Hey everyone. So apparently there's been an issue at a local Albertsons. Please read on and send an email to the email address that I have provided if possible. The more people that let them know that the manager's actions were unacceptable the better!
Subject: Albertsons El Camino Real at La Costa Carlsbad CA
albertsonscustomercare@
Dear Sirs,
I am writing to you about the management at the Albertson's store located in Carlsbad CA at El Camino Real and La Costa Avenue .
I am a patron of this store and have been shopping there every week for the past four years. Today the store manager, Alan, made a decision that makes it impossible for me to ever shop in that store again.
The Knights of Columbus were conducting a fund raiser for The Mentally Challenged. The funds raised for these adults stay in our community and all the proceeds from the three day fund raiser are given to this organization, the Arc of North County. I realize that Albertsons and their competition hire mentally challenged adults and I have shopped at Albertsons in part because of this policy.
The Knights of Columbus had obtained permission from store management to conduct the fund raiser in front of the store on El Camino. Friday's fund raiser went well but on Saturday several customers confronted the Knights and complained to Alan, the store manager, about the Knights presence in front of the store. These people were upset because the Knights of Columbus had supported Yes on Prop 8. The fund raiser being conducted had nothing to do with politics. However, the store manager decided that he didn't want to have complaints and told the Knights that being in front of his store was a privilege and they were to leave immediately.
This was not a political rally. The Knights were not making a political statement and they were not harassing any Albertson customers. Your store manager made the situation political by evicting the fund raisers and interjecting politics. This is a country where people have freedom of speech and I respect that, however, can you explain how supporting Prop 8 has anything to do with raising funds for the adults in our community who are mentally challenged? The Knights inability to fund raise at this location for the next two days will seriously impact the amount of funds given to these people.
I feel that Alan made a poor decision and does not support your corporate policy concerning mentally challenged adults. I would like a response to my complaint other than this was a privilege and he was denying this privilege because four customers complained.
This incident has motivated me to inform my fellow church members, my neighbors who shop at Albertsons, and the Mormon churches in the area so they can decide if they will continue to support your store at La Costa and El Camino after this politicized decision. I would hope that the your company hired store manager who could think logically and respond to complaints from customers with facts. The Knights were not acting politically and denying the fund raiser only hurts adults in our community who need help.
Barbara N. (wife of a Knight)
Carlsbad CA
12 comments:
Occultus Matris,
Thank you for posting this information. I am glad to hear that Albertons did the right thing in asking the Knights of Columbus to leave. And thank you for providing the email address for Albertsons. I have just sent them this email:
I am writing to complain that the Knights of Columbus was allowed to conduct a "fundraiser" on your company property. The Knights of Columbus is a political organization that recently donated $1.25 million to deprive gay and lesbian citizens of their equal rights. I trust that in the future your store will continue to sell groceries...and not discrimination.
To this anonymous commentator,
I encourage you to examine your stance on Prop 8 and watch this video. I do not think you understand the proposition as it does not eliminate any right from homosexuals.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI-GjWY-WlA
Regardless of your views about Prop 8, the issue brought up by this event is irrelevant to homosexual groups. The knights were fundraising to raise money for the disabled, not a campaign on Prop 8. This is an issue that Alberstons claims to support, thus making it very appropriate that they could fundraise on company property.
I found additional information to demonstrate that the Knights of Columbus is a political organization -- more donations to the No on 8 campaign, this time from the California state council:
Ca State Council Knights/columbus / Fontana, CA / $8,889
Are you really using that money collected to help the disabled? Or is it being used to fund anti-homosexual causes?
To apple jacs, I encourage you to examine YOUR stance on Prop 8. How about let's initiate a vote on whether Catholics should be allowed to marry? serve in the military? How about it?!
If it really cared, perhaps the Knights of Columbus should have donated the $1.25 million to the disabled!
For any of you who may be confused about the Knights of Columbus and their beautiful mission, please take the time to do some of your own research. http://www.kofc.org/un/eb/en/about/index.html The knights have been working for over 125 years to better our world. God bless this wonderful organization!
Anonymous,
Check your facts. The Knights of Columbus is not a political organization. They are a religious organization, as such it is natural that they will support whatever religion they are affiliated with.
Is this charity? How many children could have been fed with $1 million?
