Make Campaign Finance Clear and Fair

5 pledges made

Dark money influences our campaigns. Corporations count as people for campaign donations. Our polititians are often beholden to interest PAC and their donors and not the people who elect them.

Objectives

Fair Campaign Finance

Target

Amazon

Amazon has unparalleled consumer leverage — Prime memberships, Amazon.com shopping, Whole Foods, Kindle, Alexa devices. Consumers can cancel Prime, shop elsewhere, and buy competing devices. The company's resumption of donations to anti-certification candidates despite a public pledge is a documented broken commitment.

Better alternatives

Bookshop.org (independent bookstore network, donates to local bookshops) ThriftBooks (used books, lower carbon footprint per shipment) Powell's Books (worker-friendly, independent, ships nationally) Local Chattanooga bookstores: McKay Used Books (East Ridge/Chattanooga area) Etsy (independent sellers, some certified sustainable shops) eBay (secondhand/refurbished focus reduces manufacturing emissions) Walmart.com (comparable convenience, lower AWS cloud dependency) Target (omnichannel retail, Chattanooga store presence, sustainability commitments) Chewy / Petco (for pet supplies, non-Amazon supply chain) Instacart / local grocery delivery (supports local grocers like Earth Fare or Whole Foods alternatives) Imperfect Foods (sustainable food delivery, reduces food waste) Thrive Market (B Corp certified, sustainability-focused grocery delivery) Azure Standard (bulk natural foods cooperative delivery) REI Co-op (worker-member co-op, strong environmental advocacy, ships nationally) Patagonia (climate-committed apparel, 1% for the Planet member) Grove Collaborative (B Corp, eco-friendly household goods) iHerb (health/wellness goods, not Amazon-affiliated) Chewy.com (pet supplies, independent of Amazon ecosystem) Rakuten / ShopLocal.com (redirect spending to local Chattanooga retailers) Chattanooga Market vendors (local artisans, zero-shipping footprint) Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute gift shop (local, mission-aligned) Co-op shops via National Co+op Grocers (find local member stores)

Ways to take a stand

easy 1 pledged

I pledge to stop using amazon for one month

Pausing all Amazon purchases for 30 days directly reduces revenue and forces you to discover alternative retailers. Even a temporary halt demonstrates that consumer habits can change.

easy 1 pledged

I pledge to delete the amazon shopping app from my phone

Removing the app creates friction that reduces impulse purchases and cuts Amazon's mobile engagement metrics. It's a low-cost, reversible action that signals disengagement.

medium 1 pledged

I pledge to switch my online shopping to an alternative retailer

Redirecting everyday purchases to competitors like Target, Walmart, eBay, Etsy, or local retailers directly shifts revenue away from Amazon. Identifying a preferred alternative and making it your default shopping destination creates a lasting habit change.

medium

I pledge to cancel my amazon prime membership

Prime membership fees are a significant recurring revenue stream for Amazon, and cancellation also reduces the incentive to default to Amazon for everyday purchases. This is one of the most direct ways to cut your financial relationship with the company.

medium

I pledge to cancel my amazon music, audible, or kindle unlimited subscription

Amazon's media subscriptions generate recurring revenue and lock consumers into its ecosystem; cancelling in favor of Spotify, Libby, or other alternatives withdraws both money and engagement data. Switching to a competitor also strengthens rival platforms.

hard

I pledge to cancel amazon web services or move my business off aws

AWS is Amazon's largest profit center; businesses and developers who migrate workloads to Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, or other providers create substantial financial impact. This is a high-effort, high-impact action for those with professional or entrepreneurial ties to AWS.

Target

Uber

Uber is maximally substitutable — Lyft is a direct competitor for rides, DoorDash and Grubhub compete for delivery. Any consumer can switch apps in seconds. Uber's political spending to protect its own regulatory interests at the expense of democratic accountability is a concrete, ongoing harm.

Better alternatives

Lyft (major Uber competitor, more moderate political spending profile) Local taxi companies (independent, community-based, often unionized drivers) Worker-owned rideshare cooperatives like The Drivers Cooperative (NYC) or Green Taxi Cooperative (Denver) — driver-owned, democratic governance) Via (focuses on shared rides and transit partnerships, lower political footprint) Alto (employee-driver model, more equitable labor practices) Public transit systems (buses, subways, light rail — publicly accountable, democratic governance) Amtrak and regional rail (for longer trips, publicly funded) Cycling and e-bike rentals via local or regional services (Citi Bike, Divvy, etc.) Zipcar or local car-share cooperatives (for errands requiring a vehicle) Walking or bikeshare for short trips

Ways to take a stand

easy

I pledge to delete the uber app from my phone

Removing the app creates a visible signal of disengagement and eliminates the convenience that keeps riders returning. Even a temporary deletion reduces Uber's active user metrics.

easy

I pledge to delete the uber eats app from my phone

Uber Eats is a major and fast-growing revenue stream for Uber; deleting it cuts into food delivery gross bookings that now rival ride-hailing in importance to the company.

medium

I pledge to switch to a competing food delivery app for all orders

Using DoorDash, Grubhub, or ordering directly from restaurants instead of Uber Eats withdraws spending from one of Uber's highest-growth business segments.

medium

I pledge to switch to a competing ride-hailing app for all rides

Replacing Uber with Lyft, Via, or a local taxi app for every trip directly reduces Uber's gross bookings and market share in your city.

medium

I pledge to cancel my uber one membership

Uber One is a paid subscription (~$9.99/month) bundling ride and delivery discounts; cancelling it directly removes recurring subscription revenue and reduces your incentive to use Uber services.

hard

I pledge to commit to using only public transit, cycling, or walking instead of uber for 30 days

A sustained month-long abstention from Uber ride-hailing represents a significant financial impact per user and, if adopted broadly, signals durable demand destruction rather than a temporary dip.

