Wow what a dilemma. I guess all those Prius' will either have to mix it up with the late model Buicks and Caravans over by Push 'n" Shove or burn a couple of tablespoons of unleaded and head on over to Outpost.

Anybody checked to see who the folks at City Market are voting for? How about the Garden Room?

Being a lefty just got very complicated.

If we all based our support on political affiliation, then doing the daily or weekly shopping would take all day and lots of gas. I didn't hear the Nehrings say that for every dollar you spend there Sendiks will donate 10 cents to the Stone campaign. What Nehrings do with their personal money is none of our business.

This may be finally the reason I stop shopping there. I was pretty appalled by mr. Nehrings purchases of stolen produce a few years back. From what I gather the only reason he got away with that was the driver he purchased them from left the state. I was then put off when not long after that they posted signs at their registers calling for the boycott of...I think a restaurant...who's owner or chef had been caught shop lifting wine or something of that nature. I thought that was the 'pot calling the kettle black' after their own on-going grand theft produce deal. This will probably do it for me. A litte too self righteous for my taste. They can steal, but if someone does it from them...and they can post boycott notices in their store, but if someone threatens them with the same...

So you kept shopping there even though you were "pretty appalled by mr. Nehrings purchases of stolen produce a few years back" but this latest issue regarding their personal endorsement decisions is your tipping point? Interesting.

Outragious and unacceptable behavior by individuals unduly influenced by union thugs and instead of this being about the unions "love" of their members and looking out for their best interest, this is about the union leaders not losing their 6 figure salaries and most of all, about re-electing Barack Obama in 2012. With 59 campaign headquarters already opened in the state for his re-election, they must keep they hype going!!! Well, this is NOT 1937 and taxpayers are not going to submit to their bulling tactics, not cower to their "punishments" ~ give us a break ~ they're dealing with freedom loving, over taxed American people who are not filled with fear at their every threat. "GO" Sendiks and every other business being threatened as there's more of us who sill support you then them making threats and withholding their dollars!

I stopped shopping there when John and his produce manager were arrested for purchasing stolen produce. Then out of convenience and short memory, I went back. I own and run a business. I have for 32 years. Being honest, having ethics, and competing fairly are core business values. One does not purchase stolen goods to stock their store. While the evidence 'didn't support' a conviction, it appeared to be a pretty open and shut case prior to the driver of the truck leaving for parts unknown.

That said, what really got me was the posting of placards at each register, with the 'offenders' name and business, telling store patrons to BOYCOTT that individual's business...THIS because they'd been caught shop lifting some wine, or changing a price label on a bottle. This person hadn't been convicted either, but the Nehrings saw fit to post his name and attempt to negatively impact his business using their store and their registers as their personal forum. What got me was here you have a guy who a few months prior had been splashed across the newspaper for grand theft, and he's self righteously outraged because someone had the gall to 'steal' from him, albeit on a significantly minor scale. I did point this out to the clerk in line, who smiled and shrugged her shoulders. I agree, people have a right to donate to whom they want. I have a right to disagree with them. No, I'm not going to boycott the Nehrings store because they donated to Walker, however I do find the GOP's policies in Madison heavy handed, disingenuous, and self serving, the same as I found the Nehring's placards to be at their registers. If anything, this article reminded me how 'sleazy' I found their practices to be in the past.

I agree Bob. Boiling my points down, it's what I see as a double standard, and I hate double standards.

1 - Stealing is ok if I do it - but outrageous if someone then does it to me.
2 - a boycott is ok if I do it against someone who's offended me - but outrageous if some threatens me with the same.

I'm seldom in favor of a boycott. If an individual takes their business elsewhere, that's their own decision. An organized boycott, especially prompted by a nominal campaign contribution and a vote cast by a citizen in an election is a poor reason. In my opinion, a business should be relatively a-political. If they posted a sign out front blasting "union thugs" as the person above posted, then they've left themselves open to a coordinated response.

what store in their right mind would openly show support for either party? not too bright.
is the john nehring i worked with in so milw?

We used to live in Whitefish Bay but moved in 1996 to Greenfield. When we make it into the city, and we do quite offen, we will be stopping at sendik's to do some shopping. I also went to my M&I Branch to let them know that if Tom Ellis, Pres. of M&I caves into the unions and now supports them, I will be removing my accounts from them and also sent a letter to him at the main office.

