Targeted for termination

John Wildermuth of the San Francisco Chronicle reported yesterday on the efforts of a California consumer group to encourage citizens of that state to boycott Target stores because of their donations to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Cory Black of California Consumers United states that while Target is trying to attract more seniors and families by putting pharmacies in their larger stores, the Minneapolis-based corporation also spent $250,000 to back a referendum that erased a law that would have required many California businesses to provide health care for their workers. Since 2004, Wildermuth reports, Target has given $100,000 to Citizens to Save California, which worked to qualify the governor's initiatives for the special election ballot, and $210,000 to the governor's California Recovery Team, a 501(c)(4) public benefit corporation which supports Schwarzenegger's political aims. Target spokesperson Lena Michaud finds the consumer group's radio ad campaign and boycott a bit unusual. "We contribute to political candidates based upon our corporate business agenda and that support is not tied to any one issue," she said. Read Mike Mosedale's previous post on political contributions made by Target and Wal-Mart here.