I have been getting generic reply e-mails from the companies. They are generic, but at least its something.
What's interesting is that some of them have clearly been crafted in response to this issue, and folks have talked to people inside the companies, so they're hearing us. And in any case, this is usually the first step, you get a generic answer. Then a few days later when they see the protest hasn't gone away, they tweak the answer again! LOL
money talks, bullshit walks - you bet it's damaging their brands, and bottom lines...keep up the pressure guys, good work!
I'm trying to enlist my friends and like-minded business colleagues to get involved. Virtually all of them were infuriated by Matthews's Moore/bin Laden comments, and many aren't fans of Michael Moore. But their sense of fairness was offended.
Following was e-mailed to Mr. Ingalls at Verizon:
Mr. Ingalls,
This past week, your company has laid fiber optic cable in our back yard. We had intended to switch our fiber optic services from Cox Cable to Verizon at the first available opportunity.
After watching Chris Matthews personal attacks against democrats, Michael Moore and gay people on CrooksandLiars.com & AMERICAblog, my wife and I have decided to boycott any and all companies who sponsor Mr. Matthews - until and unless Mr. Matthews makes direct amends to all groups of people he has offended.
Consequently, for now we will keep our fiber optic services with Cox. Our telephone service is currently with Verizon and we will closely monitor the situation to determine if we need to switch providers in the future.
Sincerely,
(NAME)
(ADDRESS)
Fairfax, VA
(PHONE)
p.s. copied to twenty others as well
Dear Dirty Rotten Political Hack Chris Matthews,
First and foremost, I love this country. Born in the San Francisco Bay Area, I grew up loving the red, the white and the blue. Every American - red, white or blue - was devastated on September 11th. EVERY AMERICAN. Terrorism is color-blind. Americans of all races were senselessly murdered on September 11th: white, black, Asian, Hispanic, Middle Eastern. Furthermore, regardless of how we, as Americans, see each other, Osama bin Laden does not see red or blue states. Republicans AND Democrats were brutally murdered that horrible day. To put Democrats and liberals next to Osama bin Laden dishonors those slain Americans. Shame on you Mr. Matthews and your fellow political hacks. Shame on all of you for desecrating the memory of the victims of 9/11.
Critically yours,
Matthew Ortega
Tucson, Arizona
I have been using Turbo Tax for the last six years or so. Does anyone know if TaxCut will read the old Turbotax records?
I will change in a heartbeat, knowing I can import data will simply make the decision a no-brainer.
thanks
Could you please provide mailing addresses for these people?
Letters on paper, with stamps, get
their attention too.
Particularly us aging boomers who
tend to be seriously impressed when someone takes the time and energy to write a polite, serious, and reasoned
personal letter.
E-mails may or may not dissolve with
the right little finger hitting the
delete key. Old-fashioned snail mail
has gotten into their personal space.
Not to denigrate this newer, faster, more demanding means of communication - but why not provide the mailing addresses too, so we can get their attention in more ways?
Dear Mr. Esmond,
I am writing you today with regards to your advertising on Hardball. I drive a Toyota. I love my Toyota.
As you know our country is very divided right now. We are divided about the war, tax cuts, pensions, health care, the separation between church and state, need i continue? As a liberal I find it distressing to constantly hear the media is 'left leaning' and biased while at the same time hearing the talking heads bash us as reactionary, weak on defense, crazy, whatever.
The latest spin on the new bin laden communique is just too much. The national threat level response did not go up as a result of this latest communique. Instead , what we now have is our 'fair and balanced' media going after Democrats by comparing us to bin laden.
I would like to remind you that the first responders on 9/11, the fireman who gave their lives during that devastating morning were most likely , being New Yorkers and union members, overwhelmingly Democrat. Democrats belong to unions. Democrats pay taxes.Democrats buy cars. Democrats represent roughly half of the population of this great country.
Unless you want to be considered a company that aligns itself with one party please consider advertising with companies that represent all the people.
The fabric of this nation is becoming unraveled. Is Toyota going to become part of that unraveling? Or will your company be part of the glue that holds us together?
Let me know, I'll be watching and listening. I may even sell my car, I don't love it that much.
Sincerely,
To MSNBC (I have sent this letter to the appropriate addresses)
I concur with the "Open Letter to Chris Matthews." Comparing citizens who are critical of President Bush to Osama Bin Laden is unprofessional to say the least and inaccurate surely. Chris Matthews panders to the far right by slandering Americans
who disagree with this President's policies. By the way, that is the majority of Americans in case you have not looked at polls in months.
