Just say NO! to Target in Davis

Another city council planning commission meeting in the Sacramento Valley, this time in Davis, a college town & home of infamous UC Davis (specialize in primate torture and biotech research funding). Yet despite all this corporate influence many residents of Davis remain focused on maintaining organic permaculture farming, sustainable bicycle and pedestrian friendly communities, and fair trade products. That could all change if the Target retail corporation gets their big box square foot in the door and coerces the Davis city council to change zoning laws..

From Davis city website;

"This proposal would require a General Plan Amendment and rezoning of the property. The current property zoning allows or conditionally allows for such uses as: offices, laboratories, light manufacturing, warehousing and distribution, restaurants, auto service stations, conference center, hotels, new and used car lots, boat and trailer sales, public uses, and commercial recreation uses. Ultimately, a decision to change the zoning designations for the site requires a majority vote of the City Council. If additional retail were proposed along Second Street in the future, it would also be subject to rezoning and General Plan Amendments with review by the City Council."

more FAQs @;
http://www.cityofdavis.org/target/faq.cfm

proposed Target store map;
http://www.city.davis.ca.us/target/

There are clearly mixed opinions among the people of Davis as to whether a Target store would be of benefit to Davis residents. Often Target stores are compared as a lesser evil when compared to the blatant sweatshop brutality of Wal-mart corporation. However, is Target really much of an improvement from Wal-mart? The Co-op America site grades Wal-mart as an F, and Target as a D+..

Here is one example of the various sweatshops around the world that supply Target shoppers with low prices..

"Leader Garment Factory: The National Labor Committee (NLC) in March 2001 exposed a suppressed El Salvador government report that documents worker abuses at the Leader Garment Factory, where workers said they were locked in the factory compound, were subjected to mandatory pregnancy tests, had no right to organize, and were paid less than one-third the cost of living. At the time of the report, Kohl's, Sears, and Target sourced from Leader Garments. [Source: NLC]"

more sweatshop info @;
http://www.coopamerica.org/programs/sweatshops/scorecard.cfm

Ithaca Hours, a website from a community currency group in Ithica, NY has much online info on Target's sweatshops;

"Target Corp is principally owned by Citigroup (racist lending & market domination), General Electric, IBM, Microsoft, Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart, General Motors, Philip Morris Tobacco, Johnson & Johnson. Target relies on "college-educated women about age 40, most with children at home," and (in Ithaca) college students. These are the same people who'd likeliest be concerned to know that:

Target is has been sued for racketeering for sweatshop labor in Saipan.
Forced overtime, confinement, beatings, rapes and forced abortions are common practice, according to the U.S. Dept. of Interior. Target imports $22 million yearly from Saipan, where 32 shops require 12-hour days 7 days weekly. Since Saipan is a U.S. territory, companies can say goods are "Made in U.S.A." Same for American Samoa.

Child Labor
As well, they pay teenage girls $16/week in similar conditions in Nicaragua, making "Honor" label clothes. Target refuses to disclose whether they participate in any labeling program (such as Rugmark) or have a subcontractor code of conduct prohibiting child labor. Hand-knotted rugs and hand-sewn soccer balls are examples.

Prison Labor
U.S. prison laborers are making CD racks and shampoo racks for sale at Target, in South Dakota. Prison wages range from $.23 to $1.50 per hour. There are probably more examples.

Low Wages
According to an enthusiastic investor at investorville.com, "Target is a place I shop at a lot. The merchandise is somewhat more upscale (for a discount store) than you would ever find at a dump like K-Mart or Wal-Mart. Their profit margins are incredibly high mainly because they buy cheap and pay low wages for most of their employees with the exception of a scant few store managers who make great salaries but work about 18 hours a day."

Anti-Union
Target fought unionization (UAW3500, MI) to the Supreme Court, which forced negotiation.

Counterfeit Goods
American Crafts Projects appealed to the Federal Trade Commission (3/26/99), charging that Target Stores sell counterfeit American crafts. Target selects U.S. handcrafted items for mass copying in China.

Cat Fur
Last year, Target and other big box retailers were exposed for selling imported coats trimmed with dog and cat fur. No labeling is required on items valued below $150. Target is being boycotted for selling fur coats. Learn about trapping animals for fur.

Tacky.
Target has been sued, as the nation's third largest retailer, for violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, for declining to provide interpreters for deaf job applicants. Target has donated to Republican presidential candidates Bush, Dole and Hatch, and former senatorial candidate Giuliani, but to no Democrats for those races. "

more Target abuses @ (each topic links to outside article);
http://www.ithacahours.com/target.html

This is short notice, author only discovered this Davis planning commision meeting recently. Either way the Target issue in Davis needs imc coverage. The Davis City Council meeting about Target coming to Davis is tonite @ 7 pm, (Weds);

May 24th, 2006
Community Chambers at City Hall, 23 Russell Boulevard.
Topic:
Review and action on the Final EIR and project entitlements

meeting time/days @;
http://www.city.davis.ca.us/target/meetings.cfm

These city of davis websites also list emails of council members..

Here's a link 2 a local group fighting Target;

"The Planning Commission will be discussing the EIR and making a recommendation to the City Council at their meeting on Wednesday, May 24 at 7PM in the Community Chambers of City Hall. It cannot be overstated how important it is to get as many members of the public as possible to attend this meeting and voice their opposition to the proposal. The pro-Target marketing machine is in full swing, and they won't miss this chance to trot out their supporters; in fact, Planning Commissioner Jennie Baker resigned her position in order to spend more time working for Target in this capacity. The Davis Enterprise will cover this meeting, and it will make a huge impact if we have a large, vocal group of people there. More alerts and reminders about this meeting will be arriving in your e-mail In Box over the next week."

more info @;
http://maceranch.org/

There are other options to sweatshop labor retail outlets like Target. Fair trade products are also a reality in Davis, and we will strive to provide more fair trade products at fair prices for Davis residents in the future..

"The DeColores Fair Trade Center in Davis, California is a Plenty-owned retail store selling arts and crafts from many of the projects Plenty works with. DeColores provides the native producers more of the profits so they can develop their communities with local autonomy. In this way, Plenty has empowered more than 120 women's co-ops with economic independence in Chiapas, Mexico and in Guatemala."

more on fair trade products;
http://www.thefarm.org/charities/pl.html