smell lefties. I can understand that they don't want the government telling them how to run their business any more than they have to.
123 posted on 06/16/2002 3:27:40 PM PDT by Pushi
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To: Dave S
Every year I would get a four or five page questionnaire that I had to fill out indicating I was in compliance with a variety of laws and telling me that the feds had jurisdiction over who I give preference to in hiring....

Great, so the feds can hassle and/or prosecute you if you don't enact a formal affirmitive action program in your small business. What a load of crap! Government meddling in business hiring sucks and they shouldn't have anything to do with it, especially with the screwey ways that the feds do their hiring. They'll not hire the guy with the best qualifications and hire a total lunkhead because he fits the racial profile that they want for some diversity program. But they're competent to micro-manage your hiring practices (NOT!).

124 posted on 06/16/2002 3:28:16 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
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To: Hank Rearden
"Always, everywhere, at every opportunity - tell Big Stupid Government to jam it."

What I did twenty years ago and for the same reasons.

Mega-bump!!

125 posted on 06/16/2002 3:33:28 PM PDT by nightdriver
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To: John Jorsett
Why shop at HomoDepot when you can shop at Lowe's?
126 posted on 06/16/2002 3:34:03 PM PDT by EdReform
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To: azsportsterman
Based on my 22 years military service, I will not boycott HD. It's time big companies stand up to the government.
127 posted on 06/16/2002 3:39:20 PM PDT by Pushi
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To: Sonny M
That explains a lot, thanks for posting it. I presume that means that if you're wearing a military uniform, they're going to have to assume that whatever you're buying is for government use?
128 posted on 06/16/2002 3:39:21 PM PDT by John Jorsett
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To: handk
Seems your not happy unless your cutting someone down are ya ?

 
  Posted by handk to Poohbah
On News/Activism ^ Jun 10 8:54 PM #38 of 51 ^

Let me guess: you're not one of the hypothetically (or actually) employed.

That would certainly prop up your ego, right?

  Posted by handk to chimera
On News/Activism ^ Jun 5 4:09 PM #31 of 103 ^

You're wasting your intelligence on HELLRAISER II.

He belongs on "Street Smarts".

  Posted by handk to Poohbah
On News/Activism ^ Jun 2 10:01 PM #33 of 114 ^

In other words, you have no evidence to support your case.

I don't know who you are, but I know what you are. I've run into people like you all my life, and I've learned not to waste my time.

You're only feigning interest in the subject matter. If you had even a minimal threshold of interest, you would, of your own volition, go searching around for additional information. That's what people do who sincerely have an interest in something.

But no, you camaflouge your true interest level (=none), by claiming the lame "I don't have to do anything, you're the one that has to show me proof!"

Well, let's talk about "proof". Like I said above, I know what you are. No amount of proof will be satisfactory for you. How do I know this? Well, besides skipping a discussion, and wanting the proof right now!, you tipped your hand in another way.

See, you require "peer reviewed" proof. Snobbery. And it's your "out".

"Well," says Poohbag, "that's not a recognized peer group."

I once told a friend about a federal law that Congress passed. He didn't believe me. I assured him it was a fact. He asked for proof. I told him I had a photocopy from the United States Code from my local library.

In other words, I had conclusive evidence of my claim.

His reply? Mr. Prove It Me?

"Well, you can't believe everything you read."

You're that guy. Same modus operandi. And same waste of time.

  Posted by handk to Poohbah
On News/Activism ^ Jun 2 9:13 PM #7 of 114 ^

First, it's from the Idaho Observer, which makes it suspect.

Whatever.

Second, I'd just love to see those studies that "prove" exposure to electromagnetic energy causes cancer. Care to supply citations from peer-reviewed journals?

Hey, if you're too lazy to Google the subject matter, fine. Just don't expect me to bring it all to you on a silver platter like you're some fat piece of royalty.

    Posted by handk to Alas
On News/Activism ^ May 14 1:03 PM #685 of 794 ^

susan collins (R) Maine, could have only evolved from pond scum and sewer setament. Now, give me the money!