I would point out that liberals have enlisted, been wounded, and died in this war. Among first responders and victims on 9/11 were liberal. Several veterans of the Iraq war are running for and all of them are running as Democrats. Several of them say things just as critical as Howard Dean of this policy. One, Tammy Duckworth who is a multiple amputee, says the war was a mistake and has played right into the hands of bin Laden. For Matthews to compare the criticisms of people like Duckworth (or people like me) to bin Laden is ill-informed, to be polite. It is also disengenuous, should anyone suggest it, that Matthews only meant Dean when the
criticisms he compares to bin Laden are common among many, many Americans. And we do not support al Qaeda we want an effective strategy and an effective leader to combatting them. That does not make liberals sympathizers.
If Matthews wants to opine, let him have a segment that is marked as commentary. Dropping in commentary while presumably doing his job as a journalist makes him no better than O'Reilly. I for one will join the boycott of MSNBC and Hardball
sponsors and let them know until Matthews fully, contritely, and honestly apologizes for comparing liberals to terrorists. It is a slur and has no place on a 'real' news
program.
Just happened upon the kos, and this issue, I am an exec for Ty. It’s clear that the truth hurts, learn from your pain and stop being silly. Chris was correct in his comparison. I have an intern drafting statements for the dealers so they can sidestep the issue. If you come into buy a car and mention this dribble, the dealer will tack on a fee for the environment, i.e. for being an idiot !
At least the kid (intern) will get some good practice. You’re not hurting anything, however you are wasting your time. There is a reason that you lost and will continue to lose. For goodness sake look at what you’re really saying,
Thanks
Greg
I have just recieved a response recommending me to contact the customer relations manager at my local dealership. they 'hope' to address my email asap.
Great site, but you should move the counter to the top of the page! Make it clear to those company execz who stop by here that there are a lot of us tuned in to this issue.
I had already started my tax return on turbotax when I read this. I checked out the Taxcut website and am now going to switch to them. I'll have my kids use Taxcut too. Of course I will finish up by letting Turbotax know why I didn't use them this year.
Just happened upon the kos, and this issue, I am an exec for Ty. It’s clear that the truth hurts, learn from your pain and stop being silly. Chris was correct in his comparison. I have an intern drafting statements for the dealers so they can sidestep the issue. If you come into buy a car and mention this dribble, the dealer will tack on a fee for the environment, i.e. for being an idiot !
At least the kid (intern) will get some good practice. You’re not hurting anything, however you are wasting your time. There is a reason that you lost and will continue to lose. For goodness sake look at what you’re really saying,
Thanks
Greg
Wow, you just "happened" upon Kos. Tell me this: If we're wasting our time (you mentioned not hurting anything either, which we must be), why are you here? If we're just a bunch of liberal goofballs tilting rubber lances at windmills, why not read, laugh and move on? The days of Dems sitting back and taking your drivel are over.
As for the environmental fee, heh, as the environment goes, so goes humanity. The planet will survive without humans/we cannot survive without it.
By the way, why are you working for Toyota? Since you mentioned you're an executive (which I doubt, unless salesmen are now called executives), why not work from the inside, and quash this buggery, instead of "wasting your time" here?
My note to Toyota:
Dear Sir:
You may not know that over a million of us visited Firedoglake website this month to get the news that you are supporting an incredibly incorrect and disrespectful show. We are people who both drive Toyota's (3 in my family and a few friends) and disgusted with this war. Does that make us Bin Laden supporters? I do not think so.
I hope you will re-evaluate your commercial buys and decide that perhaps there are worthier places to put your money. We certainly think so!
S. Stewart
Towson MD
Mr. Campbell:
It's that time of year again. I'm getting ready to do my taxes. I've got your product, TurboTax software on my desk right in front of me as I type this letter.
For the first time in years, I'm considering changing to TaxCut. I just can't stomach your support of Chris Matthews.
I don't much like being called a "whack-job" by Mr. Matthews, or like being told I'm like the terrorists (Bin Laden) or unpatriotic because I don't think fighting unjust wars, wasting our treasury or spying on American citizens is good for this country.
I urge you to withdraw your support for Hardball/Mr. Matthews.
Unless you act soon, I will abandon your company, and I won't be back.
