Sharing my freeper moments with the dKos collective...
A coworker recently forwarded me an email bemoaning that evil Senator Kerry and his hypocritical ways. Seems that JFK and THK are outsourcing those sought-after Catsup producing jobs overseas (debunked here and here). Unfortunately, the forwarded email I received also included a long list of other email addy's.
My response (to everyone, of course) and the original email is in the extended section below.
Dear Cecile,
I am not sure I understand your point? The Heinz Company is not controlled by Senator Kerry in any way. While his wife owns only 4% of the shares, she also does not control the Heinz Company.
Your forwarded email's assumption that Senator Kerry and his wife make business decisions to outsource Heinz Company jobs is ludicrous!
Here are a few of the facts.
- Senator Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry have NO controlling interest in the Heinz Company. (see Heinz press release from March 22, 2004 - http://www.heinz.com/jsp/news_f.jsp )
- Heinz currently does 60% of its business outside American markets. Doesn't it make business sense to locate your production close to your distribution? I don't believe this represents the type of oursourcing you are implying (American jobs being taken overseas). http://www.heinz.com/jsp/di/corp_pro2003/corpProfile6.jsp
- Although Senator Kerry has been critical of the Bush administration for rewarding "Benedict Arnold CEOs" who move "profits and jobs overseas," the above-quoted attempt to link Kerry (through his wife) with the very outsourcing he decries is flawed in two major ways. First off, Teresa Heinz Kerry does not "own the Heinz Corporation" - she has no involvement whatsoever with the management or operations of the H.J. Heinz Company, nor does she own anything close to a controlling interest of the company's stock. According to Heinz itself, the Heinz family trust which Mrs. Kerry inherited sold most of its shares of Heinz stock back in 1995 and currently holds less than a 4% interest in the company: http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/heinz.asp
Here are the (somewhat snarky) questions I am left with: The Heinz Company obviously prefers donating to Republican politicians per the article you sent me. Also per what you forwarded to me there are implications that Heinz engages in outsourcing American jobs overseas. So WHY does a company that donates heavily to Republicans outsource jobs? And why are you trying to make us aware of this?
Perhaps you have more documented evidence than I (as opposed to a forwarded email with no links). Please forward your proof and we can discuss further.
If you do not have documented evidence to support your claims (Kerry outsources jobs), then please be "fair & balanced" and send out THIS email to all those that received the original error-filled email.
Regards,
c
ORIGINAL EMAIL
>>> "Cecile" <withheld> 7/24/04 1:48:40 PM >>>
http://www.talonnews.com/news/2004/April/0422_heinz_supports_bush.shtml
Subject: Heinz Catsup
Shortly after reading the following e-mail content, I happened to look at the label of a jar of Heinz sandwich slice pickles.
Yep...."Made in Mexico" Check some of your Heinz products.
"Sen. John Kerry keeps talking about U.S. corporations leaving this country and setting up shop in foreign countries, taking thousands of
jobs with them. He is right, because that has happened. However, he is trying to blame it on George W. Bush.
As far as I know, Bush has not moved one factory out of this country because he is not the owner of a single factory. That cannot be said about Kerry and his wife, Teresa Heinz-Kerry. According to the Wall Street Journal, the Kerrys own 32 factories in Europe and 18 in Asia and the Pacific. In addition, their company, the Heinz Company, leases four factories in Europe and four in Asia. Also, they own 27 factories in North America, some of which are in Mexico and the Caribbean I wonder how many hundreds of American workers lost their jobs when these plants relocated to foreign countries. I also wonder if the workers in Mexico and Asia are paid the same wages and benefits as workers in the United States. Of course they're not. However, Kerry demands that other companies that relocate should pay the same benefits they did in the U.S. Why does he not demand this of the Heinz Company, since he is married to the owner? If Kerry is elected, will he and his wife close all those foreign factories and bring all those jobs back to America? Of course they won't. They're making millions off that cheap labor.
If you can read this, thank a teacher.
If you are reading it in English, thank a soldier.