Berman Exposed: News, News Releases, and Berman Front Groups

NY seeks 'fat tax' on sodas to fight rising US obesity

pbjork — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:45:50 -0500

State Health Commissioner Richard Daines took up the issue Monday, speaking of a "golden opportunity" to create the tax.

"The dramatic underpricing of sugar-sweetened beverages, their widespread availability, and the ceaseless marketing of these products constitute a stumbling block to good health and are a clear and present danger to the future of our children," Daines said.

Beverage group is wrong to argue against ignition locks

pbjork — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 10:44:25 -0500

In arguing against Maryland's proposed law that would require first-time drunk-driving offenders to use ignition interlocks, the American Beverage Institute worries that the law would inhibit people from having a second drink when dining out or attending sporting events ["Md., Va. consider ignition breathalyzers for first offense," Metro, March 2]. ABI managing director Sarah Longwell said, "We don't think that they should be punished to the same degree as somebody who has 10 drinks and then drives."

Soda tax back on the table

pbjork — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 11:59:11 -0500

The fat tax is back.

A year after Gov. David Paterson abandoned his controversial proposal to tax soft drinks, the plan is enjoying a second wind, with Mayor Michael Bloomberg endorsing it Sunday as a way to raise money and save lives.

But bodega owners say the tax would kill their businesses, support in Albany is far from assured and New Yorkers chaffed at the idea of yet another tax.

New Web Site Set To Dog Humane Society

pbjork — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:31:51 -0500

The farming sector has received negative press of late concerning food contamination cases, recalls, antibiotics overuse and, more recently, calling into question animal agriculture as a threat to animal welfare and global climate change.

Ask a farmer involved in livestock production and he’s likely to say that much of the bad publicity is the work of animal rights activists. It’s a fight that’s been going on for years.

Pet donations: What to know before you contribute

pbjork — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 11:05:06 -0500

The nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom took out another ad recently in a national newspaper criticizing the way the Humane Society of the United States doles out its dollars. The headline says "Shouldn't the Humane Society do Better?'' Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of HSUS, said Wednesday the attack is "unjustified and fraudulent."

According to the advertisement, HSUS gives less than one-half of one percent of its $100 million budget to hands-on pet shelters. Pacelle says working with shelters is only a small part of what HSUS does for animals.

Lawmakers consider ignition interlock for all DWI offenders

pbjork — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:58:38 -0500

ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The state Senate's transportation committee heard testimony Tuesday from supporters of a bill that would require ignition interlock systems for all drunken driving offenders -- even first-time offenders.

Ignition interlock forces drivers to blow into a machine and prove they haven't been drinking before their vehicles will start.

"This is a good bill," Tim Leslie of the state's Public Safety department told lawmakers. "It provides both public safety on our roadways and legal driving opportunities for DUI offenders."

Ignition locks are debated

pbjork — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:14:01 -0500

Advocates for a crackdown on drunken driving squared off against the alcoholic beverage industry Thursday over an O'Malley administration-supported bill that would require court-determined drunken drivers to install devices that would prevent their cars from being started if they have been drinking alcohol.

Proponents of the so-called ignition interlock technology went into the Senate hearing with high hopes that they can win passage of at least a compromise version of a bill that has failed in previous years. But the measure, which would make the program mandatory for even first-time offenders, still faces a steep climb - particularly in the House of Delegates.

Sign is one of a kind at local McDonald's

pbjork — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:57:09 -0500

Order a Big Mac at the McDonald’s in Texas Children’s Hospital, and it will set you back 540 calories. A Quarter Pounder will cost you 26 grams of fat.

Along with prices on the burger joint’s menu board in the hospital, consumers can now see how many calories and grams of fat and carbohydrates their meal will include.

It’s the only McDonald’s in Texas to have the features, which the hospital hopes will help consumers make healthier choices.

Humane Society Spars With Consumers Group

pbjork — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:37:28 -0500

The Humane Society of the United States is barking back after the start of a high-profile campaign that includes a new Web site attacking its work.

The Web site, HumaneWatch.org, was created by the Center for Consumer Freedom, a nonprofit group run by Washington lobbyist Richard Berman that advocates in behalf of restaurants and other companies.

The Center for Consumer Freedom ran a full-page advertisement in Tuesday's New York Times announcing the new Web site and saying that "the dog-watchers need a watchdog."

New Center for Consumer Freedom website targets Humane Society of the United States

pbjork — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:06:44 -0500

Anyone who's ever glanced at the website PETAKillsAnimals.com is familiar, whether they know it or not, with a group that calls itself the Center for Consumer Freedom.