Target

Chevron

Chevron and Texaco gas stations are consumer-facing and easily substituted. The $500,000 donation to a Trump super PAC is a recent, specific, documented act that gives a boycott campaign a concrete narrative anchor. Consumers can choose competing gas stations with minimal inconvenience.

Better alternatives

BP (has pledged net-zero by 2050 and invested in renewable energy, though still a major oil company) Shell (has renewable energy division and net-zero pledges, with some verified clean energy projects) Sunoco/Sunoco LP (regional alternative with smaller political footprint than Chevron) Costco Gas (member-owned model, no direct oil extraction, lower margins passed to consumers) Tesla Supercharger Network (for EV drivers — eliminates gas purchases entirely) Electrify America (EV charging alternative funded by VW settlement, broad national coverage) ChargePoint (publicly traded EV charging network, no fossil fuel extraction) Local electric cooperatives (for home energy — member-owned, often offer green energy options) Green Mountain Energy (100% renewable electricity provider, available in select states) Arcadia (community solar and renewable energy matching, available in most states) Community solar subscriptions (local solar farms that credit your utility bill — available in 20+ states) Co-op gas stations (local fuel cooperatives in rural and agricultural communities)

Ways to take a stand

easy

I pledge to delete the chevron app from my phone

Removing the Chevron app reduces engagement with their loyalty ecosystem and limits data collection on your fuel purchasing habits.

medium

I pledge to cancel my chevron techron advantage credit card

Closing a co-branded Chevron credit card directly reduces the financial relationship and cuts off a recurring revenue stream tied to your spending.

medium

I pledge to switch my home heating oil or propane supplier away from chevron-affiliated providers

Chevron operates in home energy supply through affiliates; switching to an independent or renewable supplier withdraws recurring residential revenue.

medium

I pledge to stop purchasing chevron-branded lubricants and motor oils

Chevron sells consumer lubricants (Havoline, Delo) at auto retailers; switching to a competitor brand at your next oil change or purchase removes direct product revenue.

medium 1 pledged

I pledge to switch my regular gas station to a non-chevron brand

Choosing a competitor station (e.g., Shell, BP, or an independent) for all fill-ups directly removes Chevron from your consumer spending and signals market preference.

hard

I pledge to divest any chevron stock or mutual funds with significant chevron holdings from my personal portfolio

Selling Chevron equity or moving to ESG-screened funds that exclude Chevron reduces investor demand for the stock and aligns your financial footprint with your values.

Target

Meta (Facebook)

Hundreds of millions of Americans use Facebook and Instagram daily, making this one of the highest-leverage consumer boycott targets. Users can delete accounts or reduce engagement, and advertisers can pull spend. The betrayal narrative is strong: Meta profits directly from the opaque political ad ecosystem it refuses to regulate.

Better alternatives

Signal (nonprofit, end-to-end encrypted messaging, strong privacy and democratic values) Mastodon (decentralized, open-source social network, no corporate political influence) Bluesky (decentralized protocol, user-owned, anti-centralization mission) LinkedIn (Microsoft-owned, more restrained political ad policies) Snapchat / Snap Inc. (has enforced stricter political ad transparency rules) Pinterest (banned all political advertising in 2018, consistent policy) Tumblr (independent-leaning, minimal political ad infrastructure) Discord (community-focused, no political ad marketplace) Nextdoor (local community focus, limited political advertising exposure) Local community boards and neighborhood apps (hyper-local, no corporate political spending) Email newsletters via Substack or Mailchimp (direct audience ownership, no algorithmic manipulation) Co-op social platforms like social.coop (community-governed, Mastodon-based)

Ways to take a stand

easy 1 pledged

I pledge to delete the facebook app from my phone

Removing the app reduces your passive usage and the mobile ad revenue Meta generates from your activity. It also limits the device-level data Meta collects via the app.

easy

I pledge to pause using facebook and instagram for 30 days

Meta earns nearly all of its revenue from advertising, which depends on user attention and engagement. Reducing your time on platform directly lowers the ad impressions Meta can sell.

medium

I pledge to cancel my meta quest subscription or stop purchasing quest content

Meta's hardware and VR ecosystem represents a growing revenue segment. Cancelling subscriptions or stopping purchases of apps and games on the Quest platform withdraws direct spending.

medium

I pledge to delete the instagram app from my phone

Instagram is one of Meta's highest-revenue products due to its ad-heavy feed and Stories format. Deleting the app cuts off a significant stream of engagement data and ad exposure.

medium

I pledge to switch my primary messaging to a non-meta app

WhatsApp and Messenger are central to Meta's ecosystem strategy and data collection. Moving to an alternative like Signal removes you from Meta's messaging data network and weakens its cross-platform user lock-in.

hard

I pledge to permanently delete my facebook and instagram accounts

Full account deletion removes you entirely from Meta's addressable advertising audience and user base metrics, which directly affects how Meta reports its active user numbers to advertisers and investors.

Take action on this campaign