arthur blank politicsarthur blank politics

Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. This station is part of Cox Media Group Television. And the Falcons new stadiumscheduled to open this summerwith an estimated cost of $1.5 billion, $200 million coming from Atlanta hotel-motel taxesis definitely big and shinny with tons of gadgets to enhance the fan experience. But this is where the similarities with most other stadiums end. Now 78, he is largely beloved in Georgia as an entrepreneur, owner of two professional sports teams and a prolific philanthropist. Give them hope. Our family foundation seeks to preserve and strengthen our democracy, and weve chosen this as one of our new collective areas of giving. About Arthur Blank Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 after being fired from their jobs at a regional hardware store. Now it's ranked like seventh. It is my hope that we take this terrible moment in our history to elevate that conversation toward productive action and lasting, positive change. We, Yahoo, are part of the Yahoo family of brands. I seriously doubt the leagues TV ratings or ad revenue would suffer an iota. The Blank foundation also emphasizes environmental sustainability and aims to support programs that foster this message in the Westside. Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United owner Arthur M. Blank released a statement Monday on the importance of fair elections and democracy: "Free and fair elections are vital to the health of our. One reporter asked Fontenot whether he thought the Falcons were getting Watson. In 2014 it emerged that Bruce Levenson, who owned the NBAs Atlanta Hawks, had written an email that amongst other things theorized that the black crowd [at Philips Arena] scared away the whites, adding for good measure: I have even bitched that the kiss cam is too black. Levenson later that year sold his stake in the franchise, and the Hawks have worked hard to win back their black audience. Additionally in 2014, the Atlanta Braves announced that they were building a new stadium outside the city in the northern suburbs, and leaving Turner Field, which was originally the site of Centennial Olympic Stadium for the 1996 summer games. /AIS false Home Depot cofounders Arthur Blank and Bernie Marcus have long been on separate sides of the fence when it comes to politics. Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service. They all have a great set of eyes and they're all different. Theres a revelation of Blank stumbling dazedly into a parking lot after being abruptly forced out of Home Depot in 2001, and his devastation after the Falcons epic 2017 loss in the Super Bowl. . In 1989, the company opened its 100th store. With Enemies Like Scott Jensen, Who Needs Friends? Your support makes this possible. Arthur Blank is worried that capitalism is getting a bad rap. Soon after, Blank met his third wife Angela Macuga whom he married in 2016 and later announced their plans to divorce in 2019. I look at my six children, Batch 1, Batch 2, and, you know, they go from age 19 to age 52, if I have it right. /SA true American professional sports owners have contributed nearly $47 million in federal elections since 2015, according to research by ESPN in partnership with FiveThirtyEight, including $10 million. How do you help repair the world if we can use that expression? NOW WATCH: We combined Trump and Biden's separate town halls so you can watch an actual debate between the presidential candidates, Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories, according to records filed with the Federal Election Commission. Their siblings, their families, you know, may have gone to battle and wore a variety of uniforms for our country over many, many years. GALEO has also handed out flyers at city events, supermarkets, and churches that target Latinos. I've always believed that the circumstances around me might change, but these core values, which we discuss in the book, they're not mine, they really belong to all of us. They were trying to indicate that what the military had fought for these rights, the civil rights, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, etc. https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=Arthur%2BBlank&contributor_employer=The%2BArthur&two_year_transaction_period=2016&contributor_state=GA, https://www.ajc.com/news/local/molly-blank-strong-widow-grew-successful-business-sons/JMYrzmcGsGc4nXD58rqltJ/, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/197614, https://corporate.homedepot.com/sites/default/themes/thd/images/timeline/History-Of-The-Home-Depot.pdf, https://www.forbes.com/profile/arthur-blank/?sh=ae7b330749c3, https://www.atlantafalcons.com/team/front-office-roster/arthur-blank, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/arthur-m-blank/, https://www.atlantafalcons.com/news/statement-from-arthur-blank-on-georgia-voting-rights, https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/04/11/companies-voting-bills-states/, https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/arthur-blank-wife-angela-are-getting-a-divorce/897352464/, https://saportareport.com/a-longtime-anonymous-donor-reveals-her-identity/sections/abcarticles/maria_saporta/, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/dena-kimball/, https://blankfoundation.org/trustee/kenny-blank/. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Wednesday he is encouraged by the progress of quarterback Desmond Ridder and the potential of building around the rookie. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank is married to Angela Macuga, his third wife. Well, I shouldn't say I'm not. In total, they anticipate hosting each year 40 to 50 big events and an additional 100 to 200 small events in the neighboring park that will be built where the Georgia Dome currently resides. Here, using insidegov.com's database, are the disclosed political donations* for majority NFL owners dating back to the 2008 election. So, then we opened up The Home Depot. Blank who grew up in New York City said he believes the US is going through one of the most tumultuous times in its history. "And I'm not 100 years old I'm getting there, but I'm not but the things I see and deal with are just inherently not what's made this country great. He received his MBA from Harvard. endobj Organizations also called to move The Masters, which begins April 8. Is Arthur Blank the Only Good Owner in the NFL? - The Daily Beast Arthur Blank is firmly in Joe Biden's corner. That should never be tolerated. We are better than this We are better than this as a country. Falcons GM comments on pursuing Deshaun Watson last offseason Good Company is billed as a visionary road-map for creating successful businesses. Marcus handed the CEO reigns to Blank in 1997; Blank held the position until a new president and CEO was hired in 2000. Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email. When GALEO was established, Georgias Latino community was not well represented, nor was it a viable electoral force; today, there are over 385,000 registered Latino voters in the state. So, we had great confidence in our own abilities. /CreationDate (D:20210314125741+02'00') Falcons owner Arthur Blank is weighing in on Georgia's sweeping overhaul of election laws. And so he's used that time since he got out of prison and giving back to community, speaking to young people. They have no serious public, political advocates. We've broken every season ticket record per game. Open, honest dialogue is needed on a much greater scale. To assist with the effective inclusion of community voices, the city of Atlanta participated in the Living Cities City Accelerator program, which streamlined and articulated (PDF) best practices for service providers and community leaders to build stable communities in Atlanta. So I think that part of that comes out of really being a good listener and responding to what you're hearing and trying to find a way to make things work for the benefit of everybody collaboratively. Falcons owner Arthur Blank to miss Sunday's game due to positive COVID 2, In the late 1970s, Arthur Blank was an officer at Handy Dan, a regional hardware store chain in Southern California. He released a statement five days after Gov. 2023 Cox Media Group. ', We have to be better than this moment. Atlanta rapper, advocate Killer Mike has message for protestors https://t.co/zb3oMHK7sx, "You are disgracing the life of George Floyd and every other person who has been killed in this country. Learn about careers at Cox Media Group. Of the other 60% who do come, half are rooting for the other team. So I understood what they were saying: They just wanted support noise. I mean, those fans, they feel like that's the only sport that we're hosting in that stadium. The public discourse on these and other issues is too divisive, too political. I felt and others felt that we could be successful here. And it's all connected not only to associates, but to the communities in which we live and operate. It had to do with our set of values.". Brian and Arthur welcomed their daughter Blake into the world via Arthur's sister Aoife, who acted as a surrogate for the couple, back in September -- with Brian previously teasing the documentary before Blake's arrival. You know, dig in [your] heels and it becomes, "My territory, your territory," etc. In their sixth season of Major League Soccer, the Five Stripes bring some new faces onto the field this year. This is not a protest. 14, He also had three children with his second wife of 16 years, Stephanie Blank. The stadium boasts roughly 4,000 solar panels and will use 70 percent less energy. But staying in the city and trying to work with the community definitely beats the usual stadium construction scam and unwanted racial division that has become far too common in sports today. The Falcons owner, Arthur Blank, the co-founder of Home Depot with a net worth of $3 billion, at first glance certainly fits the bill of your standard billionaire athletic team owner. Opponents of the bill argue it's too restrictive and targets minority voters. Inside The Political Donation History Of Wealthy Sports Owners If you do not want us and our partners to use cookies and personal data for these additional purposes, click 'Reject all'. /ColorSpace /DeviceRGB 12, Blank has been married three times. He details the inception and rapid success of Atlanta United, and responding to the NFL protests that began in 2016. Political Donations: Blank has largely donated to Democratic causes, most notably: $32,400 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2013; $28,500 to the Obama Victory Fund in '08; and. Over the next two years (2021-2023), we will create an inclusive relationship with and among these grantees to share ideas, best practices, lessons and challenges. 