"Setament"?

It's spelled "sediment"; you dumbed down, evolution believing, brainwashed moron!

PS: I'm not offering the reward, idiot. Reread the article. Oops! You didn't learn reading comprehesion either.

HEY ANAL if you dont have something more constructive to say shut your yap and sit down

handk member since April 11th, 2001

Hope you have a nice life in your correctly spelled perfect world .... i hope if you are married that you and your get all the best out of life all the love you need and want and that your children are many and a blessing to you but leave your correction to just that you and yours im 42 and if i need corrected ill do it myself my father lives a couple miles away with my mom he hasnt corrected me since i was 18 and joined the navy if you feel you need to correct someone go somewhere else and do it

If you feel you just cant help yourself and hafta get in that last word go for it because i wont respond

Its a shame is'nt it this all started over a freeking >>>>>.<<<<<


129 posted on 06/16/2002 3:40:47 PM PDT by ATOMIC_PUNK
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To: Always A Marine
Hey, you testosterone-laden marine (not that there is anything WRONG with that), the things I was after on my last three trips (and I mean LAST three trips) were basic things:

an indoor/outdoor submersible pump that would come on if it got wet

wall anchors for 1-inch #8 screws (for plaster)

and 25 watt reflective lamps for some mini-spots.

I don't go there for the window shades and stencils. though I confess to a couple of stencil purchases at Lowes.

130 posted on 06/16/2002 3:43:34 PM PDT by SarahW
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To: azsportsterman
"We support our own"

and we welcome all government employees to continue to 'support your own'.

But please explain then why you need half of my income to pay for your income so you can 'support your own'. Please feel as free as you need to be to support your own, but do it on your own dime.

131 posted on 06/16/2002 3:44:31 PM PDT by Lloyd227
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To: John Jorsett
I do government contracts and I wish I could afford not.

The requirements in the back of all allow them access at demand to see your books, for any reason. In otherwords if you're going to agree to business with the government, they assign themselves the right to anything they want.

Don't get me started on OSHA and EPA. Did you know that you can not dispose of an empty spray paint can without puncturing it first and draing any possible fluild. That fluid must be disposed of at an EPA approved company. You must have reciept. Note $2500 fine for each occurance,,,,,

I'll send the rest of my paychecks to Home Depot. They are right.

132 posted on 06/16/2002 3:46:41 PM PDT by Quick Shot
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To: John Jorsett
Well, I would really like to know what the heck is behind this decision.
133 posted on 06/16/2002 3:51:39 PM PDT by ItisaReligionofPeace
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To: ItisaReligionofPeace
Take a look at reply #69 for an explanation. It sounds plausible to me.
134 posted on 06/16/2002 4:06:04 PM PDT by John Jorsett
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To: JBCiejka
The strange part about it is they won't even take cash.

Okay, it's time I fess up--I work for HD. The cash thing is fairly easy to understand--HD doesn't accept tax exempt status on government, business, or church transactions in cash--they have to be either check (in the agency, business or church name) or credit. So the cash angle is simple--cash can't get tax exempt status, so the feds won't use cash anyway.

I understand everyone's comments on here--it's hard to find help in my store, too (and Tennessee Bob, FYI, I am familiar with the Oak Ridge store, and I don't believe it's doing very much with its Pro Sales anyway, which would encompass (or would have) the government accounts).

It was rolled out to us as too many bureaucratic hoops to jump through (and the fact that just one employee not following the Fed rules would result in penalties throughout the company).

Insofar as the equal rights for gays in the workplace, I, personally, don't have a problem with equal rights--I don't think anyone should be held back because of their sexual orientation--I just don't think they should be given preferential treatment.

And yes, everyone at my store was incredibly upset with the PFlag thing last year.