The Center for Consumer Freedom -- headed up by a lobbyist for the food, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries named Richard Berman -- has long been at odds with groups like PETA and the Humane Society of the United States. (For the record, though, it has also worked to discredit non-animal-related advocacy groups including Mothers Against Drunk Driving through its ActivistCash.com website. Another of its websites, ObesityMyths.com, attempts to debunk what it describes as "myths" about human health. Among those "myths": "Obesity will shorten life expectancy" and "Obesity has made diabetes epidemic.")

Barnyard brawl a-comin': Food sector lobbyists launch website aimed at the Humane Society

pbjork — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 11:00:35 -0500

Get ready for a food fight.

Animal rights groups have long kept a sharp eye (and a bounty of hidden cameras) on livestock farmers and others who raise animals for meat production. Now, the food producers are turning the tables: They’re siccing their own watchdog on the animal world’s largest guardian – the Humane Society of the United States.

Consumer Freedom Publishes Petty Attack Ad Against Humane Society

pbjork — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:49:17 -0500

Please ask, who paid for that attack ad against The HSUS in today’s New York Times? What is the so-called “Center for Consumer Freedom” and what corporations fund this shadowy organization?

New watchdog for Humane Society

pbjork — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:14:59 -0500

Animal rights has be come a key phrase for raising money, and some groups such as the Humane Society of the United States raise tons of it saying they save pets and animals.

The question is, where does all this money go?

The Center for Consumer Freedom is announcing the launch of HumaneWatch.org, a watchdog project dedicated to analyzing the activities of the Humane Society of the United States, the largest anti-hunting and fishing group in the country.

Believe a simple fact: Alcohol ignition interlocks save lives

pbjork — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:12:29 -0500

I read with great concern the opinion in The Tennessean on Feb. 18 written by the managing director of the American Beverage Institute regarding life-saving alcohol ignition interlocks ("MADD's interlock proposal lumps all drinkers in same category").

The institute has a long, sad history of fighting to keep drunken drivers on the road. Over the past 20 years, this Washington-based organization has opposed nearly every measure proven effective and widely accepted by the public to stop drunken driving and save lives.

HumaneWatch.org

pbjork — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:14:28 -0500

HumaneWatch.org is a project of the Center for Consumer Freedom funded by the food-and-beverage industry to promote misinformation about the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).

SPECIAL REPORT: DUI Checkpoints...Do They Work?

pbjork — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 11:10:31 -0500

PALM SPRINGS - In 2010 over 1,000 people will die in drunk driving crashes in California. Local police believe DUI checkpoints are a way to save lives while a national organization says there are other more efficient ways. Palm Springs driver, Holly Connor says they are all over the place. Allan Borges of Palm Springs said he went through one on Super Bowl Sunday.

Two bills, two targets close to home: Sugary drinks and cell-phone radiation

pbjork — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 10:17:57 -0500

SACRAMENTO — Enjoy a sugary drink every now and then? Unless you switch to diet, it could cost you a few extra pennies.

And are you thinking of buying a new cell phone? If you're the nervous type, better do it now — before California requires retailers to display in big numbers how much radiation the devices emit.

A pair of bills unveiled in the Legislature on Thursday seek to dramatically shift our relationships with two American staples: our pop cans and our phones.

Rick Berman Attacks the Humane Society

pbjork — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:54:38 -0500

Front group man extraordinaire Rick Berman and his attack group, the Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF), have launched a new Web site, HumaneWatch.org, to harass the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the country's largest animal welfare organization. In pursuing its mission of stopping animal cruelty, HSUS has apparently run afoul of some large, wealthy business interests, and now it is getting some major pushback.

The Humane Society works to stop egregious, ongoing animal abuse, particularly in money-making enterprises like puppy mills, factory farming, dogfighting, cockfighting, and unsporting hunting practices like "canned hunts," where hunters pay to shoot at captive, domestically-raised, exotic animals.

Letter: 'Health care is not a commodity'

pbjork — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:07:35 -0500

In response to the Jan. 28 letter to the editor "Wrong numbers fuel poor policies "by Kristen Lopez Eastlick, it's interesting to note the letter writer's affiliation.

Eastlick is paid by the Economic Policy Institute which lobbies on behalf of hotel, alcoholic beverages, tobacco and restaurant industries. This group opposes any minimum wage laws and living wage ordinances. Since 1991, it has argued against any health care reform and either cherry picks or cooks data to support its positions.

