Health reform foe may keep eye on bottom line
Joseph Ciriello Pawcatuck // The Day (Letters)December 6, 2009
I read with great interest the editorial titled "High premium talk is hot air," published Dec. 2. After being constantly barraged with the TV ads by Re-think Reform, I wanted to know who really was behind such a massive effort to discredit any meaningful health care reform efforts.
Lo and behold, the sponsoring entity is the Employment Policies Institute. EPI is one of several front organizations created by Berman & Co., which is owned by Rick Berman who lobbies for the tobacco, restaurant, alcoholic beverage and hotel industries.
I don't think this guy has your or my best interests at heart. His only interest is his bottom line.
Richard Berman has been a regular front man for business and industry in campaigns against consumer safety and environmental groups. Through his public affairs firm, Berman and Company, Berman has fought unions, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, PETA and other watchdog groups in their efforts to raise awareness about obesity, the minimum wage, the dangers of smoking, mad cow disease, drunk driving, and other causes. Berman runs at least 15 industry-funded front groups and projects, such as the Center for Union Facts and holds 16 "positions" in those organizations.
Each year, Berman, using his front groups to spread misinformation, spends millions of dollars distracting the public with misleading ads.
As a result of his largesse, in 2006, Richard Berman used $2,000,000 in cash to buy this $3.3 million house.
