Wingnut Dollars
Augie Chiausa
Sidebar: Petrodollar Scholars
Billionaire oilmen Charles and David Koch are fast joining the Scaifes, the Olins,
the Bradleys and the Smith-Richardsons as major funding sources for the
conservative movement's powerful "third stream" of political money, channeled
from philanthropic foundations into right-wing causes. The Koch foundations now
lavish $4 million to $5 million a year on anti-regulatory "free market" think tanks
and other groups.
At a recent conference, Koch Industries vice president Richard Fink outlined the
Kochs' strategy of investing in each stage of idea development -- from academic
research and the recruitment of young scholars, to think tanks for refining ideas
into policy, to "implementation" groups that push the concepts into reality. "We at
the Koch Foundation view them as complementary institutions, each critical for
social transformation," Fink stated.
To advance their goals, the Kochs have entered into a pragmatic alliance with
Republican politicians. In the early 1990s, for instance, the Kochs gave
$300,000 to Citizens for Congressional Reform, which was supporting state
initiatives to impose Congressional term limits, then a key G.O.P. tactic for
breaking Democratic control of Congress. The Kochs did so even though term
limits would seem to conflict with their libertarian philosophy.
The Koch-founded Cato Institute, too, has expanded its Washington influence by
working with G.O.P. free-market devotees such as House majority leader Dick
Armey. From 1986 to 1994, the three Koch foundations gave Cato $11.9 million
as the think tank attacked social welfare programs and government handouts.
In 1984 Fink founded a new anti-regulatory group, Citizens for a Sound
Economy, which has received more than $9.3 million from Koch foundations.
C.S.E. is now an important weapon in the assault on government interference in
business, from environmental rules to agencies testing foods and medicines.
C.S.E. is now chaired by C. Boyden Gray, President Bush's White House
counsel.
With Koch Industries a major oil company, the Kochs' investment in C.S.E. has
paid dividends to the corporate bottom line. In 1993, C.S.E. organized national
pressure against President Clinton's proposed energy tax, known as the B.T.U.
tax. "Our belief is that the tax, over time, may have destroyed our business," Fink
told The Wichita Eagle. While the Koch foundations could not legally lobby
against the tax, C.S.E. rallied public opposition, especially in Oklahoma, where
then-Senator David Boren agreed to help kill it.
C.S.E. has served as a direct Republican resource, too. In 1995 Bob Dole
asked Gray to write the G.O.P. regulatory reform bill, Congressional Quarterly
reported. The initiative sought a broad rollback of government regulations and
contained a provision to undercut the E.P.A.'s enforcement of antipollution laws.
Noting a pending environmental suit against Koch Industries, some critics
claimed the clause could have shielded the company from liability. The rollback
bill was stopped by a Democratic filibuster.
ROBERT PARRY
Joseph R. Darancette
Augie Chiausa <A.Ch...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>Sidebar: Petrodollar Scholars
> Billionaire oilmen Charles and David Koch are fast joining the Scaifes, the Olins,
> the Bradleys and the Smith-Richardsons as major funding sources for the
> conservative movement's powerful "third stream" of political money, channeled
> from philanthropic foundations into right-wing causes. The Koch foundations now
> lavish $4 million to $5 million a year on anti-regulatory "free market" think tanks
> and other groups.
Do you feel that any of the above mentioned people are laundering
ChiCom money? Are they doing anything illegal?
***************************************************************
Joseph R. Darancette
<dar...@primenet.com>
http://www.primenet.com/~daranc/ctci/
"Among other evils which being unarmed bringes you, it
causes you to be despised."
--Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince
*************************************************************
Augie Chiausa
Michael Rivero wrote:
>
> In article <33A6AF...@worldnet.att.net>,
> Augie Chiausa <A.Ch...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
> >Sidebar: Petrodollar Scholars
> >
> > Billionaire oilmen Charles and David Koch are fast joining the Scaifes, the Olins,
> > the Bradleys and the Smith-Richardsons as major funding sources for the
> > conservative movement's powerful "third stream" of political money, channeled
> > from philanthropic foundations into right-wing causes.
>
>
>
>
>
> :)
You might be able to get a grant from the Foundation to Deprive Peace to
the Foster Family. :)
>
Augie Chiausa
Joseph R. Darancette wrote:
>
> Augie Chiausa <A.Ch...@worldnet.att.net> wrote:
>
> >Sidebar: Petrodollar Scholars
>
> > Billionaire oilmen Charles and David Koch are fast joining the Scaifes, the Olins,
> > the Bradleys and the Smith-Richardsons as major funding sources for the
> > conservative movement's powerful "third stream" of political money, channeled
> > lavish $4 million to $5 million a year on anti-regulatory "free market" think tanks
> > and other groups.
>
> Do you feel that any of the above mentioned people are laundering
> ChiCom money? Are they doing anything illegal?
>
I guess we'll need to wait and see what comes of Haley Barbour's
501(c)3. We know of direct contributions to that foundation that
was laundered to the RNC.