Smashing ACORN: Scandal 'the last straw' for advocacy group in Michigan

pbjork — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:06:34 -0500

You haven't seen Carrie Guzman on the television shows hosted by archconservatives Bill O'Reilly or Glenn Beck. Her name hasn't appeared on the op-ed page of The Wall Street Journal. And she hasn't shown up in any surreptitiously videotaped sting operations conducted by youthful right-wing zealots.

In fact, Guzman represents a face of the group ACORN that has been largely absent from the media in general since various factions of the right wing set out to discredit and cripple the anti-poverty organization.

The Other Political Super Bowl Ad

pbjork — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:03:57 -0500

Watching TV in Washington, DC--particularly cable news--carries the distinct drawback of exposing District viewers to more political ads out of election season, commonly run by interest groups seeking to influence the national discussion by gaining the ear of opinion makers.

The Super Bowl was no different: to the surprise of anyone consumed by anticipation of the Tim Tebow abortion ad, CBS's DC feed carried a political ad criticizing U.S. debt, featuring American children pledging allegiance to the Chinese government.

If the Tebow ad was demurely apolitical, this ad was anything but.

Industry front maligns work of Humane Society

pbjork — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:49:49 -0500

A letter writer from Billings gets it wrong when she falsely characterizes the work of The Humane Society of the United States (“Local donations will result in aid reaching animals,” Jan. 30). She relies on false information from the misnamed Center for Consumer Freedom, an industry front for tobacco, alcohol and agribusiness, which serves no function other than to attack organizations that promote food safety, public health or animal welfare.

Is Coke's Fizz Going Flat?

pbjork — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:51:55 -0500

Like a tobacco company, Coca-Cola primarily sells one product--in its case, sugar water--that is linked to a number of diseases. It's under fire all over the world for its environmental, human rights, and health record. Here at home, it finds itself as the potential target of new taxation, expelled from America's schools, and outflanked by its nimbler competitor, PepsiCo. Angry parents, activist scientists, and wary shareholders are watching the company's every step.

Campus Right Unbowed by Okeefe Scandal

pbjork — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:49:43 -0500

When James O’Keefe applied for a grant to fund a conservative newspaper at Rutgers University, he appealed to people like Sarah Longwell. As the senior program officer at the Collegiate Network, she toured campuses across America to help conservative and libertarian students start newspapers or keep their publications running. She “read basically every conservative college paper,” and got to know the sort of people attracted to the unpaid work of right-leaning campus muckraking.

Smashing ACORN

pbjork — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:47:28 -0500

Emblem: Corporate lobbying arms ‘the power to change the debate’

pbjork — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:28:31 -0500

“Propaganda” is a form of communication aimed at emotionally influencing the public’s attitude toward some cause or position as opposed to impartially providing information.

There are grassroots, tax-exempt organizations that actually educate and open up public dialogue with information to allow for well-informed decisions. There are also others with grassroots-sounding names fueled by corporate lobbyists who use the powerful and effective tools of fear and distrust to swiftly shut down debate. Some of these “public policy” sounding organizations claim to be non-partisan “think tanks” but are puppet organizations of corporate lobbyists.

Oregon teen unemployment third highest

pbjork — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:57:43 -0500

Not only does Oregon have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation at 11 percent, the state’s teen unemployment rate is now the third-highest.

Analysis of preliminary data by the Washington, D,C-based Employment Policies Institute shows that the teen unemployment rate in Oregon has averaged just over 31 percent over the last year. This is nearly 28 percent higher than the national teen average, and the third-highest average state teen unemployment rate in the nation.

Government union rolls grow as layoffs hit private sector

pbjork — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:46:50 -0500

WASHINGTON — A majority of union members now work for the government, partly because of huge numbers of layoffs during the prolonged recession, which has accelerated the downward spiral of union dues-paying members in private business.

Local, state and government workers make up 51.5 percent of all union members, becoming the majority of organized labor for the first time, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

Most U.S. Union Members Are Working for the Government, New Data Shows

pbjork — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:45:12 -0500

For the first time in American history, a majority of union members are government workers rather than private-sector employees, the Bureau of Labor Statistics announced on Friday.

In its annual report on union membership, the bureau undercut the longstanding notion that union members are overwhelmingly blue-collar factory workers. It found that membership fell so fast in the private sector in 2009 that the 7.9 million unionized public-sector workers easily outnumbered those in the private sector, where labor’s ranks shrank to 7.4 million, from 8.2 million in 2008.

DefeatTheDebt.com

pbjork — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 11:00:08 -0500

DefeatTheDebt.com is a project of the Employment Policies Institute that provides information regarding the national debt and promotes methods for reducing that debt from a pro-business perspective.