Job Creators Network
The Job Creators Network (JCN) is a conservative U.S. advocacy group. It was founded by Bernie Marcus, the co-founder and former CEO of Home Depot.
Overview
The organization has received significant funding from the Mercer Family Foundation, a private grant-making foundation that invested about $70 million into conservative causes between 2009 and 2014.[1][2][3][4]
Alfredo Ortiz, a former Pepsi and Kraft executive, was named president and CEO of JCN in January 2014.[5]
The organization advocates for lower taxes and fewer government regulations.[6]
JCN launched a "Bring Small Businesses Back" (BSBB) campaign in 2016. In April 2016, JCN hosted a BSBB event in Orlando featuring Frank Luntz, Mike Gallagher, and a panel of small business owners.[7]
The organization also runs the "Information Station" website, which offers "explainer" type videos and articles from a pro-business perspective.[8]
In February 2019, the group put up a billboard in New York City's Times Square blaming U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for Amazon's decision to abandon the building of the company's second headquarters in Queens.[9] After the congresswoman tweeted that the billboard was "wack", JBN put up two more billboards, one saying "Hey AOC, saw your wack tweet", the other, "Hey AOC, this billboard cost about $4,000. But you cost NY 25,000 jobs and $4,000,000,000 in annual lost wages."[3]
Membership
JCN was founded by Bernie Marcus, the co-founder and former CEO of Home Depot.[10] The organization's president is Alfredo Ortiz, a former Pepsi and Kraft executive. While the president and director of communications for the JCN foundation is Elaine Parker.[11][12] Its members include:
- Brad Anderson, former CEO and vice chairman of Best Buy[13]
- Heidi Ganahl, founder and CEO of Camp Bow Wow[14]
- Carlos Gazitua, CEO of Sergio's Restaurants[15]
- Doug Haugh, president of Mansfield Oil[16]
- Andy Puzder, CEO of CKE Restaurants[17]
References
- ^ Voght, Kara (2019-02-23). "A Shadowy Conservative Group Has Started a Billboard War with AOC. She Refuses to Stand Down". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ Carbone, Christopher (2019-02-21). "Ocasio-Cortez blasts Times Square Amazon billboard as 'wack' and 'billionaire-funded'". Fox News. Retrieved 2019-02-24.
- ^ a b Alexandra Ma (February 22, 2019). "'Hey AOC, saw your wack tweet': Conservative business group escalates Times Square billboard feud with Ocasio-Cortez over Amazon HQ2 pullout". Business Insider. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
- ^ Vicky Ward (March 17, 2017). "The blow-it-all-up billionaires; When politicians take money from megadonors, there are strings attached. But with the reclusive duo who propelled Trump into the White House, there's a fuse". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2017.
According to The Washington Post, the family donated $35 million to conservative think tanks and at least to $36.5 million to individual GOP races.
- ^ "Former Pepsi, Kraft Leader to Steer Job Creators Network". CSP Net. 5 February 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Job Creators Network Launches Major New Campaign to Bring Small Businesses Back". CBS 8. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ Sentinel, Orlando. "Frank Luntz kicks off small biz tour here". OrlandoSentinel.com. Retrieved 2016-05-06.
- ^ Woodman, Spencer (January 14, 2017). "Force Workers to Watch Anti-Government Propaganda at Work? Trump's Labor Nominee Says Yes". The Nation.
- ^ Axelrod, Tal (February 20, 2019). "Conservative group blasts Ocasio-Cortez over Amazon with Times Square billboard". The Hill. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
- ^ "Labor Board Threatens an American Tradition". The Huffington Post. 30 September 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ Gilliland, Donald (2018-12-14). "Nearly the entire country gets it wrong on the minimum wage". TheHill. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
- ^ "About". Job Creators Network. Retrieved 2018-12-15.
- ^ "Raising Fed rate isn't a magic bullet: Column". USA Today. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Franchise system under threat". Colorado Springs Gazette. 1 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Higher minimum wage puts the squeeze on business". Miami Herald. 6 September 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Presidential candidates take note: Energy independence already achieved". Las Vegas Review-Journal. 28 July 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.
- ^ "Wages With Minimal Wiggle Room". The Wall Street Journal. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2016.