I contacted my nearest dealer. Lets see if they respond:
I am saving up money to purchase a new car this month and was considering a Toyota, but I refuse to spend money to support a company that advertises on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews. Mr. Matthews claims to be an objective journalist, yet he continues to spread dishonest and nasty talking points for the RNC. If Toyota is advertising on Hardball, then that means Toyota is supporting Chris Matthews' comparison of Bin Laden to opponents of the war in Iraq. Remember, we're not asking for Matthews to become a left-wing commentator, we're just asking for him to report fairly and honestly, to be 'neutral'.
Please convince Toyota to stop advertising on MSNBC's Harball, and I will be glad to reconsider buying a Toyota from your dealership.
I had asked earlier if you could import last years data from TurboTax into TaxCut and received no replies. So I went to Taxcut FAQs and sure 'nough you can do it.
Price is about the same so why not. This is really the only language those people understand.
This is starting to get fun...
This is my response to the canned reply from Toyota:
Regardless of whether Toyota supports the extremist views expressed on "Hardball" is beside the matter. Your company's advertising dollars help keep that program afloat. If Toyota were to say, "Remove our commercials from that time-slot", MSNBC would comply, since the clear alternative would be losing Toyota as an advertiser. Since Toyota has not made that request of MSNBC, Toyota has indicated it does -- at least tacitly-- support those viewpoints.
[Toyota's follow-up to the preliminary canned response]
Ask Toyota wrote: Recently you contacted Toyota. Below is a summary of your contact message and our response.
Subject
Your sponsorship of "Hardball"
Discussion Thread
Response (Toyota rep REDACTED) 01/28/2006 08:59 AM
Thank you for contacting Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota is sensitive to the opinions of our customers, and we respect your position on this issue. We have documented your comments accordingly.
Like most advertisers, Toyota’s television spots air across a broad range of programming, including network and cable news, talk shows, sporting events, prime-time shows, late-night television and morning shows. Toyota’s ads should not be interpreted as tacit endorsement of the views of any show or the views espoused by the hosts, guests or callers to any show.
Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to receive your feedback such that we may improve our advertising and marketing efforts.
If we can be of further assistance, please feel free to contact us.
Toyota Customer Experience
[My original letter to Toyota]
Customer (REDACTED) 01/28/2006 07:13 AM
Dear Mr. Esmond: My wife and I have been looking into purchasing a new car. Toyota, because of its reputation for quality, was the ‘forerunner’, so to speak.
Toyota’s continued association with “Hardball” – which has, in effect, compared us to Osama bin Laden – has removed your company from consideration.
There are enough car companies out there for us to find one that doesn’t seem to share Chris Matthews’ narrow-mindedness.
We bought a Ford instead.
Respectfully,
(REDACTED)
Proud Member of the "Reality-Based Community"
my response to his response
It is irrelevant how Toyota's ads should be interpreted. What matters is how they are interpreted. Your ads produce the revenue to perpetuate a constant stream of propaganda spewing from the mouth of Karl Rove to the GOP and then out to the American public. I can accept this on a limited basis. I know these shows are out there.
But when does it go too far, and what kind of recourse can a person like myself, just a regular person,do. Is it acceptable to compare the political party of 1/2 the population of the country to the primary person responsible for planning and implementing the destruction of 9/11? Is this the kind of rhetoric your company wants to be associated with?
Certainly an apology from Mr. Mathews would go along ways towards healing this riff and setting the record straight. After all bin laden said some things in his speech that sounded like they could come right out of the mouth of the president himself.
Perhaps Toyota's could do it's part in encouraging Mr. Mathews to do the right thing and retract his statements regarding this episode. Money talks Mr. Marrero. If it's not talking for you put it somewhere else, and if it is talking for you take responsibility, don't tell me what it should or shouldn't do. We all know what it does.
I look forward to hearing from you again with the outcome and how your company chooses to deal with this situation. Alienating Democrats would be unfortunate.
The local dealer responded:
>From: "Pappas Toyota/Scion" pappastoyota@pappastoyota.com
>To: mbell999@hotmail.com
>Subject: RE: Consumer Lead from Toyota Dealer Inquiry
>Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 14:51:00 -0600
>
>Mike,
>We have no control over who Toyota advertises with. Please let me know what
>I can do to help you.
>
>Scott Cross
>Pappas Toyota/Scion
>636-928-1212 office
>636-288-6094 cell
>636-928-1744 fax
>Internet Sales
I really don't care about that. I will not buy from a company that supports Chris Matthews' statements. Why does Toyota support the message that those who disagree with the president about foreign policy are terrorists? Ask your corporate office to stop advertising on MSNBC's Hardball.
