I got my CREDO mobile phone bill today, and in it was the accounting for the yearly donations they made, using money we gave them for our phone service.
Last year it was $2,841,754, towards causes or organizations, we the customers told them we wanted the donations to go to. Since I left AT&T over them using money I gave them for service, to get legislation approved to spy on me, and then sell my information to not only other corporations, but to the government, I took a hard look at, did I need their service at all? A cell phone is not essential for me, but it did increase my ability to make money. Last year AT&T Political influence spending was down to about 23.5 million from about 26 Million. They are the 10th largest "Investor" in donations to influence legislation, AND EVERY PENNY COMES FORM THOSE US US THAT GIVE IT TO THEM FOR OTHER SERVICES. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000076 Here are the politicians that DIRECTLY BENEFIT form approving favorable legislation for ATT, as they are Share Holders. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000076#invested Verizon on the other hand, only ranks #14 in those who use Tax Deductible Donations as a way to influence legislation, and of course they get that money from their customers too. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?cycle=2012&id=D000000079 Since they were backing the same spying on Americans that ATT was, I surely wasn't just going to go with the lesser of the evils, as a few of us are aware, the lesser of evils, IS ALSO EVIL. I wasn't interesting in forwarding the agenda of EVIL agasint my own best interests. Even more Federal Politicians own shares of Verizon and profit from everything Verizon profits from, in legislation approved by the shareholders, er I mean the Federal Politicains. Of our 300 or so Federal Politicians, 85 of them profit directly by favorable legislation for these 2 companies. None of that profits us on the other hand, we are the ones that supply the money for their profits, whether we want to or not. CREDO/Working Assets on the other hand, ranks 262 of 20,968 political contributors, and even then... those donations were from Working Assets employees, not the company themselves. 0 Politicians own shares of Credo. So if they aren't funding the DNC or the RNC who are they funding? http://www.credomobile.com/Mission/nonprofit-donations-current.aspx And how do they decide who to fund? They ask their members what percentage of the donations they want to go to the areas WE recommended. http://www.credomobile.com/Mission/Progressive-Social-Change.aspx OK, so the Credo 2.8 million dollars isn't much agasint the combined 40 million a year from Verizon and ATT. But I helped to defund ATT by leaving them, and I enabled Credo to use much of that amount in a manner I am happier with, not 100% but it's not 100% angry as I am with ATT and Verizon, that's for sure! I feel better, not having to look at spying legislation agasint you and I, and knowing, I'm helping to fund that. Your choice. A disclaimer. Credo uses Sprint, and Verizon as a roll over. http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000179 Nope,. it's not perfect, but it is a vast improvement over what my money financed 1.5 years ago when I was still with AT&T. If you've got other ideas how to use our consumer dollars to defund those who invest the profits from us, agasint our own best interests, or invest them in those that do represent what we want, please share them. Scott ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/laamn/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: laamn-dig...@yahoogroups.com laamn-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: laamn-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
