Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Brat Fest Bombs Out

The self-proclaimed world's largest brat festival proved to be a bit less than advertised this year.

Brat Fest, which is sponsored in a large part by WMC member and Walker supporter, Johnsonville, was the subject of scorn this year due to Johnsonville's participation in buying Scott Walker his current position.  Many people planned on avoiding the fest and instead enjoyed their brats at the People's Brat Fest, which was also held this weekend.

And despite what Walker minion, the Brady Street Mole might have one believe, the Johnsonville event did feel the effect of the boycott, with sales dropping by nearly 25% or 50,000 brats.

And while we're talking about Brat Fest, could someone explain the oddity from this paragraph from the Brat Fest's webpage:
Johnsonville came on board as the official brat of Brat Fest in 2001. In 2006 Johnsonville became a major sponsor and started donating 150,000 brats. Over the years Johnsonville strengthened its relationship with the Fest and all the good things it does for the community, and in 2011 they decided to donate “all” brats at Brat Fest.
Just what do they mean by putting quotation marks around the word all? It certainly gives the appearance of this being some kind of gimmick or scam, doesn't it?

Postscript: I'm proud to say I have not bought or eaten a Johnsonville product for over two years now.

6 comments:

  1. Capper, you don't think the fact that it rained nearly all day in Madison on Saturday had anything to do with the fact that the sales were down this year? How did the sales on Friday, Sunday, and Monday compare this year with last year?

    You're so anxious to make a dubious political point that you suspend rational thought, apparently.

    Thank you for playing.

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  2. Great news! Think of how much less money will go to charities. You guys really don't care about anyone else, do you?

    As the previous poster pointed out, Saturday wasn't conducive to being at a festival. Unfortunate for those that would have benefited from the donations.

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  3. Actually, there is more, since the People's Brat Fest was a smashing success and more than made up for Johnsonville's greedfest.

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  4. But don't let little things like facts or the truth get in the way of your irrational hate.

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  5. Hate? Really? Was I the one that called an event sponsored by company making a huge charitable donation a "greedfest"?

    But since you're accusing me of being a hater, let me respond. I can assure you that I have never sent death threats to legislators (or anyone else), disrupted ceremonies to honor Special Olympians, shouted obscenities at 14 year olds (or shouted down anyone for that matter) regardless of their political viewpoint. I haven't sent vile e-mails to anyone and bragged about it nor have I ever supported ads that re-victimize those who have suffered sexual abuse as children. I also don't consider a big, blue clenched fist a symbol that I'd want to celebrate. But it's everywhere here in Madison on the cars, houses and T-shirts of the kind, caring, civil public employees.

    I've seen so much hate aimed at me indirectly for simply trying to make a living and survive against property taxes that grow to the point where they will eventually outstrip my own ability to pay. I see it in those angrily banging drums in their blue-fisted T-Shirts - shouting obscenities at those they simply think have a different viewpoint. I've seen the threats made to businesses that won't post a sign in their window supporting one selected side of the debate against the others - the ultimate irony being that the boycotts only hurt the workers that pay the very salaries of those threatening them. You know - Wisconsin families and workers.

    But I know that some are brainwashed and some just don't know any better. I don't hate them, but if I did it would be anything but irrational.

    Still, since every brat is donated at the brat fest, the sales of 50,000 less brats is that much less that goes to charity. A post celebrating that loss simply because you don't like the donor seems unbelievably short sighted. Since you're all about "facts" and "truth", how much money did the alternate festival bring in? Who were the recipients? How much more might have been donated to charities if the alternative fest was held a different weekend encouraging even more attendance at each event? Are donations that do public good only acceptable if they come from those that have the "right" viewpoint? That would be a lot more interesting than a post that appears to be applauding the loss of money to charities. You know - charities that support less affluent Wisconsin workers and their families.

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  6. This was, I believe, the first year that Johnsonville actually donated "all the brats." Of course, that was only 9,000 more than what they donated previous years. When the bratfest sales were over 150K, that profit did go to Johnsonville, so their motives were far from altruistic.

    Also, it was not the protesters, whether they be public sector workers, private sector, homemakers, students. retirees or anyone else, they were not the ones stripping people of their rights, their livelihoods, their services, or any other thing that you apparently take for granted.

    And since you want to complain about taxes (conveniently ignoring the real expenses like energy costs and insurance premiums), how do you feel about the fact that two thirds of the companies already don't pay any taxes. And that number is about to grow. You complain of the guy making $12 per hour but ignore the company and the CEO that is raking in millions of your tax dollars without even creating one job or performing one act of civil duty.

    That's sounds like hate to me.

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