Union Thugs? What do you think this is 1940? Walker is the one who said he thought about thugs in the crowd. No one has been arrested for being unruly or out of order during this entire thing. That is except for the Repugnacant who spit in the 10 year old girls face. Lucky it was seen by a cop and he was ticketed for it. If I had been her father I would have knocked him out. Anyone who donates to any campaign is on the list as a contributor. There are actions and reactions to everything in life. They want to boycott any business they have the right to do it. A hit to the pocket book is the only sure way to get to them, and the only way the common man has a chance to retaliate.

What offended me was that the placard about the shop lifter/price tag switcher wasn't a small one at the register to inform their clerks but a large sign at each register informing their customers of the transgression and urging hem to boycott this persons business. I found it offensive.

Sarah Palin has been calling the action in Madison "driven by union thugs.". It's absurd. Bill O'Reilly commented on the Madison demonstration using a video of a tattooed shaved head guy screaming at someone at a demonstration as his back drop. In the background of the clip there were palm trees. Obviously not Madison. Regardless of what side you're on, be honest. Union thugs? Gimme a break. Vandalizing the business of someone who simply exercised their political contribution and voting rights? You deserve to be arrested.

Of course, businesses have a right to support politicians they favor. AND, customers have a right to deny their patronage to firms that fund politicians whose policies they detest. It's crazy to give your money to a business knowing that some small part could end up in Walker's hands.

I've got news for you David. 5% of most things you buy anywhere in the state ends up in "Walker's hands". So I guess you'll just have to do business in Illinois or Minnesota 'til he gets voted out of office.

The Facebook Page to boycott Scott Walkers contributors has over 22,ooo supporters and is growing everyday!

Ok so they gave 300 dollars, but people this is a small business, not m&i, not the koch bros, its a small business. Trust me these arnt the ones to go after for ripping off the country. Look to the big guys for that. These are just normal people looking to make a buck like everyone else. And to persecute them for their personal opinion isnt right. You want to boycott, tell them thats what we will be doing to wall street and big bank corporations not small businesses that I havent even heard of before.

If your that intent on boycotting a contributer go after Walmart not your neighbors.

I think people need to check carefully into Sendik's . There are several different owners of Sendik's stores. There are two different Balistreri families that own Sendiks and the Nehrings. From my research it was the Tom Balistreri Jr. Family that owns the Sendiks in Brookfield,
that gave a large contribution to Scott Walker. I'm not sure about Jeff Stone.

Bottom line here is; The owners of this store donated money to Scott Walker's campaign. In doing so, they are subject to what is called a secondary boycott. It's legal, Jami. It's something you have to deal with just as the store would have no objections of staying in business while any teacher at the local elementary school lost their job as a resuly of the laws Walker places on the teachers. When you are in business and you make contributions, it's necessary to think about what your actions mean. For every action, there is a reaction. Think about all the insults delivered to people on the left by people on the right at the capitol building, day in and day out. The people on the left were losing, so there was really no need for people on the right to be there, yet they came in droves. They wanted to antagonize more and put on more pressure. I'm sure it was all fun. It usually is when you are winning. No it seems the tides are quickly shifting and now mom and pop businesses are feeling a pinch. Shame, Shame. When the store in boycotted, feel free to do as you did at the capitol. Grab up your sign with contrary literature and walk your line next to the picketers. It's totally legal. You can even vote on April 5th.....it's an entitlement. The gentlemen that came into the store were actually too kind in speaking with you in advance. If I were leading the group in your city, I would have waited until Saturday afternoon or your busiest day, and show up without notice. Enjoy!

The Balistreri Family is listed as the owner of all stores since 1926, so it is possible the store is managed by
Nehrings or franchised. In the campaign funds is as follows for Balistreri and it's stores;

Balistreri, Kathleen J - Colgate, WI 53017
Sendik's Food Market - $500.00

Balistreri, Salvatore J - Mequon, WI 53092
Sendik's Food Market $100.00

Balistreri, Ted- Mequon, WI 53092
Sendik's Food Market $250.00

Balistreri, Thomas - Colgate, WI 53017
Sendik's Food Market $100.00

Balistreri, Maureen E - Mequon, WI 53092
Sendik's Food Market $100.00

Balistreri, Kathleen J - Colgate, WI 53017
Sendik's Food Market $200.00

Balistreri, Maureen E - Mequon, WI 53092
Sendik's Food Market $110.00

Balistreri, Maureen E Mequon, WI 53092
Sendik's Food Market $110.00

Balistreri, Theodore T - Whitefish Bay, WI 53217
Sendik's Food Market $300.00

Balistreri, Kathleen J - Colgate, WI 53017
Sendik's Food Market $200.00

Kathleen and Tom own the Brookfield store. The balance of the Balistreri's own the red bag stores. They have nothing to do with the one on Downer or Oakland.

