I just told Chemlawn to take a hike

[Ian David]

Their salesman stopped by after being refered by my neighbor.

I asked for an apointment, and 15 minutes later their customer service people called to schedule me.

By then I had done enough research to tell them to go take a hike.

Republican bastards


Results:
7 records found in 0.1094 seconds.
Search Criteria:
Donor name: ServiceMaster Company
Cycle(s) selected: 2006, 2004, 2002
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=+ServiceMaster+Company++&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

The parent company of Chemlawn donated $66,297 solely to Republicans in 2002.

I don't know yet what they've done since, but that was enough for me to tell them they weren't going to get my business. And I made sure they knew why.

From Hoovers:

The ServiceMaster Company (NYSE: SVM)
3250 Lacey Rd., Ste. 600
Downers Grove, IL 60515-1700 (Map)
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Toll Free: 866-782-6787

http://www.servicemaster.com external site content

Covered by Linnea Anderson

ServiceMaster merrily mows, scrubs, sprays, trims, and snakes. A giant in its industry, the company serves more than 10 million commercial and residential customers in the US and around the world with housecleaning, termite and pest control, landscape maintenance, and plumbing and drain services. Its best-known consumer brands include Merry Maids, Terminix, TruGreen ChemLawn, and Rescue Rooter. TruGreen LandCare, American Mechanical Services, and ServiceMaster Clean provide similar services to commercial clients. In addition, ServiceMaster's AmeriSpec division provides home inspections, while its American Home Shield provides warranty contracts for home systems and appliances.

----

Anyway, here is some more info I've just now thrown together:

Chairman and CEO Jonathan P. (Jon) Ward This feature is for subscribers.
$12,000 all to Republicans ($1,000 went to The Direct Marketing Association)

$5,000 Keep Our Majority PAC
$2,500 Northern Lights PAC
$1,000 Hastert, Dennis
$2,000 George W. Bush
$500 Davis, Danny K
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=Ward%2C+Jonathan+P&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N


President and CFO Ernest J. (Ernie) Mrozek
Total for this search: $6,800

$2,000 Ryan, Jack
(Jack Ryan is the Republican who used to force his wife, Seven of Nine (I mean Jerry Ryan) to attend orgies).
Mrozek's other donations all went to Servicemaster Co
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=Mrozek%2C+Ernest&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N


SVP and CIO James A. (Jim) Goetz

Total for this search: $3,917
$2,000 Bush, George W
The rest to Servicemaster Co
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=Goetz%2C+James+A&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

Here is the info for Servicemaster Co:

http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.asp?strID=C00331363&cycle=2004

In 2004, Almost all of it went to Republicans, including $5,000 to Tom DeLay.
(24% to Democrats, 76% to Republicans)



Results:

242 records found in 0.0938 seconds.


Search Criteria:
Donor occupation: ServiceMaster
Cycle(s) selected: 2006, 2004, 200
Total for this search: $170,600
http://www.opensecrets.org/indivs/search.asp?NumOfThou=0&txtName=&txtState=%28all+states%29&txtZip=&txtEmploy=ServiceMaster&txtCand=&txt2006=Y&txt2004=Y&txt2002=Y&Order=N

[aeolian]

1. The only person on my block that uses lawn chemicals

is the only person with a dead, brown lawn every spring. All the rest of us have nice, lush lawns year-round (yes, even in winter, the grass is green under the snow).

That crap is poison anyway. Let the grass grow.

[Warpy]

8. There has been an epidemiological link between heavy use of

lawn chemicals and the development of ALS (Lou Gherig's disease). As yet, no smoking gun has been found and the whole thing is very preliminary, but even without their support of evil, I'd find it very hard to justify saturating my land with chemicals.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

2. As far as I'm concerned, two strikes against Chemlawn

1) Years ago, my parents made the mistake of letting the dog out the front door too soon after having the front lawn Chemlawned. She came back in with huge hives that made it look as if someone had wrinkled her. Nasty!

2) Servicemaster is owned by fundies ("service" to the "master," get it?).

[paineinthearse]

3. I've never seen bunnies hopping in a chemical lawn

Chemical lawns are flora deserts.

p.s. Ever see the little tags on the lawn after an "application" - POISON - KEEP OFF.

[gizmonic]

12. I love the bunnies in my yard

I enjoy watching them chomp on the dandelions in my yard! Wildlife has a hard enough time as it is -- I'm not going to drive 'em away.

No chemicals here!

