Publix is supporting Adam Putnam's run for governor like it has no politician before
By STEVE CONTORNO
Tampa Bay Times

May 15, 2018 05:00 AM
Updated May 15, 2018 11:17 AM
The Florida supermarket giant Publix has given more money to Adam Putnam's gubernatorial bid than any other candidate since at least 1995 and likely for the entirety of the company's history.
Publix, the heirs to the company's founder and its current and former leaders have given Putnam $670,000 in the last three years - or enough money to buy 74,527 chicken tender subs.
No other Florida candidate has ever come close to that kind of subsidy from Florida's largest Fortune 500 company. Its most recent contribution, a $100,000 donation on April 30, was the largest, too, according to the latest campaign finance filings.
The employee-owned company has also helped bankroll a handful of well-connected business groups who have contributed millions of dollars to the Republican candidate

Putnam, like Publix, is a product of Polk County. The state's Commissioner of Agriculture hails from Bartow, just 20 minutes from Publix's headquarters in Lakeland - which company officials say is a factor in their support for him.
"As the hometown candidate, Publix has had a longstanding relationship with Commissioner Putnam," spokesman Brian West said. "We support pro-business candidates and believe Commissioner Putnam will make a great governor."
Publix has backed Putnam since his first race as a 22-year-old, a successful campaign for state House of Representatives in 1996. It wrote Putnam a check for $500, according to state records.
The more recent contributions came as Putnam oversaw regulation of the company's 785 stores. The Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services that Putnam leads conducts health safety inspections at grocery stores. It also handles consumer complaints directed at food businesses, including supermarkets.
In 2016, WFTS-Channel 28 discovered seven Tampa Bay area Publix stores failed health inspections. In those stores, food inspectors found rodent droppings, hundreds of pounds of meat and other food stored at unsafe temperatures, bugs, and employees not washing their hands, according to the report.
Putnam responded the next day by pulling the inspections from the department's website and eliminating the pass/fail grading system.
He replaced it six months later with a new rubric. Instead of a failing grade, the worst rating issued now is "re-inspection required."
At the time, Putnam said the grading system was "unclear" because a failing grade didn't necessarily mean the store needed to be shut down.
He defended Publix, the state's largest private company, to WFTS-Channel 28 as an "industry leader" that "ought not be mislabeled based on minor infractions."
"This approach allows the public to better understand the results of an inspection," Aaron Keller, spokesman for the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, told the Tampa Bay Times this week.


Putnam's ties to Publix are more than geographical.
The chairman of Putnam's political action committee, Florida Grown, is Justin Hollis, whose last name is nearly as synonymous with Publix as "Jenkins." His great-grandfather William M. Hollis was a vice president of the company and his grandfather, Mark Hollis, served 12 years as president and later as vice chairman. Another relative, M. Clayton Hollis Jr., retired in 2012 after 40 years there, and has donated $29,000 to Putnam.
Putnam's PAC has paid Justin Hollis' consulting firm, Silloh Consulting, more than $1 million this election season.
Putnam has raised more than $22 million so far. His primary opponent, Rep. Ron DeSantis, has brought in $8.3 million through April.
DeSantis has not enjoyed the same support as Putnam has from Florida's largest industries. Political action committees like FRF Political Committee, Florida Jobs and Florida Prosperity Fund have given millions of dollars to Putnam from a war chest made up of six-figure contributions from Florida Power & Light, U.S. Sugar and others.
Publix has donated to these PACs as well. The grocery chain gave nearly $1.5 million in the past 18 months to various PACs that have steered $2.1 million to Putnam.
Unlike energy companies and sugar conglomerates, though, Publix is a popular brand beloved by many Florida shoppers for its clean stores, customer service and cult favorite deli counter "Pub Subs." The company's growing presence in political campaigns and lobbying in Tallahassee hasn't generated the same attention as other corporate leaders.
Indeed, while DeSantis has criticized Putnam's close relationships with the sugar industry, his campaign declined to comment on the Publix donations.
But Publix has followed in the footsteps of its business peers that have increased political giving since a U.S. Supreme Court ruling opened the doors to unlimited corporate spending in elections.
In 2000, the company gave about $200,000 to campaigns. In the 2016 elections, it topped $2 million in contributions.
Mostly, the company gives to business-aligned political action committees or statewide parties. When Publix gives to candidates, it's typically just a check for $1,000.
But Putnam's political committee, Florida Grown, has received $410,000 from Publix, including $250,000 in the last nine months.
At $85,000, Sen. Wilton Simpson, who represents Publix's Lakeland home, is the next highest recipient of the company's financial support. "Let's Get to Work," the PAC aligned with the man who Putnam hopes to replace, Gov. Rick Scott, received $50,000.
Publix's former CEO and board member Howard Jenkins, the son of company founder George Jenkins, gave Putnam $78,000 this campaign cycle. In 23 years, he has given only $22,000 to other candidates.
His brother, David Jenkins, chipped in $50,000, and brother-in-law and Publix Charities vice president Hoyt Barnett gave $103,000. Other family members and board members have donated $6,000.
"Adam Putnam is proud to have strong support from one of Florida's most well-known and well-respected businesses that provides more than 100,000 jobs for hard-working Floridians," Putnam spokeswoman Amanda Bevis said in a statement.




