Thursday, December 30, 2010

Why I Switched to CREDO

I've had Verizon as a cell phone provider for something like six years. But I found out that they have supported candidates and causes that I don't believe in. So, by using their service, I'm operating at cross-purposes with my own efforts. Here's one example:

http://query.nictusa.com/cgi-bin/can_give/S4OK00174

And, in the 1999/2000 election, they donated about $2 million to the Republican Party. Here's the link:

http://www.knowthecandidates.org/ktc/bushcontributors.htm

This Huffington Post site shows that various Verizon franchises (I guess?) donated over $8,000 to Republicans, but some also donated $7,000 to Democrats. So, maybe CREDO left out an important fact in their website - that these major companies donate to both parties.

Huffington Post

On the other hand, I do know that CREDO donates solely to causes I believe in. In fact, earlier today, I had a certain amount of votes that I could use to choose which organizations I wanted CREDO to support. I like having that kind of choice.

So, I made the switch. I can't control who or what Verizon gives their money to. But I do have a voice in the donations that CREDO makes.

I wrote this post because I'm trying to make sure that I support or pay into companies that support causes I believe in. It's like not buying products that actively cause cancer. I want to make sure that my money is used in a way that is in line with my values. I wanted to share that with my readers.

I didn't write it in order to get money - that wasn't my motive. However, there is a perk for me if someone I know switches to CREDO. So, if one of my readers decides to switch to CREDO, I would appreciate it if you mentioned my name. I think you also need to give them my CREDO member number - if you do, I'll get a $50 check. So, yes, I guess in the end, it is a shameless plug. But there's no pressure.

Mainly, my point is to ask you to try to make sure that you support companies that support causes you believe in, whether you're a liberal or a conservative. I think it's good to be aware of things like that.

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