Knights of Columbus contributes $1 million to Prop 8 campaign
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13582
Sacramento, Aug 20, 2008 / 01:22 pm (CNA).- Proposition 8, the ballot initiative to protect marriage, has announced that it has received a $1 million contribution from the Knights of Columbus, the world's largest Catholic family fraternal service organization.
In a press release, spokesman for the Knights of Columbus, Patrick Korten said that the donation from the Knights "is both an indication of how important we believe this referendum to be, and an encouragement to other groups and individuals of all faiths to lend their support as well.”
“From the day the organization was founded 126 years ago, strengthening and protecting the family has always been central to the mission of the Knights of Columbus. Preserving marriage as the indispensable institution in which children are conceived, born and raised to adulthood by a loving father and mother is vital to a healthy society. It is also the most favorable environment in which to protect the rights and best interests of children. We are proud to join the Catholic bishops and priests of California, and so many other people of good will, in this effort on which so much depends."
Ned Dolejsi of the California Catholic Conference remarked that “this generous donation from the Knights of Columbus shows the broad-based support that Protect Marriage is receiving from a variety of faith-based organizations. Proposition 8 is honored to have the support of an esteemed organization who has such a strong record of public service and success."
Well following your reasoning, Anonymous, Apple (who donated $100,000 to oppose prop 8) should have donated that money to charities it supports or research to come up with an even awesomer iPhone instead of making a political statement.
OM: Sorry, your argument doesn't hold water. Apple doesn't claim to be a "charity." Knights of Columbus is a political organization. Just admit it. Come on, it shouldn't be that difficult for you.
Anonymous, it's actually NOT a political organization. I don't understand the hostility you have towards people who raise money for causes they believe in, just because they might differ from your own. Be respectful of the opinions of others.
Just because the Knights raised money for Prop 8 doesn't mean they sit back and allow children to go hungry at night - that's ridiculous. Churches all over the world - not just Catholic - are always sending money and missionaries to third-world countries to provide help. The fundraising is ongoing. Church communities, likewise, support each other: when my dad was very sick, the people at church frequently provided us with homecooked meals while we tended to my dad.
You just quoted that the Knights of Columbus is a "Catholic family fraternal service organization" - NOT political. The Catholic Church does disagree with the practice of homosexuality but it also preaches a message to love thy neighbor and Prop 8 was NEVER going to remove civil rights from homosexual couples. You need to do some research and look up Section 297.5 of the California Family Code. The rights are already there. In the meantime, stop being vicious. I mean, come on.
Anonymous,
I'm sorry, but the US government disagrees with you as well and says the Knights of Columbus is a charitable organization. According to the US tax code 501(3)(c) the lobbying activities of charities are merely restricted and not, as you seem to suggest, prohibited (See http://www.irs.gov/charities/charitable/article/0,,id=96099,00.html and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)(3)#501.28c.29.283.29 for a summary).
The law in 501(3)(c) states that "no substantial part" of a charity's activities may be devoted to lobbying. The IRS has a very detailed article of the case law history involving charities and other tax exempt entities (http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-tege/eotopicp97.pdf). This article discusses the test that has been developed for for when lobbying is considered "substantial" and is answered directly on page 279 (page 19 in the PDF). To sum it up the article says "Under Seasongood, a five percent safe harbor has been frequently applied as a general rule of thumb regarding what is substantial. Similarly, lobbying activities that exceed the roughly 16 to 20 percent range of total activities found in Haswell are generally considered substantial."
From the WIkipedia article on the Knights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knights_of_Columbus) they donated nearly $145 million to charities in 2007. Say their donations suddenly dropped ~30% to $100 million for this year (since we don't have the actual total amount donated yet). So the Knights donated about $1 million to the prop. 8 campaign meaning they've contributed approximately 1% of their total which obviously falls well below the 5% test presented in the IRS document. On top of this, in 2007 the Knights also "donated" nearly 70 million man hours of voluntary work, which presents further proof of their charitable cause.
So if you don't like the fact that the US government considers the Knights of Columbus a charitable organization and allows it to do political lobbying, I guess you'll have to take it up with Congress and the courts. However, remember that it cuts both ways. Most charitable organizations do some lobbying of government, even charities whose causes you may support.
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