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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Crud.  They are opening a new store too.

THen there is this:  http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/consumer/os-bz-publix-putnam-nra-20180516-story.html

Bartow boy, Lakeland chain.....Polk County good ole' boy syndrome. Publix has never tried to hide their conservative leanings. They've backed Grady since the dawn of time. George Jenkins and his family have always been staunch conservatives.

in 2016 there was a big pro Amendment 2 rally in Lakeland and it was the only time I have ever seem publix enforce their towing in the parking lot.

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Specializing in sarcasm and condescending rhetoric since 1971.

The new wave of conservatives will have some corporations rethinking sponsorship of these tools.   Go to the Publix FB page for a healthy dose of backlash.   I myself can stop at a WinnDixie that ain't half bad.

Ain't public disclosure of contributions a good thing?

Aldais is getting more and more of my business, but those subs......

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Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".

I love reporters, great expose. They need to even up the donations or WinnDixie it is.

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I was right.

My take.....Shopping at Publix is not optional. Its a monopoly. But voting for Opie, No fucking way.

If I was a repug I'd take the mayor of Miami Beach.

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.

Ill remember to shoplift at Publix more often

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When America was "great"

Putnam is a pig sugar supported anti environment, anti watersports, anti florida wildlife dirtbag. Though. not corrupt on the epic, unprecedented scale of the utter maggot rick scott, just give him a chance folks....
Or not. I was introduced to the publix founders by my grand dad and parents when one of their stores first opened. If they persist in supporting this truly bad candidate i wont shop there, and i'll tell them as much.
I will post stuff describing his many corrupt misdeeds, as well as the mountain of stuff against pig sugar rick
Goooo Bill Nelson!

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It's a democratic hoax

Public is clean, has great subs, and good service, but if you eat meat? Winn Dixie. Deals? Aldi or Thrifty. Hipster? Lucky's.

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Capitalism is based on the ridiculous notion that you can enjoy limitless growth in a closed, finite system.

In biology, such behavior of cells is called "cancer".

 I have never tried one of these chicken tender subs. You guys have convinced me to try one.

The meat at Fresh Market was much cheaper than I expected; different choices too.

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I was right.

I sort of remember Adam being kinda moderate long ago, not the sort that would support a LSoS like Trump.

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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

The Fresh Market is run by Republicans out of Greensboro NC. You should boycott them too.

Also, ask everyone how the boycott of Chick Fil'A is going as well? I got a kick out of how many people were eating at the Chick Fil'A in Hollyweird, on the sunset strip when I was there a couple of months back.

Shop or eat where you want and do it because the store is clean, service is good, and the items you're purchasing are top shelf.

Stop giving a shit about political views or who the CEO supports. None of you girls would have a job if you really stuck to your guns.

Actually, the Chick Filet boycott was qsuccessful, the CEO backed down a lot on his monetary support for hate groups, the gay community mostly accepted that, went back to eating his over salted food.

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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

Actually they made more money in that time period than they ever have. However, the CEO backed away from that debate, leaving it to the political side.

Which proves my point, you girls wouldn't have a job in the private sector if you stuck to your guns as many 'capitalist's' are right leaning. I don't give a shit what a CEO does or thinks, as long as it's not illegal.

Nope, not gonna stop giving a shit.
Activism works, it moves changes.

Doesn't matter that hat group supporters flocked to CHik fila during the boycott, it had effect.

The Chick FilA boycott was successful, the CEO took notice, met with LGBT leaders and tempered his public comments and his previous monetary support of hate groups.

Changes happened.
Many LGBT people accepted his gesture.

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"The truth is incontrovertible.
malice may attack it,
ignorance may deride it,
but in the end,
there it is." -Sir Winston Churchill

Edited: 05/21/2018 at 08:56 AM by WG

Don't care that Publix family is conservative. Never have. They run the best stores in Florida by a mile.

Butt.

Do care if Opie Putnam re-arranged FDACs rules and inspections as a favor to them when some of their lesser properties weren't being maintained to company standard. That is old school Florida style back scratching skulduggery.

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Ask that b ingrahm if boycots work or not.

I let Publix know that supporting Putnam could hurt their business and that there was a WInn DIxie that is pretty good right near their store.  Hopefully the coverage will influence them to give him no more money to that dope this cycle.   

As for CHik filet... fast food is fast food.  you get enjoymnet eating that crap go for it

Chuckle all you want about people wanting change.   It's happening.  Especially since the Geezer Old Party doesn't give a $hit about the cost of living, wages, education, housing...  missing something?  We know they are into family values thats apparent from the three time married adulterer they love.

jt

How about immoral, unethical?

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So if you are a surfer I wish you the prosperity that allows you more time to pursue the salt water dream, and the true happiness that comes from warm water, clean waves and the companionship of your fellow surfers. If you are an internet troll just spewing bs then f off.