Now, I’m a man who likes a good sandwich. Who will tell you every location that used to be a Quizno’s within a 30-minute drive of his house. Who hit Five Guys at a time when nobody else around here knew who that was. And I love Chick-fil-A’s cole slaw, waffle fries, and especially their classic chicken sandwich. But their CEO leaves a bad taste in the mouth of any modern American, and I’m proud that evidently includes the mayor of our metropole.
In case you don’t know, the CEO of Chick-fil-A is a reactionary “Christian” who annually diverts $2 million of customers’ money into campaigns against religious equity, women’s rights on health care, and on equality on marriage. Dan Cathy recently stated that “”I think we are inviting God’s judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, ‘We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage.'” Players in the minor January collegiate “Chick-fil-A Bowl” football game are corralled into invocations before their match.
So it was nice to hear the Menino isn’t having any of it per the Herald:
Chick-fil-A doesn’t belong in Boston. You can’t have a business in the city of Boston that discriminates against a population. We’re an open city, we’re a city that’s at the forefront of inclusion,” Menino told the Herald yesterday.
“That’s the Freedom Trail. That’s where it all started right here. And we’re not going to have a company, Chick-fil-A or whatever the hell the name is, on our Freedom Trail.”
“If they need licenses in the city, it will be very difficult — unless they open up their policies,” he warned.
Now, Dan Cathy’s reactionary Bronze Age logic is enough to drive me from eating there lest my hard-earned money go toward lies and harassment on the subject of marriage equality. But what do you feel about Menino ruling them out of the city based on politics? Does the Hub need to make an issue of this, or should the store be opened and hopefully die on the shoals of their own bigotry?
From:
http://kidstvmovies.about.com/b/2012/05/23/should-pbs-market-fast-food-to-kids.htm
Today, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC), Public Citizen, and Corporate Accountability International launched a campaign urging PBS to end a four-year marketing agreement between the popular animated children’s show Martha Speaks and the fast food chain Chick-fil-A. Additionally, the coalition is calling on PBS to withdraw their nomination for a Cynopsis Imagination Award for advertising to children…
The quote should be, “You can’t have a business that discriminates against a a population in the city of Boston.”
OK, now that that is off my chest, I think a city should be within its rights to pass an ordinance saying that businesses operating within its limits shall not discriminate, but if it’s just the personal opinion of the CEO I don’t think that should be a factor. Also, Chick-fil-a has issued a clarification, though it sounds like ThinkProgress isn’t buying it.
They funnel millions to anti-gay organizations.
They make hiring and firing decisions based on ‘sins,’ after investigating them, too.
Then there’s the CEO and other high ranking people in the company who are personally anti-gay and push policies that are anti-gay in the company.
http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201103220005
His heart is in the right place, but no mayor should *ever* treat a business license application differently simply because he or she disagrees with the business owner’s views. To me, what Menino said is too reminiscent of the talibangicals who tried to prevent the Islamic center from being built in NYC. Unless they break MA or Boston law, there is no valid reason to prevent them from pursuing their business there. And if they do pursue it, I hope it fails miserably.
It’s fine for Menino to loudly proclaim that he vigorously disagrees with this CEO guy’s views. But to start saying that it’ll be awfully hard to get a license … that’s a dangerous road, and probably one that should be avoided.
as long as it really is limited to the CEO’s personal views. The second the franchise refuses to hire a gay employee or whatever, fuhgeddaboutit.
and investigate them, too. This goes both for employees and potential franchise-ees.
http://equalitymatters.org/blog/201103220005
Thanks, Laurel.
… link on hiring discrimination is true (sourced to a Forbes article), then it goes beyond personal views and using money as speech and is also a matter of their ‘direct’ business practices.
Because my guess it that you’d be hard pressed to find a restaurant chain in town that hasn’t been fined or sued because it broke the law at some time or another.
From your Forbes link:
“Is it legal? There are no federal laws that prohibit companies from asking nosy questions about religion and marital status during interviews. Most companies don’t because it can open them up to discrimination claims, says James Ryan, a spokesman for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Chick-fil-A has more freedom to ask whatever it wants of franchisees because they are independent contractors and not necessarily subject to federal employment discrimination laws. (Employees, however, may sue under those laws.)”
… does give one pause. However, in principal, while private speech is a matter of private interest, legal disposition can be a matter of public interest. Hiring practices obviously so. If the city wants to create a non-discriminatory ordinance that is based on legal disposition and not private speech, I don’t see how that should be disallowed. Redress is always available at the voting booth. Bloomberg did his thing on soda as a public health concern and while he may very well be lambasted for it I’m not aware of anyone claiming he can’t do it.
denying a franchise on any grounds other than financial?
