The boycott of Publix was initiated by Parkland massacre student activist David Hogg. He found that this Florida based Fortune 500 company that serves millions of customers had donated in excess of $670,000 dollars to the campaign of far right Republican and unabashed NRA supporter Adam Putnam.
The Publix response was both predictable and frankly insulting to those of us seeking a call for responsible gun laws. Initially Publix fell back to a narrative on this ridiculous sum of money being about the support of “business friendly” politicians. Somehow Mr. Putnam’s public and defiant support of the NRA and it’s policies to insure unfettered access to any fire arm, carried openly anywhere as a Consitututionally protected right did not disturb the ethics or morality of the Publix corporation. Apparently the many executives of the enterprise that provided Putnam a horn of plenty in cash to overwhelm the airwaves and social media with Putnam’s dog whistling and coded messages ad-nauseum was just helping the company to maintain a competitive edge.
Publix has never clarified what “business friendly” means. One item that can shed a lot of light on the Publix/Putnam relationship comes from an article in the Tampa Bay Times that was referenced in an editorial of the Palm Beach Post:
”Putnam oversees regulation of Publix’s 800 Florida stores. When a TV station reported in 2016 that seven Tampa-area Publix stores failed health inspections, “Putnam responded the next day by pulling the inspections from the department’s website and eliminating the pass/fail grading system,” the Tampa Bay Times wrote. “He replaced it six months later with a new rubric. Instead of a failing grade, the worst rating issued now is ‘re-inspection required.’ “
It is worth noting that the initial reports that were removed featured, “Iinspectors found rodent droppings, hundreds of pounds of meat and other food stored at unsafe temperatures, bugs and employees not washing their hands.” — Tampa Bay Times
Putnam’s political career is essentially an arc of devotion to stealth right ring program of attaining oligarchy and ending Democracy as we have known it since the era of FDR. It is about regression to the 1920’s and many would rightfully argue the world of John C. Calhoun.
In Congress he voted for rolling back the Voter Registration Act. He supports the agenda of the right to lifers and guns on campuses and a lowering of the age from 21 to 18 to purchase a gun, ending the three day waiting period when one purchases a gun. Home Schooling and Voucher programs, which in Florida are virtually unregulated is also part of his Trumpian agenda.
Publix serves as a primary example as why we must seek to overturn Citizen’s United and the absurdity of a corporation as a human being.
In the meantime don’t buy the second Publix insult of it “suspending” political donations. Publix needs to pull back it’s funding and/or give an equal amount to the Florida Democratic Party.
Then it needs to get out of politics and let the people of Florida decide what’s good for business.
In the meantime #BoycottPublix and dare I say, it Make America A Better Place for You and Me.