135 posted on 06/16/2002 4:09:57 PM PDT by I Luv Bush
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To: Hank Rearden
Before giving us a purchase order, they sent me a 16-page "qualification" form to fill out - all kinds of bureaucratic gibberish and PC nonsense about how we'd grab our ankles to meet all the government standards to be Good Approved Citizens.

I sent it back after a pass through our shredder, with a note saying, in effect, "You want to buy our stuff, you send a check like everybody else. If not, go pound sand and stuff your forms."

Always, everywhere, at every opportunity - tell Big Stupid Government to jam it.

I can think of a few reasons :

1)The federal government was putting in orders for 3,000 light bulbs or whatever, and perhaps Home Depot was not equipped to handle something like that logistics wise

2)The government business was impacting their other business in some way

3)The government was purchasing things in bulk that perhaps HD was selling at a loss to attract customers, or that impacted many private customers.

4)Too many restrictions on HD from the government.

I don't know why people are bashing HD without knowing the story. If the story is there are too many restrictions on HD to sell to the government (which is what it sounds like), FReepers would be cheering HD on. If the story is that the government business was impacting other areas, FReepers would understand. They should think about how many times they buy stuff on sale and are restricted to 1 or 2 of the items, perhaps the same thing is happening here, and HD doesn't like the government cleaning them out when they really are oriented towards people like you and I.

136 posted on 06/16/2002 4:31:26 PM PDT by texlok
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To: eno_
Don't many federal bureaucracies have the ability to make "rules" which have the force of law?
137 posted on 06/16/2002 4:32:03 PM PDT by Sam Cree
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To: eno_
As an additional add-on to your comments, surely these fed employees can read....like perhaps the Constitution. They apparently don't believe the Constititution applies to them cause they're 'entitled to live at the public trough--it might interfere with a paycheck and retirement or other perks.

If its unconstitutional, these fedgov workers are not friends of the Country--they are enemies of the Constitutional Republic just as sure as all socialists are.

I'll certainly be looking forward to hearing more about Home Depot's decision. So far, I say bravo. Why don't we have a lot of principled businesses who finally say, we're tired of all the fedgov rules and regs that add so much to the costs of business that its choking our nation, and that they refuse to sell to fedgov until such time as the fedgov honors the Constitution.

138 posted on 06/16/2002 4:32:19 PM PDT by Rowdee
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To: inkling
Let's see, the United States is at war. Home Depot's response is to refuse service to uniformed military personnel? How patriotic. Here's one veteran that will be shopping at Lowe's today.

You have got to be kidding me. Our "war" (which I can't really say is a war now since we seem to be in that stage of nation-building that comes after a war.)does not have anything to do with HD or you or I for that matter.

If HD doesn't want to sell to the government, it's their right. This is a free country. I saw nowhere in there that they were targeting any one particular facet of the government, so don't make it out to be against the military.

If you had a business, I'm sure you would prefer to have the right to refuse service to certain customers. Perhaps the paperwork that revolves around the goverment was costing too much time/resources for HD.

139 posted on 06/16/2002 4:34:35 PM PDT by texlok
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To: cake_crumb
Wow - you are so deep.

Who owns Home Depot? Do you have a 401K with a tracking fund? Probably > 50% of the people on this thread own some HD one way or another.

It is funny to see conservatives bash HD for attempting to avoid some hogwash leftist feel good legal traps.

The simple reason is risk vs return. HD has figured out that the potential cost (risk) of some government lawsuits is greater than the gain from selling to the Feds. It is that simple.

I see another note on this thread how HD doesn't hire women for the floor jobs. Typcial knee jerk discrimination - of course they hire fewer women - their goal is to hire experienced contractors. What percentage of contractors are women that you know - personally? If you don't have an answer, pick up a phone book and call ten at random.

This is not un-patriotic on their part. They have a fiduciary duty to do the best they can for their shareholders. My opinion is that they are doing this.

The real question is why should a nice american company have to avoid the US feds to do the best it can for its owners?

140 posted on 06/16/2002 4:35:39 PM PDT by Diva Betsy Ross
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