I like Menino when he is feisty. His dislike of Wal-Mart are prescient and amplify the concerns of other communities. Besides, now that these corporations are people, they need to be accountable.
What would the wingnuts think about a fast food restaurant that offered CDs promoting Islam as the prize in their Happy Meals?
if some mayor made a lot of noise about “just try to get permits” to some restaurant that did this?
Neither should you
If Quizno’s got a new CEO who did the same things as Chick-fil-A’s CEO, would you want/expect Menino to pull Quizno’s permit?
The list of anti-gay crap they do (among other crappy things) is very long.
Additionally, it’s a very different thing to pull a permit than it is to not give it in the first place.
If some CEO wants to blow money on reactionary causes, that’s his/her beef. As with David, I don’t like the idea of refusing permits for any discriminatory organization — I think that conflicts with free speech (and that would shutter half the hospitals in Boston, to boot. What I do like is that Menino believes in equality and hasn’t been cowed by the conservative fearmongering of “worship tha jahb createrz” that danfromwaltham and his ilk promote. Now if C-f-A does open in Boston and does hire/fire based on orientation, they should be sued in all appropriate fora.
Then again, considering how disastrous their expansion strategy was in the northeast, this may be a moot point.
If they want to do business in Boston, they can 1) promise not to fund anti-gay organizations (they’ve given *millions*),
2) stop firing people for being gay in states that allow such devastating policies (they fire people for ‘sinning.’ seriously) and
3) make their President make a public apology.
Link.
I meant to say at the bottom of that statement that if we don’t go after a company’s ability to make $$, they’re not going to change. Simply asking people not to boycott them isn’t very effective.
A very powerful mayor demanding they change if they want to make money in Boston is much, much more effective.
Remember in 2004, a pizza place across the street from the Garden put up a Bush sign for all the Dems to see? Menino’s answer was to sick his inspectors on the guy. The you have Romney contributors put on an enemies list, harassed by Obama fanatics and the IRS. No permit for you because you are against abortion? No permit for you because you are for traditional marriage? What is next, no permit for you because you are a member of the NRA?
Let me know when the next book burning party is.
Diverting customers monies? I am sure it is HIS money, after he pays the bills and taxes and salaries and any loans he has on the business.
Are we to pick winners and losers based on political beliefs?
Afghans Avenge Florida Koran Burning, Killing 12 – NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/02/world/asia/02afghanistan.
Apr 1, 2011 – Thousands of protesters overran the United Nations compound in Mazar-i-Sharif, killing at least 12 people,
Perhaps you can make the next one.
Boycotting a business because the owner has the “wrong” beliefs and contributes monies to causes you disagree with? Oh I get it. If liberal, then ok, but if conservative, stay in the closet then.
How about a radical idea, this CEO is allowed to participate in the electoral process, just as much as public unions or any activist group. If you like his sandwiches, then buy them. If you hate his views, stay away, but don’t HARASS the man. The way those sheep in Afghanistan reacted to the book burning reminds me of how some of you are reacting to this sandwich shop, or Obama’s enemy list, or the pizza guy displaying a Bush/Cheney sign at the 04 Dem Convention.
The market does. Isn’t the market all-powerful and never wrong?
And an enemies list. If Bobby Flay gave money to pro-life organization and Mitt Romney, you would not eat at his restaurant?
… at Bobby Flay’s? I don’t understand this world you seem to be advocating where people aren’t allowed to have their opinions of people and causes influence their market choices on the basis that the market should be a place beyond such things. The people who use the market to make money so that they may use that money to influence people certainly don’t see the market that way, why should the consumer?
I don’t eat at the restaurants of Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, etc., because celebrity chefs are almost never found in them.* They’re a ripoff.
First of all, there is nothing wrong with boycotts or buycotts (Dobson is encouraging everyone to amp up C-f-A’s business to reward this reactionary behavior.)
Secondly, what marauding gang like tactics? If you take everything said here on face value — which you’re too intelligent to do I presume — it’s not “gang like” and certainly not marauding.
I’m a consumer, not a head of cattle. Yes, I keep a mental list of companies implacably opposed to my principles, and I don’t give them money. I don’t want my dollars to go toward a cause I oppose either directly or indirectly. How is that wrong?
—
*Exception: Ming Tsai. Literally every time I’ve eaten at his place, I’ve run into him.
Best steak and cactus margarita ever had. Next time u r in Vegas, chech it out and ENJOY.
Where is the “maurading gang” here? Your metaphors really aren’t making much sense. I know you are just trying to exaggerate to make your point, but you really come off more a an unhinged paranoiac.