I had the distinct pleasure of telling TruGreen to f*ck off once. I saw their flyer hanging off my front door and the creepy salesman hovering around my house when I got home from work. Bastard didn't even give me time to get out of my car before he tried his sales pitch on me.

Told him I wasn't interested ("No"). Told him why ("I don't want your poisons"). He didn't get it. This time I laid it on the line ("get away from me and take your poisonous company with you!"). Told him not to litter my yard with his flyers either.

Idiot.:dunce:

I'm sure the neighborhood thinks I'm a nutcase...They are the ones who are nuts -- poisoning their yards :grr:

[eternalburn]

4. I had an interview with Servicemaster for a job.....

....way back when I was still in high school.

Very creepy guy had me meet him at the local McDeath for a "sit-down". Lots of god-talk and some very personal questions. I let him know that I found the whole interaction uncomfortable and walked out.

[Wickerman]

5. Previous owner of this house used them

When I moved in they wouldn't leave me alone. They used to call my wife when I wasn't around and just work her and work her - she's way to nice to just slam down the phone. It got to the point where the number of calls was harrassing. I finally had to tell them that I needed their supervisor, and that he needed to personally remove me from his call list. If I EVER received a call from them again I would contact the Attorney General's office. They used to call my wife when I wasn't around and just work her and work her - she's way to nice to just slam down the phone.

Of course they are a RW donating piece of shite org.

[Ruby Romaine]

6. years ago -when servicemaster started- I heard something

about them being almost nazi/klan types-
here's something:
HOUSECLEANING FOR THE LORD?

The Name "ServiceMaster" Has a Double Meaning for This
Growing Christian Business
http://www.skepticfiles.org/american/17july95.htm

[Ian David]

10. HOUSECLEANING FOR THE LORD?

The Chemlawn guy just tried to call me back again.

I'm not answering....

Setting their "ring tone" to "silent"...



HOUSECLEANING FOR THE LORD?
The Name "ServiceMaster" Has a Double Meaning for This
Growing Christian Business
By Conrad Goeringer


<snip>

Trying to find out exactly what ServiceMaster does is
a bit of a problem, even if you're the Chicago Times. The
paper recently had one its business-beat reporters drop in
to the company's annual stockholders meeting in Downer's
Grove, Ill, and found that this is a "firm with a
distinctly different sort of business attitude." The
1,200 or so stockholders first listened to a choir singing
the national anthem, then "America the Beautiful,"
followed by a corporate vice president reading from the
Bible, and all of this followed by a prayer. Check out
the corporate headquarters, and there is a stone carving
stating the company's four goal -- "To honor God in all we
do; to help people develop; to pursue excellent; to grow
profitably."

<snip>

While this is all well and good for some of the
stockholders, others are apparently concerned with the
focus on religion. During the meeting, one stockholder
asked "Why does ServiceMaster Co. have such a strong
penchant for bringing God and religion into the company's
regular business?" But the corporate president and CEO
insists "We are not a religion."

And just what does ServiceMaster do to "service the
Master"? "In fairness", notes the Tribune, "it is
difficult to describe briefly what ServiceMaster does,
except to say it does what others are unable or unwilling
to do themselves -- including housecleaning,
groundskeeping, laundry and plant operations, and
maintenance of hospitals, schools and businesses."

More:
http://www.skepticfiles.org/american/17july95.htm

[proud patriot]

7. Good for you

:thumbsup:

[OnionPatch]

9. My lawn looks great

I let my clippings fall back into the grass, something I learned as a Master Gardener. You have to use a mulching mower or mow more often, but it works as fertilizer, so you won't need to use so many chemicals. When I use anything else at all, I get all organic products from Garden's Alive. (gardensalive.com)

[GumboYaYa]

11. We have been chemical free for years now.....

Those lawn weed killers and fertilizers are horrible for the environment. They are one reason we have so many dead spots in our oceans (among other reasons).

We mulch/mow as well and hand pull weeds when we see them. It takes a little more work than just having a lawn service dump chemicals, but is so much better for the world around you to go chemical free.

[Clark2008]

24. Same here

But, mostly it's because, as a single Mom, I don't have TIME to rake up the clippings (seriously, who does that? I've seen my RETIRED neighbors do it, but no one who has to work 40-50+ hours a week and rear a child and clean the house).

[jim3775]

13. A guy that worked for a lawn chemical company lived down the street...

...from me. He kept a big green sprayer truck (which I guess he independently owns) parked outside his house on the street. Last summer, I could smell the chemicals anytime I went outside, thankfully he moved a couple of months ago.