-Mike Bell
I can't believe a company like Verizon would support this kind of nonsense.
Hi,
Has anyone put together a flyer to hand out at a physical protest picket at a Toyota dealer lot or a Verizon Wireless store?
I want to try out a physical protest in the next few days and need a flyer to hand out.
get Matthews to address this issue:
http://www.hotsaucelive.com/2006...or-
veterans.asp
The last 3 cars that I've driven have been Toyotas. My nephew has driven 2 and my sister 3 or 4, but she drives a Honda now.
When I shop for a new car, which will be within a year or so, it will NOT be a Toyota even though I consider them to be of very high quality.
It will also not be a Ford because they've cancelled their Domestic Partnership Benefits in order to satisfy the Rabid Right. (Plus they still don't know how to make a decent car.)
I also happen to have Verizon as my cell phone company and I've already satisfied my 2 year contract with those sleazebags, so I'll start looking around for a non-SBC/non-AT&T company.
Maybe Working Assets should start selling cell phones.
I'd like to thank "Gary" (that great big Toyota exec. in Atlanta) for warning all of us so we can spend our money elsewhere. Thanks Gary!!!
Also, Chris Matthews' anti-gay comments are odd since he actually supported Gay Marriage in one of his books. But he must have been trying to "bond" with Don Imus (the Cryptkeeper) as all "real Men" like to do.
Maybe they should score touchdowns and grab each others butts and then give each other big hairy Man Hugs! And then they can visit the communal showers and sneak peeks at each other's units while rubbing themselves with copies of Mein Kampf.
I don't give a shit. I buy HUMMERS. By the fleet. If liberals whine and whine, I will keep buying just to annoy them.
Re: John's comments on Ford, domestic partnership benefits and the right (and I'm hoping it's not John Aravosis, because I respect his opinions)...
After AmericaBlog led the charge against Ford's knuckling under to the rabid right, Ford made a 180 and restored domestic partnership benefits.
I agree it was a bad move to cancel them in the first place, but Ford didn't realize thinking people could be just as vocal -- if not more so --than the mouth-breathers.
So unless Ford did something sneaky like yank the bennies again on the sly, shouldn't they be rewarded for doing the right thing, even if it took a huge publicity blitz to force them into it?
Also, a mechanic friend of mine recommended the Explorer over the other small/midsize SUV's (and lest people scream, I live in MI and am in emergency services, so I tend to be out before the snowplows and I have a family, so I need a back seat) over GM. Plus, I loved my 66 Mustang.
Well, if Ford reversed themselves than that's great, but I don't think I'll hurry in to buy one of their cars anytime soon. (I may forgive, but I try not to forget.)
And Osher Doktowitz can buy all the Hummers he likes! See you at the gas pump! : )
I am the only Daughter of my late parents Mr.and Mrs.Kone Anthony. My father was a highly reputable busnness magnet who operated in the capital of Ivory coast during his days.
It is sad to say that he passed away mysteriously in France during one of his business trips abroad on the 12th September 2003. Though his sudden death was linked or rather suspected to have been masterminded by an uncle of his who travelled with him at that time. But God knows the truth! My mother died when I was just 6yrs old, and since then my father took me so special.
Before his death on September 2003, he called me and informed me that he has the sum of Eight Million, Seven Hundred thousand United State Dollars.(USD$8,700,000.00)left in fixed deposit account in one of the leading banks in Africa. He further told me that he deposited the money in my name, and also gave me all the necessary but legal documents to this fund with the bank.
I am just 21 years old and a university undergraduate and really don't know what to do. Now I want an account overseas where I can transfer this funds and after the transaction I will come and reside permanently in your country till such a time that it will be convinient for me to return back home if I so
desire. This is because I have suffered a lot of set backs as a result of incessant political crisis here in Ivory coast. The death of my father actually
brought sorrow to my life. I also want to invest the fund under your care because I am ignorant of business world.
I am in a sincere desire of your humble assistance in this regards. Your suggestions and ideas will be highly regarded. Now permit me to ask these few questions:
1. Can you honestly help me from your heart?
2. Can I completely trust you?
3. What percentage of the total amount in question
will be good for you after the money is in your
account?
Please, consider this and get back to me as soon as possible. Immedaitely I confirm your willingness, I will send to you my Picture and also inform you more details involved in this matter.
Kind Regards,
Miss jernifer
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