Target apologizes for political contribution

A reader comments:

Target should be fought because it is run by a bunch of bigots.The retail company Target made history recently--in a very bad way. Target became one of the first corporations to take advantage of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling by giving $150,000 to support a far-right, anti-gay, anti-immigrant candidate for governor in Minnesota.

On the other hand, Target quickly apologized for that contribution. They evidently understood right away that it was a mistake, especially now that they are opening stores in major American cities, like San Francisco and New York. They also apparently put in place a process for reviewing political contributions to avoid future political blunders. The fact that their management is conservative shouldn't be enough to justify a boycott. After all, Whole Foods is also owned by a conservative, and the reality is that it's just a darn good store.

Now that they have apologized, we should recognize that allowing Target to occupy the old Mervyn's site and the Metreon is good for San Francisco.

Target should be fought because it is run by a bunch of bigots.

The retail company Target made history recently--in a very bad way. Target became one of the first corporations to take advantage of the Supreme Court's Citizens United ruling by giving $150,000 to support a far-right, anti-gay, anti-immigrant candidate for governor in Minnesota. The resulting outcry has been overwhelming. Last week more than 260,000 people across the country signed a petition telling Target to stop trying to buy elections. Then, more than 4,000 people brought letters announcing a boycott to local Target store managers across the country. And MoveOn members in Minneapolis drew media outlets from around the country to a high-profile petition delivery at Target's headquarters.

But despite all of the attention and pressure, Target has so far refused to stop trying to buy elections.

And now the company wants to open stores in San Francisco. And so San Franciscans have a unique opportunity to have a big impact.

Right now you can help turn up the heat on Target by calling Mayor Newsom's office and telling him that Target is trying buy elections, supporting right-wing candidates, and doesn't belong in San Francisco. Here's the number: (415) 554-6141