[KharmaTrain]

14. Servicemaster Also Cleans Homes & Offices

As though a lot of DU members would even consider "maid service".

I've known this company for decades. Yes, it was established by fundies and is based in the "Illinois Bible Belt" (Wheaton/Naperville)...the home of Billy Graham and not far from the district represented by Denny the Bastart.

Chemlawn as chased out of our area several years ago when it was learned they overcharged people for treatments they never got and how poor the service was. My next door neighbor used them one year and I joked how the gold and brown in his lawn matched the paint on his house.

Thank you for posting this and we constantly need to remind people about whose supporting this regime. Their 5 Grand donation to DeLay says a lot right there.

BTW...Danny Davis is a Democrat...best known for holding the crown for Rev. Moon when he had that wierd coronation a year ago.

[merbex]

15. I would NEVER pay for a chemlawn service - read the back of those

chem bags for lawns: some require at least enough watering to fill a tuna can - but do the chem lawn people tell you that after an application? Usually no


If you are going to put that stuff on your lawn do it yourself and water the lawn correctly after you apply the stuff

[Ian David]

16. I feel kind of bad now. He called again. The salesguy is a Democrat

He just needs to give his valuable skills to a progressive company that shares his values.

[lynne]

17. That's exactly the reason -

- I don't believe in boycotting any firm for their political leanings.

The people boycotting hurts the most is the little guy at the low end of the totem pole who could be democrat, repug or independent and has no control over the organization. He's just trying to eek out a living like the rest of us.

[LiberalFighter]

25. That was my thought that the franchiser might not be a repug

But after reading the other info it is best to avoid ChemLawn/ServiceMaster at all costs.

[Ian David]

28. I feel bad for him, but there's really no other way to Starve The Beast

I'm sure there are some nice Democrats that work for Halliburton, too.

Maybe Rob and other Democrats that work for Republican companies that are being boycotted should take their valuable skills to more progressive companies.

Companies spend a lot of money on things for "employee retention." Unhappy employees are bad for business. If they see that their politics also hurt employee retention, it's another tool in the activist arsenal.

[Eloriel]

19. No, no. DON'T use those chemicals at ALL. Try Gardens Alive

They have some really good natural and organic products:

www.gardensalive.com

Good people.

[Chicago Democrat]

18. My dad caught them stopping by, doing NOTHING and leaving

a card saying they did!!



My dad was a bad dude to piss off. Needless to say , Chemlawn was soon gone.

[MissMarple]

20. We always use the local family very small business guys.

I think it's better. :-)

[Lydia Leftcoast]

21. If I owned a house, I wouldn't have a lawn at all

I'd plant all kinds of interesting foliage instead.

[Sparkly]

22. Hey Husb!!

Add it to the To-Do list:

Cancel Chemlawn.

[Cell Whitman]

23. Sister has Chemlawn, her yard looks like hell.

She was saying Chemlawn was the pits and asked me for suggestions as to what to do.

I told her to call Chemlawn and after they understand she is current customer, ask them if they would suggest a good lawncare company.

[kineneb]

26. what lawn?

Water costs way too much for a frigging lawn. My neighbors may yet put together a posse to cut down the weeds and dead wild flowers. Having been rather ill last weekend, I haven't got out the old weedwhacker to knock down the weeds. ChemLawn- euwwww...nasty stuff...at least my weeds are organic. And next spring we will once again have a yard full of blue lupins in which the birds can frolic. Can't get that with a ChemLawn.

[Ian David]

27. Well, I found a local guy, but he didn't show when he said he would

and when he did, the tire on his mower broke 1/5 of the way through my lawn.

So, when Chemlawn showed-up, I was willing to consider them.

My lawn is a mess, and it needs serious work.

My last landscaper realy screwed it up.

So, if he ever gets his shit together, I'm going to use the local guy.

I'll see what I can do about getting him to use more environmentally responsible chemicals.

I need to be very careful, because my last landscape guy didn't slope the back yard correctly, and now we get a big puddle in the dog run. The last thing I need is for my dogs to be drinking from a puddle full of nasty poisons. That puddle needs to be fixed ASAP.

But right now, I really need to get my lawn under control.

[utollwi]

29. Service Master Companies - "Honor god in all you do" corporate policy

It's in the code of conduct. While I give them points for a rather inclusive anti-descrimination policy, being an AtheistI find their policy offensive. I called an cancelled and gave the Business Week article quote as my reason for cancelling.

DON'T LET THE RELIGOUS FREAKS take over the corporations too!