It’s always been tough to separate money from politics, but nowadays it is close to impossible. Campaigns start earlier and cost a ton of money. Politicians need to raise more and more dollars to run a serious campaign. To do this, they look to both individuals and corporations to donate money. This is where it starts to getContinue Reading
Jerome Monroe Smucker, founder of The J.M. Smucker Company (more commonly known today as Smucker’s), took great pride in providing a quality product at a fair price, and running a company that followed sound policies. Back in 1897, Jerome signed the lid of every crock of apple butter as his personal guarantee of quality onContinue Reading
A few months ago, The Motley Fool published an article called, “You Want CEO Succession Planning? Go for it,” addressing the risks for investors of companies without plans for CEO succession. While a change in leadership can certainly affect the company as a whole, the author brings attention to the reason why shareholders should wantContinue Reading
Think that corporations have too much influence in American politics and government? It’s a hot issue in the political arena, and one corporate leader is standing up with a bold pledge. Last month, Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz announced that he would withhold political contributions until lawmakers agree upon a deficit reduction plan. This is aContinue Reading
Most media reports about Rupert Murdoch and the News Corp. scandal involving alleged illegal phone hacking by employees of News of the World have focused on the disturbing details of these alleged acts and their victims. This is not surprising given the media environment we live in today and the fact that the publications reportingContinue Reading
Here are some statistics about the way that egg-laying hens are treated in the food industry: 92% of all egg-laying hens in the U.S. are confined to a space the size of a typical piece of paper (8 1/2 inches x 11 inches). That is roughly the equivalent of asking 100 people to live inContinue Reading
Milton Hershey is known for creating utopic towns for his employees and the renowned Hershey school for disadvantaged youth. If he were alive today, we wonder what his thoughts would be on the debate of current working conditions at the cocoa suppliers that Hershey uses to make its chocolate bars. Hershey is America’s favorite chocolateContinue Reading
A few weeks ago, one of our Advocates, As You Sow, published their third annual report on U.S. corporate beverage recycling practices. “Waste & Opportunity 2011” is As You Sow’s third beverage container recycling scorecard and report. The report tracks and ranks companies’ efforts to reduce source materials, create recyclable product packaging, and increase container recovery. AsContinue Reading
The WSJ struck a nerve with this article revealing the SEC’s plans to jump into the fracking fray. The regulators want oil and gas companies to disclose the chemicals they use in fracking and their plans to limit environmental damage. It’s a far cry from their standard fare of trading windows, exchange requirements, and public filings.
Last week, Google shook up the technology world and put a takeover offer on the table for Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. At the time, the $12.5 billion offer represented more than a 60% premium to Motorola Mobility’s stock price. However, one Motorola shareholder felt the board of directors at Motorola Mobility undervalued their own firm andContinue Reading