-Caveat Lector- from: http://www.thenation.com/issue/960826/0826side.htm 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Copyright (c) 1996, The Nation Company, L.P. All rights reserved. Electronic redistribution for nonprofit purposes is permitted, provided this notice is attached in its entirety. Unauthorized, for-profit redistribution is prohibited. For further information regarding reprinting and syndication, please call The Nation at (212) 242-8400, ext. 226 or send e-mail to Max Block. ======= Koch Industries, Inc. Ed Koch always asked "How am I doing?" but Koch Industries knows -- it's the second-largest private US company (after Cargill), with extensive holdings in petroleum, agriculture, and chemicals. The company's two Texas and Minnesota refineries process about 540,000 barrels of crude oil a day, and it owns about 35,000 miles of pipeline between Texas and Canada. Other businesses include Purina Mills, the #1 US commercial animal feed producer, and KoSa, a venture with Mexico's Saba family that is one of the world's top polyester producers. Koch also provides ocean transport for minerals and produces asphalt and equipment for the chemical industry. Brothers Charles and David Koch (pronounced "coke") own the company. Company Capsule brought to you by Infoseek and Hoover's On-line http://infoseek.go.com/Content?arn=40267&qt=koch&col=HV&svx=lhscaps ======== -----Original Message----- From: Howard R. Davis III <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Friday, June 18, 1999 11:59 PM Subject: Re: [CTRL] [Re: [CTRL] False Opposition of Conservative Organizations] > -Caveat Lector- > >---------- >>From: Robert Tatman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > >> Anyone have any info on who funds the Cato Institute? >> > >He was the vice-presidential nominee in 1976 for the Libertarian Party. He >was a Texas oil millionaire ((I think his name is Kocke (sp? pronounce like >coke)) and spent a large amount of money running that campaign. He quit >funding the Libertarian Party after that because of two possible supposed >reasons. One, he realized that an independent third party would always be >blocked by those who control the two major parties. You might remember that >neither Carter or Reagan were popular choices. That election was a >particularly dangerous one for the elite. The Libertarian Party seemed a >real possible threat. So they ran one of their own as an alternative John >Anderson (CFR, Bilderberger) and, of course, pushed him in the media. He, of >course, did not form any party, but just ran as an independent so when the >election was over things returned to the normal two party choice. However, >he served his purpose, which was to bury the Libertarian Party as a possible >alternative (he got something like 10% (the protest vote) and the >Libertarians got less the 1%)). The other purported reason was that the guy >realized that even with all his money he could not control the Libertarian >Party. At least that is the story I heard. > >Howard Davis > >DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER >========== >CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic >screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters >and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright >frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects >spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL >gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; >be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and >nazi's need not apply. > >Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. >======================================================================== >Archives Available at: >http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html > >http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ >======================================================================== >To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: >SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: >SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Om > DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion and informational exchange list. Proselyzting propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soapboxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory', with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credeence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/CTRL.html http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