He is ready for a Salem witch-like trial.
Funding anti-gay causes??? What is that, donating to Republicans, or the Catholic Church, or shall I dare say, even Richard Tisei over John Tierney? These blanket statements are outrageous. Can one be anti gay marriage, but still not be classified as a hater?
Why doesn’t those who make the charge, actually list the groups this CEO supports, again, no with customers monies as someone wrote, but with his own money. Unless he is illegally accessing checking accounts, I stand corrected, but believe a different law would be broken.
This is what I mean by marauding gang like tactics, and I for one won’t let you get away with it.
Sunday is a big day isn’t it? Could Boston demand that whatever restaurant goes in there must open seven days a week?
There are only so many desirable restaurant spaces in Boston, and if a business in the center of town is going to be closed every Sunday, that cuts 1/7th of the revenue, 1/7th of the jobs, 1/7th of the fun and tourist value. Seems to me the city could require that some businesses in key locations have to be open on Sunday, and that would keep Chick-fil-A off the Freedom Trail anyway.
Does the one in Burlington Mall really sit closed on Sunday? That’s cool if they do.
I’ve had a few Sundays of disappointment due to this.
When you consider that our blue laws used to require that businesses be closed on Sundays. I’ve read, here and on other blogs, arguments that it’s wrong to request that employees work on certain holidays. I’d let the business owner decide and then let the market react to his decision. Agree, support that business; disagree, take your dollars elsewhere. Same in this case, if you hate what Chik’s owner does with HIS money more than you love his chicken, go elsewhere.
The actions of the company after he receives the permit should be legally handles if/when he violates any kind of law. This is how it works for everyone and as it should work.
As for the market dictating if they will be successful, don’t be too sure. I was just telling someone last night that days when we could rely of the market have almost gone. I was saying how years ago if a celebrity committed any criminal or social violation, they were done… DONE! Drunk, stoned… episodes, criminal (rapes, assaults…), ethical, moral violations left these athletes, Hollywood stars and politicians as outcasts. Sadly,our society doesn’t care anymore. Celebrity “X” did this to a little boy but the public response is “but I love his music, who cares…”. Actor “Y” did this to a woman “But he’s so cute… I don’t care…” and sadly Politician “Z” broke his word/hired his brother/got a kickback/… BUT he supports my issues.
If people like eating Chick-fil-a sandwiches and they are cheap enough… people won’t give a flying shit about the CEO or anyone else. So many people just don’t “reward good behavior and punish bad behavior”, I see it every day. Can you say Apple Computer!
Another travesty is Obama’s Judtice Dept. harassing Marylou’s Coffee b/c they tend to hire eye-candy to attract client like me and you.
MC is discriminatory and should be pursued, even if some people like that discrimination. Same with all the mall clothing outlets.
Are you telling me people can’t hire people based on “attractiveness”? Can I go sue a clothing manufacturer because they don’t hire me to model their latest fashion? People go to Hooters to see women with hooters. It seems to me that companies should be able to discriminate based on looks if they deem looks is what their customers want…
Or baseball players had to be weak and slow. And some coffee shops seem to hire transgendered body-affirming lgbt fnx-listening exclusively, which is easy to see is their absolute right.
There’s no federal law against it. However, if part and parcel of the policy is only hiring women (as MC does) and the job does not require a woman to do it, it is against the law. Southwest got busted on that years ago — sorry, lechers.
As I said, if a CEO’s anti-equality personal beliefs could get you shut down, we’d lose a lot of businesses in Boston. I don’t want that any more than I want the mayor of Oklahoma City shutting down places run by pro-equality
CEOs.
The market still works, it’s just changed. You may not like that, but that doesn’t mean the market stopped working. After the driving force behind a gigantic fashion house offended equality sentiments in Paris, he was gone.
True, most consumers don’t care whether someone like you or I likes a business or its chiefs’ beliefs. But it’s not as if C-f-A is a monopoly…anyone can make a chicken sandwich. If market share is that unimportant to them, that’s on them. I’m glad I don’t own stock in them.
If that’s the case isn’t each outlet independently owned/operated? Therefore, if I own and open a Chick-fil-a in Boston would I not be free to provide benefits to same-sex couples and to not discriminate on the basis of orientation. Would not the city likewise be able to tell me that for the purposes of my franchise in the city limits I must not discriminate, even if policies and practices are different at the corporate office?
