Alan Ashton - Thanksgiving Point - Donates $1,000,000 to "Yes on H8"

[daddytodd]

Alan Ashton, the owner/developer of the hideous Thanksgiving Point complex in Lehi gave a cool million to the "Yes on H8" campaign in California -- clearly an effort to counterbalance Bruce Bastian's $1 million donation to "No on H8."

Bruce and Alan were the co-founders of WordPerfect. They sold out a decade and a half ago to Novell, for something like a half-billion each.

Novell eventually sold the wreckage of WordPerfect to Corel. I think all three companies are now defunct, right?

I've never been to Thanksgiving Point, and now I never will. I'd encourage Utah LGBT & allies to avoid Ashton's business, if you can. I'm not proposing a boycott, simply urging everyone to examine whether or not they want to give money to a H8er like Ashton.

Incidentally, here's a list of other Mormons who have given vast sums to "Yes on H8" in recent days. Anyone know who any of these people/organizations are, so I can choose not to patronize their businesses either?
Hartford Holdings, Provo, UT $300,000
David Moon, Alpine, UT $200,000
Michele Adams Watterson, Cache, UT $100,000
Roger Bayer, Salt Lake City, UT $100,000
Katharine Garff, Bountiful, UT $100,000
Belinda Vandersloot, Idaho Falls, ID $100,000
The Vineyard Group (Cardon & Hiatt Families), Mesa, AZ $100,000

Comments

[altf4ljdrama.livejournal.com]

I like how Frank Vandersloot is trying to avoid scrutiny by donatiung in his wife's name. Frank Vandersloot is the CEO for Melaleuca. So, no Melaleuca products for you or games at Idaho Falls' Melaleuca Stadium.

Don't you think Katharine Garff must somehow be tied into the Ken Garff Auto family?

I don't know anything about the rest, although a Bayer family tends to own a lot of property/management in that area.

[allanh.livejournal.com]

Novell's still around, and focusing on Linux OS and applications. They're now based in Massachusetts, with a substantial product engineering and support presence in Provo.

Corel, I believe, is HQ'd in Ottawa, and is still producing office and graphic applications. They picked up what was left of Novell's WordPerfect Office (which itself by that time contained products picked up from Borland and Corel).

While I've always been leery of the LDS Church for anti-LGBT tendencies, the ferocity with which they've pursued Prop 8 (and similar measures) has really taken me by surprise.

I've also been surprised by a number of Mormons who have NOT supported the Church's holy war on the LGBT community. Steve Young - highly visible LDS church member - through his wife donated $50,000 to NO ON 8. I always did think he was cute. :)

Despite this, I agree - Proposition 8 is "hate legislation", and as a California resident and a U.S. citizen, I hope it's defeated, if only to provide some positive legal precedents towards legalizing same-sex marriage.

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

There's a Katharine B. Garff whose a member of the Utah state Board of Regents.

She may be the same person as Katherine Garff who donated $1000 to Orrin Hatch's last campaign. The Hatch-supporter is an employee of GARFF ENTERPRISES, which is, indeed, the Ken Garff car dealership company.

So, now I can add Garff to Miller on the list of car dealerships I can't patronize.

[daddytodd.livejournal.com]

Melaleuca is an unfortunate name for a supplements company. I wonder if the melamine scares of the last couple years have damages their brand?

In any event, I can easily avoid their snake oil.

[bearinslc.livejournal.com]

I've been more disgusted at the Mormon Church then I ever have.

I HATE thanksgiving point and I will never ever go again. (of course I have only been twice and that was for work both times.)

I'm hoping the Gay community is listing which businesses to black list.

[sungriz.livejournal.com]

Corel is alive and well and creates Corel graphic suite which internationally is the Graphics product. It has outsold Adobe in europe etc. (everywhere but USA) They still have Wordperfect and it is available today. they have even incorperated some of the Worperfect text ideas for Corel Draw.

PS Steve Young has donated to no on 8 !!!! yah really

[altf4ljdrama.livejournal.com]

Frustrating. That's my parents nearest Volvo dealer for hundreds of miles.

Your research skills look pretty good.

[altf4ljdrama.livejournal.com]

More people to boycott from E. Idaho. *sigh*

My mom was all excited to be in SLC during the Saturday event, though. My sister's roommate went to the Friday night vigil/protest.

"Eastern Idahoans give heavily to support Prop 8
Post Register

Late last month, the manager of the campaign to ban gay marriage in California warned that "unless we raise $3 million in the next week, we're going to lose."

Idahoans took that message to heart.

Campaign finance reports show Gem State residents contributed more than $400,000 to an independent group, Projectmarriage.com - yes on 8, a project of renewal, between Oct. 27 and Election Day.

Much of that money came from eastern Idaho, and in some big chunks.

On Oct. 28, Belinda VanderSloot, wife of Melaleuca, Inc. President and CEO Frank VanderSloot, contributed $100,000.

The report also shows dozens of $10,000, $5,000 and $1,000 donations from around the Gem State during the week leading up to Election Day.

Other notable contributions from eastern Idaho include:

* $15,000 from Doug Andrus of Idaho Falls on Oct. 31. Doug Andrus Trucking Company
* $5,000 from Blaine Larsen Farms, Inc. on Oct. 29 Larsen Farms (large potato farmer)
* $5,000 from Brigham Young University-Idaho President Kim Clark on Oct. 29. (self explained)
* $9,999 from Doyle Beck of Idaho Falls on Oct. 27. Lawyer
* $5,000 from Gayle Lim of Blackfoot on Oct. 27. (unknown)
* $1,000 from Richard Groberg of Idaho Falls on Oct. 27.
* $1,000 from Rocky Mountain Supply Inc. in Idaho Falls on Nov. 4. Fireplaces/accessories

How much of the late influx of cash came from members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is impossible to say.

Some estimate that Mormons financed about 40 percent of the campaign to overturn a California Supreme Court decision and write a gay marriage ban into that state's constitution.

Since the amendment passed on Election Day, the marriages of roughly 18,000 gay and lesbian couples are in limbo. Advocates of same-sex marriage have protested at LDS churches and temples in Utah and California.

In June, LDS leaders urged members to "do what you can do," to support Proposition 8. That call was reportedly reiterated toward the end of last month, though an effort to confirm this with a church spokesman Friday afternoon failed."