I guess any Sendiks will do. Maybe they didn't have bus fare to Shorewood:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/118304764.html

If anyone has read my earlier comments they'll see that I have a pretty low opinion of the Nehrings, whether they run a local business or not. I'm also on the left side of the divider and contrary to the averages, an owner of a manufacturing business. That said, I feel 'organized' boycotts are called for only instances of blatant business activism, discrimination, or criminal behavior.

I pretested in Madison and I personally donated to Democratic candidates, but I also feel it's the Nehrings right to PERSONALLY support their candidates. I feel a business owner making personal contribution to a cause does not merit an organized boycott. We live in a supposed democracy and that's their right. If you or I opt to shop elsewhere because we disagree with their politics, that's our right, but an organized boycott is punishing their business and it's employees for something that's absolutely legal and encouraged - being involved. I strongly disagree with their politics, but that's America.

Where I draw the line is when the business itself make contributions that could be viewed as excessive - to candidates, PACs, etc. I draw the line when a business posts political signs at their establishment or signs with political statements. The business is then involved in activism and should be prepared for an activist response. The business is overtly taking a portion of their customers money and using it to promote a political agenda. Yes, then I feel it's OK to publicly point that out to those who may not want their money to be used to fund ideas that they disagree with.

However we have a right to vote Democratic or Republican and to make legal contributions to those parties. This is part of our democratic process. Do the recall process. Wisconsin allows it, but an organized boycott of a business because the owners supported the other side is simply wrong. Shop somewhere else if YOU'D like, but a boycott of a business is should be saved for a significant, business offense.

If the owners of the shorewood Sendik's REALLY wanted to be "in touch" with the community, MAYBE they would start excepting FOOD STAMP CARDS from customers who have had no other choice since they have lost their jobs.

"I care very much about the community and the employees because they are my family"

By not doing so, they CLEARLY DON'T CARE about the community on many levels.

I have met the Nehrings socially and have found them to be very nice people. With all due respect, I also know them to be very hard-working people. I mistakenly thought they might have progressive leanings because of their purchase of the old Groppi gorcery store. So I occasionally sent them political information/comments over the past couple years and never heard anything back. Then recently, John Nehring sent me a response that bordered on menacing and hostile. After a couple of exchanges it became clear to me that he is a dedicated corporatist. While they have been good stewards to the community in some ways I think their businesses ought to be boycotted until they come to terms with the devastation Scott Walker is visiting upon our state, and the continued devastation Stone will continue in our county. Even if customers don't boycott them, they will find that the implementation of Walker's budget "repair" bill will devastate their customer base. They need to know that more of us will have to shop at Aldi's, all the while dearly missing the quality of their superior products. I believe they also own other Sendik's and V. Richard's. Our dictator Governor can give them all the tax breaks he wants now, but what good will this do them if only the most fortunate can shop at their stores?! While I personally like Anne and John, I believe they need to use a wider lens on their camera when taking a snapshot of their business future.

When I first moved here 15 years ago I gave Sendiks my business. However, after about a year I started shopping at other stores and supported local businesses like The Outpost and Sendik's at White Fish Bay. I found that Sendik's Shorewood was overly priced and the quality was inconsistent. This was long before I knew the Nehrings reputation. My source on the Nehrings came from employees and it sounded like a business that wasn't a very good employer. When John was arrested for buying stolen produce I didn't think much about it and when they weren't convicted I just filed the incident away. Personally I don't care who the Nehrings political support, it is their choice; but as a consumer I boycotted the sore long ago. Political affiliation shouldn't be a deciding factor on who we support. I would rather pay a little more to support a local merchant, but I refuse to pay a lot more. If Nehrings are committed to the community and wish to keep their customer base, they need to commit themselves to providing the quality at a reasonable market price. Public shamming drives more customers away. Nehrings will suffer from their poor business practices more than a questionable boycott.

