Dear McDonald's

Dear McDonald's,

I have been a lifetime consumer of your product. While you don't provide the best food in the industry, you provide consistency better than anyone else. Wherever I am, I know what I am getting when I enter a McDonald's. And so I go. I support your company regularly, especially now that I have kids.

But now that I have given you so much, I feel it is okay for me to ask one thing of you. My Congressional Representatives and even my President are telling me that significant budget cuts are the ONLY way to pay for our government to run. I can agree that some cuts may be necessary and might even be wise, but when I hear what is being cut, I have to question their wisdom.

Interestingly, another option for fixing the budget is to collect taxes that should have been paid in the first place. Did you know that in Britain they figured out that the amount of budget cuts recommended almost exactly fit the amount of taxes dodged by companies? It's happening here too. If companies paid their taxes rather than searching out legal loopholes (and paying for lobbyists to have Congress create these loopholes), we might not need these difficult cuts at all.

My children love PBS children's programming. In fact, it is all they watch. I can trust the content and I am amazed that they actually learn from the programs too. You must feel the same way because McDonald's is a proud sponsor of some of these shows. That's great. Thanks for doing that. 

It's too bad that my kids may not get to watch these favorite shows since the Republicans have presented a budget that cuts all funding for Public Broadcasting. Perhaps now would be a good time to stand up for what your commercials say you believe in. The US Government Accountability Office notes that McDonald's is among the worst offenders of exploiting tax havens. So, it is possible that if you paid your taxes, like the rest of the citizenry, we may not be facing this budget crisis. And you do utilize services such as police and fire fighters, and you use roads and other infrastructure to name a few things that are paid for through taxation. Why shouldn't you shoulder your share when I am expected to and do shoulder mine?

You have a few actions you can take: 1. Publicly stand up for Public Broadcasting. Stand with the programming you claim to support 2. Stop dodging your taxes. This country made it possible for your company to flourish, why do you not feel a responsibility towards it? Be a vocal role model. 3. Should this budget pass, use your resources to pay to keep NPR and PBS stations on air.

I am sure I can count on you, just as you have counted on my support all these years. 

Sincerely,
Jennifer Vannette