3, By 1981, Home Depots stock went public and raised over $4 million. United States, Copyright 2023, Georgia Public Broadcasting. It's our job is to serve the American people and I think we need to have more focus on that.". Brian Kemp signed SB 202 into law. Atlanta, GA 30318 So you take your time, you get the words out and people will listen to you. So I think that from those days in college where I raised my hand and I know my buddies around the class would think, Oh, boy, here goes another 5-minute answer, you know? There was a six-year period in there, when things went a little south. Mercedes-Benz Stadium is located adjacent to the Falcons current home, the Georgia Dome, in Atlantas Westside. The foundation is . In order to put this grinding pandemic behind us once and for all? 3 0 obj My suspicion is that while Dungy and Tirico and dozens if not hundreds of other NFL leaders may have been surprised by Grudens racist imagery, they arent as unfamiliar with his other boys club stupidity. It is making no promises that it will reveal everything it has found out about the Redskins and others who had contact with the team. On Thursday, Falcons owner Arthur Blank's foundation donated a five-year, $17 million grant to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta. We sold out the entire stadium in two-and-a-half hours. /Type /XObject The pair always strove to create a work environment that put people before politics, said Blank. A little shaky now. Bernard Marcus - Wikipedia All the issues that Colin [Kaepernick] raised at that time [2016-2107] about the social injustice and lack of equality and equity in the criminal system and all those issues, I think they were real then and they're certainly real now. And, you know, you see the blending of every type of person and personality you can imagine. Its a story about making bad choices and the impact of young people. Pictured is the famous napkin deal that sealed Arthur Blanks agreement with Taylor Smith to purchase the Atlanta Falcons for $545 million in 2001. And I remember him looking at me saying, If I told your mother what you just said, she would wash your mouth out with soap. But that was the last thing I said. Blank retired as Home Depot's co-chairman in. 4, Blank purchased the NFLs Atlanta Falcons for more than $540 million shortly after stepping down as CEO of Home Depot. Minnesota Legislature, What Are You Chewing? At the end of the day, you can have differences of opinion, which is a great thing to have, and different approaches, which is a great thing to have. By all accounts, those associated with the new stadium and the Westside view their presence as at least a 10-20 year commitment toward revitalizing a downtrodden community and bringing the city together. . 1 2 . Another Home. His faith is very strong. The family foundation has already invested over $20 million into the surrounding community. And they found ways to get things done with people who had a little bit a different view but found that commonality that was really important. And that's one of our core values as well: Include everybody. This is not a good way to make a living. Blank donated another $35,500 to the Democratic National Committee, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Arthur Blank talks sensible gun reform. So it was good. Martin Luther King Jr. once lived in this part of town, but decades of disinvestment and neglect have resulted in over 40 percent of the community living in poverty with an unemployment rate twice that of the rest of Atlanta. (Confidentiality, you know.) Blank is a dedicated Democratic supporter, having donated thousands to Hillary Clinton's campaign, the Bullock Victory Fund, which backs the party's 2020 candidate for Montana senator, Gov. All of which is, yknow, really classy stuff. If you don't make good choices, you can end up being in really bad places. Continued: https://t.co/yePGJUaGVV, Ive got a lot of love and respect for police officers., We dont want to see Targets burning. Since then, they have re-organized their focus areas more specifically into four groups: policy advocacy, organizing and civic engagement, impact litigation, and legal services. For more information about Life Itself, visit the . Democracy - The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation stream 9. Generally speaking they dont do a lot to lift up the communities and neighborhoods around them. GALEO strives for a better Georgia where the Latino community is engagedcivically, and its contributions and concerns are recognized. Brian Kemp signed the controversial bill, which includes new restrictions on voting by mail and greater legislative control over how elections are run. They're a PR's dream because they rarely say the wrong thing. For years, Americans have fallen prey to the con of wealthy businessmen who want to build shiny new sports arenas yet dont want to pay for them. Full statement from Arthur Blank: https://t.co/1lU870TGWa pic.twitter.com/0qejiahKKY, Please, please stop this violence!! This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. And so think about the implications of the choices you're making for yourself and for your loved ones, etc. Political Affiliations of Retail Leaders - liveabout.com The Athletic reported that Blank gave $2,800 to Biden, the Democratic nominee for president, on July 1. Arthur Blank's Wives & Family: 5 Fast Facts | Heavy.com . But I know where his heart is and his heart is really in a good place. And so he speaks to people throughout the United States, young people primarily, about that. In 1978, they co-founded the home-improvement retailer The Home Depot, with the help of merchandising expert Pat Farrah and New York investment banker Ken Langone who assembled a group of investors. Arthur Blank Archives - Wry Wing PoliticsWry Wing Politics Also watchRISING UP: A Westside Story,a documentary film by David Lewis Productions that gives viewers a detailed look into the ideation, construction, and impact of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the city of Atlanta. No, I'm not. But Still Not Even an Indictment. Kemp and the law's backers said it provides some common-sense reformsto ensure elections are