John Nehring is free to support whomever he wishes but, when he supports such extreme and polarizing candidates, he does so at the cost of alienating the majority of his Shorewood and Bay View (doesn'nt he own Groppi's as well?) customer base. Why would a businessman do that? This seems to be stupid behavior but it's hardly surprising. Is it any stupider than buying stolen produce off the back of a truck and selling it in your store?

Is John J. O'Neill Sr. judge and jury? Who is more stupid? Informal poll begins now. Ready go!

@ joe Peterlin; if by your am I "judge and jury" comment you inquire as to whether I have an opinion; yes, I obviously do. As to your second inquiry, "who is more stupid"; Nehring for alienating his customer base and buying and reselling hot produce or me for having an opinion about it the answer is also quite obvious: you are.

Is Joe Peterlin judge and jury?

Joe Peterlin advocates that we "insist...that all businesses in Shorewood just lock their doors and throw away the key." Now that's just stupid! .

Joe Peterlin didn't really shop at Sendiks this morning; they would have taken one look at his shabby clothes and ejected him! Anybody,however, who really does shop there always spends twice as much as they would anywhere else.

Joe Peterlin apparently can't read! No wonder he supports Scott Walker; a devastated public school system will produce more dummies like him and make him seem less dumb.

@Joe "I shopped at Sendik's only just this morning and made a point to spend twice as much as usual"

You'd better with the economic difficulties coming our way with the Walker budget.

Joe, walgreens DOES accept food stamp cards.

Katfish: That must be new. They didn't accept food stamp cards few years ago. I stand corrected. Will you be boycotting them because they hedge their bets and make donations to both parties?

Joe, your reply is riddled with inaccuracies. First, you seem to assume assume I am a public employee. As far as gravy trains, the only one I know is carrying the Koch brothers and others about the pampered upper 2%. The people I believe you are referring to, according to volumes of analysis, are not grossly overpaid and so the differences between them and those in private sector is over benefits. Knocking back their pay will definitely put public employees below those in the private, simultaneously dragging down sector pay while discouraging talented people going into the public sector.

Walker wants their take home pay to drop by around 6%. Not only is the notion of having hundreds of thousands of people's economic lives disrupted over FOX-fed legends causing unfounded resentments not only sociopathic, but it will ultimately bite you in the butt. But that has been the upshot of just every thing pushed by conservatives if you really take a look at it. If there was only some way t work it that the rest of us wouldn't suffer from your dumb political choices.

There could be large number of public employees who may have to move out of Shorewood because of reduced income, and if the number of large enough it could drive down the price of housing in Shorewood.

But you see when you are blinded by ideology consequences never come to mind, just settling imaginary scores. Nice way to run a society,, isn't it Joe?

@ Keith; excellent comment but "bonk" that was the sound it bouncing off of joe's thick skull and "thud" falling to the floor beside his hobnailed boots! PS: the last part of joe's comment struck me as being accurate.

Keith: Nowhere in my statement did I make the assumption that you are a public employee. If you see that, you are hallucinating. Where are the riddling inaccuracies in my short, two sentence response, of which one sentence refers only to myself? As far as the first sentence is concerned, I'll make that about me too. I don't depend on the gravy train of entitlements continuing and don't personally see any economic difficulties coming my way.

I'm not worried about the people who have a reduced income and need to leave Shorewood and how that may or may not affect the value of my home, so why should you. I am more interested in tax relief. Don't bore me with your tired socialist baiting. I'm happy as a lark. Don't bring me down man.

All this talk of how terrible the Nehrings are is really sad. I have personally witnessed their store give thousands of dollars to many different Shorewood funding-raising events over the years. Honestly, if I were them, I would feel betrayed by the community that they have generously supported time after time and I would probably quietly exit to another suburban community where their generosity might be appreciated without questioning their politics or morals. As for the unproven charges, who of us has not done some things that we regret? I imagine many of those commenting here have done much worse than purchase stolen goods, perhaps even unknowingly. I know that I have done much worse. Perhaps it's time to take a good hard look in the mirror and leave others to their own conscience, karma and the courts. These are the kind of business owners we need more of here in Shorewood and you are encouraging them to leave? Be careful what you wish for.

I apologize to John J. O'Neill Sr. for my thoughtless outburst of anger directed at him for his criticism of the Nehrings. I'll try to be less judgmental and more thoughtful in the future. I know the Nehrings to be good, generous people in so many ways in our community. Please forgive my lack of good taste, Mr. O'Neill.