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4 edits | reply to dynodb
Re: "Industry funded"? Mea culpa.
I'm not quite sure how I could think a group of lobbyists that takes money from industry and individual business owners to rant against issues at the behest of industry could be "industry funded."
That is absolutely my error and I do hope you accept the apology. |
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dynodbPremium,VIP
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Minneapolis, MN | I ask again- do you have any reason to believe that CAGW gets a significant (or any) amount of money from the telcom industry?
Must any group that takes any money from any industry be disregarded as lobbying at the behest of those industries? Is the Sierra Club shilling for industry? The NAACP? The NRA?
Skepticism is warranted regarding the single-issue groups funded almost solely by the industry they lobby for. However, to paint an activist group that gets most of it's funding from individual donations and covers a wide variety of subjects consistant with their organization's main philosophy as an industry shill is a shallow ad hominem attack- especially given that you've not demonstrated that they've even taken money from the industry in question at all. |
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4 edits | Citizen's Against Government Waste quote:
I ask again- do you have any reason to believe that CAGW gets a significant (or any) amount of money from the telcom industry?
Did I say they did? I believe the tag used was "industry funded," which is 100% accurate. I'd be willing to bet that yes, there is some telecom money in their pot that makes its way through various funds and organizations, but I didn't make that claim. The funding paths are intentionally obfuscated.
They are a deregulatory group funded by industry and wealthy business owners to lobby for deregulation, against open source, against union activity, against global warming, against smoking legislation and other "industry" goals if the price is right -- under the guise of government efficiency. quote:
Is the Sierra Club shilling for industry? The NAACP? The NRA?
Those groups aren't for hire to the highest bidder. They also occasionally stand up to industry to protect their primary directive. So, no. CAGW is designed to look like those groups, though. In reality they're more public relations.
Some examples of their work for Microsoft and others:
»www.sptimes.com/2006/04/02/World···_w.shtml
»www.internetnews.com/bus-news/ar···p/871631
Their campaign for Microsoft where they used form letters from dead people to lobby lawmakers was a particularly nice touch, I thought. |
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dynodbPremium,VIP
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Minneapolis, MN | said by Karl Bode:Those groups aren't for hire to the highest bidder. They also occasionally stand up to industry to protect their primary directive. So, no. CAGW is designed to look like those groups, though. In reality they're more public relations. Some examples of their work for Microsoft and others: » www.sptimes.com/2006/04/02/World···_w.shtml» www.internetnews.com/bus-news/ar···p/871631Their campaign for Microsoft where they used form letters from dead people to lobby lawmakers was a particularly nice touch, I thought. Yet they have an entire section against corporate welfare, and also numerous articles against "pork" spending that benefits private industry- is that a stance one would expect from an industry lobbying group?
As far as the MS link, someone returned 2 form letters that were sent out by CAGW to the address of a dead person. Yawn. As far as the Microsoft case, the free trade / libertarian crowd was quite against the government's case; their position was consistant with their core philosophy. Had they suddenly reversed course- such as being in favor of government funding for a contributor- then there would be cause for question.
NRA members were very much in favor of the bill to protect gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits, obviously gun manufacturers were too. Some of those manufacturers contributed money to the NRA... but it doesn't imply they were protecting the industry based on contributions- they were advancing a pre-established position that also benefited the industry, who backed the NRA with funding.
Ditto with CAGW- they're against excessive regulation and spending and have many ordinary people (myself included) who agree with that view. It's only natural they'd be against federal funding for broadband and the government witch hunt against Microsoft, which seemed to be based on little more than the fact that they were so sucessful. |
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2 edits | I have nothing more to say that doesn't take us further into "Conservative Qwest employee vs. New England progressive humanist" political BS retread rhetoric. This is a "pro-industry", industry funded, public relations firm that works for the highest bidder, and that classification was your concern. I believe it's accurate. In fact I think I could have fairly used a harsher description.... |
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