Should we ban Target for its anti gay donations? Should we ban McDonalds, BJ, Wendys or Dunkins’ (political suicide on that last one if you tried it in Beantoen) for opposing the right to organize and funding Scott Walker, Crossroads And the gay marriage supporting Koch brothers? The Atlantic has a great piece that unlike most do profit businesses the Cathy’s do practice what they preach funding adoption agencies and centers, scholarships for students, civil rights museums in Atlanta, and unlike the big three burger guys or Five Guys they pay their workers a living wage and have always given them great health insurance. The personal views of the CEO are bigoted and repugnant, but endemic among many Christians in the South. The way to change minds is not to boycott or condemn but to lead. Show Cathy that there are great gay families out there and the Marriage Equality campaign should run a positive pro-at response as soon as possible. Boycotting feeds Cathy’s conspiracy theory that us liberals are trying to take away God from the country and force out values down their throats.
He is right we can’t redefine his definition of marriage or any church’s definition, but we can control our secular civil law and apply it equally to all. Once liberals stop waging this battle on the culture wars terms but talks about basic civil rights we can win and learn to agree to disagree. Compared to most fast food chains it treats it’s workers well, it use quality ingredients and in Chicago anyway and other jurisdictions with anti discrimination ordinances it fully follow the law. Mill states that liberals should tolerate the ideas even of those they consider repugnant and fight bad speech with good speech. Muzzling CFA and abusing the city’s licensing power is not the tolerant way to go and not the way to win the bigger fight on equality.
A quick look only found this one, which makes no mention of civil rights museums, or a living wage.
By the way, beware small business owners who say they pay a living wage. The living wage is calculated by taking what it ‘costs to live’ and dividing it by 2,080 (40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year). So for instance, if it costs $26,400 to live in an area, the living wage will be $12.69. Of course if the boss only schedules you for 32 hours a week (which is often the case), you’re only making $21K – about 20% less than living wage. The basis for the living wage is also incredibly small, in Essex County for instance, a single person is estimated to be able to live on $26,400, a single parent on $46K. Of course if you pay $1,300 a month in rent and $1,000 for childcare (both of which are cheap) you’re spending close to 60% of your paycheck before you buy any groceries. All of which is to say, CFA’s talk and actions are cheap. I have no doubt that wage theft is rampant across the chain (as it is across the industry), and unless they’re offering quality health insurance that costs less than 15% of an employees annual salary, it’s not a benefit, it’s a public relations stunt.
I’m proud of the mayor. Well written laws allow for discretion to support justice, if our elected officials did this more, we’d live in a better society.
Was the Million Moms boycott against JC Penney for hiring Ellen justified? To me this is an attempt to muzzle the free speech of a CEO for his sincerely held religious beliefs, however stupid you or I find them to be. The whole point of the HRC and equal marriage campaign is that gays getting married is
not imposing a cultural viewpoint or infringing on religious freedom. The point should be to engage the Cathy’s of the world in dialogue and allow them to arrive at the conclusion that their churches are the proper forum to defend “traditional” marriage and the state is not the tool to impose ones religious views on someone else. This boycott serves to undermine that purpose and plays right into the right wing narrative that gays and liberals are trying to muzzle religion.
Moreover the employees of the chain should not suffer for their CEOs stupidity. And yes they pay $9-$12 an hour and offer health care, a lot better than the Golden Arches which give far more funds to anti-gay groups. Liberals are supposed to tolerate those with whom we disagree, it’s what makes us better than the other side. Also I totally support investigating the hell out of CFA and if they actively discriminate I want the full force of the law brought down on them and Cathys ill advised comments are an open invitation for that scrutiny.
Isn’t Cfl advocating some kind of Sharia law? Congress should get to the bottom of this.
to look at the product rather than the propaganda.
Having just done so, Paddy McTammany has to wonder if the Athens of Suffolk County is not being subtly spoofed or kidded: Chick-fil-A (®) does prole food. It does prole food that would lower the sociogastronomic tone of Upper Revere Beach Drive.
¡If ever there was a case for applying that hoary jurisprudential maxim De minimis non curet Menino<!
My hypothesis therefore is that C-f-A made a deal with His Honor: they'd pretend to want to invade the Cradle of Liberty, and he'd pretend to be zealous to keep them out. Both parties look good that way to elements of their base (and possibly vile) constituencies, C-f-A with redstate liberal-haters and the Mayor with . . . well, you know.
Neither side, as I conjecture, seriously wants anything to happen. Meanwhile we close students of the Boston Herald get a welcome break from “All Fehrnstrom all the time.”
Happy days.
P.S. Especially suited to the Silly Season is the noble and inspirational C-f-A Cow Campaign:
Started by Truett Cathy and pushed on the Chick-fil-A website
http://winshape.com/