secure. Why Should Tim Walz Even Bother Debating Scott Jensen? Today, Blank is the Chairman of AMB Group LLC, parent company of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United. Stop feeding fear and anger every day. Tikkun Olam [a Jewish concept of repairing the world through action]. More must be done to bring people together through meaningful change. Now, the last game we had in the Georgia Dome before we moved to Mercedes Benz Stadium in August of 2017, wewere honoring all of our ring of honor members and he was one of them. The Athletic's Felipe Crdenas joined Georgia Public Broadcasting's Orlando Montoya tohelp breakdown what fans can expect this year on and off the field. This is chaos. But thus far Blank and those connected to the stadium appear committed to using this opportunity as one to enhance and not exploit this community. Blank also owns Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, a sports and entertainment facility valued at $1.5 billion that hosted the 2019 Super Bowl. In the 1940sGeorgia mountains, eight children were taken into the woods and left to die. a guy regularly reviled by sportswriters, players and fans as a (very wealthy) toxic idiot. After cofounding Home Depot in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1978, Blank and Marcus helped put the do-it-yourself phenomenon on the map by offering the tools for personal home renovations. The 74-year-old Blank, who Forbes estimates has an estimated net worth of $3.1 billion, is the director of Cox. Blank retired from the company in 2001 as co-chairman. Low Expectations and Dark Hopes for the New Year, Minnesotas Wealthiest Social Security Beneficiaries Shouldnt Be First in Line for Help, Time to Limit HOAs Solar Panel Policing Powers, Pop Quiz: How Many People Actually Know Whats Going On?. But my mother would say to me, You know, what you have to say is important. They all have a great set of values. It Now Actually Matters, a Lot. And today that's 2,200 stores in Canada, United States and Mexico probably have a market capitalization today of about $300 billion. And whether, you know, be it Dr. King or, a great friend to America and a great leader, Congressman Lewis, [who] was a great personal friend of mine and served our country beautifully, would say peaceful nonviolent protest is how we that's how we make progress. Blank credits his mother with giving him his first lesson in entrepreneurship. I listen to what he says and sometimes I'll cringe. Arthur Blank is getting more involved in the political process. That was in 1979. He notes pervasive cynicism about corporate leaders and perceptions that the drive for profit comes at the expense of public good. How? So that's really what it was about. And Ambassador Young, another good friend would say the same thing. I know you see my partner, Bernie, on Fox News very often. What Does Hamline Not Understand About Academic Freedom? Support more understanding and be better listeners trying to see how the other people, you know, try to stand in the footsteps of others. And if I stop talking now for two minutes, you realize just how long two minutes is. During the 2020 elections, Blank contributed $300,000 to the Biden Victory Fund, $35,000 to the Democratic National Convention, and tens of thousands of dollars to state Democratic Party committees. ~B?/"J()NF =|Z|&t?jCJw)C 0H>~9 ( 81c2fO=a>}@#y}~9]jqCZ'}*x:qj@PTj+2>dm?aU2 8'z?mWm)yt7,?:99=, +oG6 <4!I lg, ]6vDT2zu9~1bA'px#?)X&,:irv.q'/U:~]{tf&[eR|ozKD-sCEAMnO e=#MguofhNFT1vMfH# Q,e_oZdb_47OatAYs2=LJr~R1# gwg],Xs7q72 f) _n:R-r9-:Q`Mg?_t*"v8? . And I love him. He had a gun on his lap, sitting on his right thigh. Max died when Arthur was 15, leaving his mother to grow what became a multi-million-dollar business. Prior to the construction of the Georgia Dome they played at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium with the Atlanta Braves, and you could see the spot where Hank Aaron surpassed Babe Ruth in home runs. His is another example of how well powerful systems, in this case, the almighty NFL, can throw a PR cocoon around people and project to the public only the parts of its culture that serve its business interests until they dont. He also goes public about the pain of learning of Michael Vicks role in an illegal dogfighting ring, along with other ups and downs in a life of unimaginable financial success. Her father was one half of Rodgers and Hammerstein. So I'm happy to see that, you know, he came back to Atlanta and spent time here. And myself, if you will, I'm at the very bottom of the pyramid as a servant leader and somebody who is there to provide leadership, but also provide whatever that needs to be done for us to be successful. Our frontline associates and all those businesses come next. That Vote for Secretary of State? We must not accept or condone violence in any way. The Number of White Teachers About to Get Fired is Exactly Zero. My dad didn't look at who it was. Arthur Blank - Wikipedia During the past year, GALEO staff and volunteers have participated in events at food banks, churches, and schools, where they provide information while assisting with free COVID-19 testing and food distribution. Then I would not be bashful about asking questions. The Georgia Dome was also built for the Olympics, and construction for Philips Arenathe Hawks home, which sits next door to the Dome and where the previous basketball arena, the Omni Colosseum, once satbegan in 1997. So, that represents that melting-pot philosophy: Were all in this together. We dont have the answers, but we are committed to listening and responding to the people who have made this their lifes work and to the citizens they serve.