Wisconsin: Menard mega-donor to Kochs' Americans for Prosperity

[Scuba]

My sister sent me this in email...


"The subject of a 2007 exposé in Milwaukeemagazine, Menards is known throughout Wisconsin as a particularly bad operator, abusive to its employees and dismissive of environmental protection laws" (The Investigative Fund).


If you live in the Chippewa Valley, you've probably heard countless stories about John Menard's corrupt business practices and his tyrannical treatment of his employees. Unfortunately, because Menard so skillfully uses fear tactics, most of his employees, or former employees, who share their stories in private are too afraid to speak publicly.

At a secretive retreat held in June, David Koch thanked his 32 biggest supporters who gave more than $1 million. Our local billionaire made the list: "The Menards: John Menard of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, is the founder of Menards, the country's third-largest hardware company. He's worth a reported $5.2 billion and has donated about $80,000 to his state's Republican Party and federal candidates, mostly Republicans, according to FEC records. His company backed a recent anti-union program that was linked to the Kochs' Americans for Prosperity and supported by Gov. Scott Walker" (Mother Jones).

Take a look at these three powerhouses: Gov. Scott Walker, the Koch brothers (Americans for Prosperity), and John Menard. Make no mistake, the power behind Gov. Walker comes from the brilliant and secretive billionaires, two from New York and one from Eau Claire, WI.

Why do the Koch brothers get so much bad press in Wisconsin when John Menard is almost never mentioned or questioned? Our local media is happy to cover Menard's race car adventures, but we see almost no press on his machinations in our local politics.

Please help me to spread the word about John Menard's secret relationship with the Koch brothers and Gov. Walker. The people of Wisconsin deserve better from their employers and from their politicians.

Encourage your family, friends, and neighbors to sign those recall petitions.

[secondwind]

1. Nothin amazes me anymore with these fucks.... I'll spread the word!

[Callalily]

2. Consider it done!

[coffeenap]

3. Oh hell and damnation.

And here I thought they were an alternative to Home Depot (when the local hardware store doesn't have what we need). Lowes it is then, yes?

[mopinko]

5. ++++

[madrchsod]

4. why doesn`t the menard family get mentioned?

who else has the same amount of advertising dollars as menards in wisconsin? i bet their little jingle is one of the most recognized in the upper midwest.
my son was a manager in a chicago-land store and his girlfriend was the head of security for the entire chicago-land menards stores.they said it was a sort of a cult. if the upper management liked you you were treated like "family". although my son was a department manger he was flow up to wisconsin on one of their jets to personally meet with john and his family.most if not all the menard family works at the corporate headquaters.

"save big money at menards"!