INDUSTRIE$

===

ucs 2012

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/aes.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">AES Corporation</a> (AES)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/alcoa.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Alcoa, Inc.</a> (AA)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/ameren.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Ameren Corporation</a> (AEE)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/applied-materials.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; text-decoration: none; background: transparent; color: rgb(235, 107, 12) !important;">Applied Materials, Inc.</a> (AMAT)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/boeing.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Boeing Company</a> (BA)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/caterpillar.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Caterpillar Inc.</a> (CAT)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/chesapeake-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Chesapeake Energy Corporation</a>(CHK)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/conoco-phillips.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">ConocoPhillips</a> (COP)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/denbury-resources.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Denbury Resources Inc.</a> (DNR)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/dte-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">DTE Energy Company</a> (DTE)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/exxon-mobil.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Exxon Mobil Corporation</a> (XOM)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/first-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">FirstEnergy Corporation</a> (FE)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/fmc.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">FMC Corporation</a> (FMC)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/general-electric.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">General Electric Company</a> (GE)</li>

</ul>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/marathon-oil.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Marathon Oil Company</a> (MRO)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/murphy-oil.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Murphy Oil Corporation </a>(MUR)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/next-era-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">NextEra Energy, Inc.</a> (NEE)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/nrg-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">NRG Energy, Inc.</a> (NRG)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/occidental-petroleum.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Occidental Petroleum Corporation</a> (OXY)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/peabody-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Peabody Energy Corporation</a>(BTU)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/progress-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Progress Energy, Inc.</a> (PGN)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/sempra-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Sempra Energy</a> (SRE)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/tesoro.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">TECO Energy, Inc.</a> (TE)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/tesoro.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Tesoro Corporation</a> (TSO)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/valero-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Valero Energy Corporation</a>(VLO)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/waste-management.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Waste Management, Inc.</a> (WM)</li>

<li style="margin: 5px 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 12px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; background: url("http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/img/bullet.gif") 0px 2px no-repeat;"><a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/scientific_integrity/corporate-profiles/xcel-energy.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 122, 165); text-decoration: none; background: transparent;">Xcel Energy, Inc. </a>(XEL)</li>

</ul>

==

<h1 property="dc:title" datatype="" class="node-title">5 Industries That Are Mercilessly Robbing the American People</h1>

</div>

<div class="story-date">September 29, 2013  |  </div>

There are more than five ways, of course. There are numerous product ripoffs, as described in a recent article by<a href="http://www.alternet.org/economy/product-rip-offs?paging=off" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Lynn Stuart Parramore</a> [3], who identified textbooks and bottled water and print cartridges as a few of the ways Americans are duped into paying a lot more than reason and regulation would dictate.

And there are many industry-specific ripoffs, most notably in health care. We have the <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/03/04-0" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">most expensive</a> [4] health care system in the world, and yet we're <a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138575.html" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">falling behind</a> [5] other developed countries in numerous health measures.

Here are five more industry-specific ripoffs of the American people:

1. The Retail Industry (Walmart): Building Owner Fortunes with Public Tax Money

A <a href="http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/sites/democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/files/documents/WalMartReport-May2013.pdf" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">study</a> [6] in Wisconsin by the U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce determined that a typical Walmart store costs taxpayers over $1.7 million per year, or about $5,815 per employee. A 2004 <a href="http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/retail/walmart.pdf" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">study</a> [7] in California put the cost per employee at $2,103.

For the year 2012, <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/104169/000010416913000011/annualreporttoshareholders.htm" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Walmart's pre-tax U.S. income</a> [8] was almost $18.7 billion. That's over $14,000 per U.S. <a href="http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Walmart employee</a> [9].

For the year 2012, the four Walton family members made over <a href="http://www.usagainstgreed.org/Forbes400_2011-12.xls" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">$20 billion</a> [10] from their investments. That's over $15,000 per Walmart employee.

2. The Financial Industry: Printing Their Own Money

Thanks in good part to the derivatives market, the <a href="http://www.thefinancialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-GlobalWealthReport-.pdf" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">world's wealth</a> [11] has doubled in ten years. Estimates of the speculative value of the financial derivatives market vary, from <a href="http://www.bis.org/publ/otc_hy1111.pdf" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">$708 trillion</a> [12] to <a href="http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/10/the-economy-derivatives-market-a-1-2-quadrillion-time-bomb-2479924.html" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">$1.2 quadrillion</a> [13]. The <a href="http://www.cmegroup.com/investor-relations/annual-review/2011/financial-milestones.html" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Chicago Mercantile Exchange</a> [14] alone reported a 2011 trading volume of over $1 quadrillion on 3.4 billion annual contracts.

A quadrillion is a thousand trillion. A return to the financiers of just .1 percent (a tenth of a penny from every dollar) would generate $1 trillion, the total Adjusted Gross Income for <a href="http://taxfoundation.org/article/summary-latest-federal-individual-income-tax-data-0" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">half of Americans</a> [15].

3. The Private Prison Industry: Billing Taxpayers for Empty Cells, then Selling Inmate Labor and Paying Them Sub-Minimum Wages

Almost two-thirds of the private prison contracts analyzed by <a href="http://www.inthepublicinterest.org/sites/default/files/Criminal-Lockup%20Quota-Report.pdf" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">In the Public Interest</a> [16] "included occupancy guarantees in the form of quotas or required payments for empty prison cells (a 'low-crime tax')."

Some private prisons, such as Corrections Corporation of America and G4S, <a href="http://www.alternet.org/story/155061/getting_paid_93_cents_a_day_in_america_corporations_bring_back_the_19th_century" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">sell inmate labor</a> [17] to corporations like Chevron, Bank of America, AT&T, and IBM, and pay the prisoners <a href="http://www.prisonpolicy.org/prisonindex/prisonlabor.html" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">less than a dollar an hour</a> [18].

4. The Telecommunications Industry: Low Quality at High Prices

In the 1990s the FCC <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-27/u-s-internet-users-pay-more-for-slower-service.html" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">deregulated</a> [19] phone and cable and Internet companies, with the intention of promoting competition. But just a few companies -- Verizon and AT&T and Comcast and Time Warner -- have <a href="http://www.alternet.org/bill-moyers-why-us-internet-access-slow-costly-and-unfair" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">divided up the market</a> [20], reducing competition as they remain poorly regulated.

So now <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/internet-speed-united-states-digital-divide_n_1855054.html" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">South Korea</a> [21] has Internet access speeds 200 times faster than us at half the cost. Same thing in Hong Kong. And in <a href="http://www.alternet.org/bill-moyers-why-us-internet-access-slow-costly-and-unfair" target="blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Europe</a> [20] unlimited texting and voice from Verizon costs about a third of U.S. prices.

It gets worse, according to <a href="https://soundcloud.com/danahey/tim-danahey-show-david-cay" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">David Cay Johnston</a> [22], who reports that regulations have been written that allow large corporations to add unsubstantiated charges to cell phones, cable TV, internet service providers and others that can cost American families over $2,000 per year.

5. The Drug Industry: Buy American...But Tax Us Like We're Foreigners

<a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/02/09-7" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Bernie Sanders</a> [23] notes that pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Pfizer have lobbied to keep Americans from buying cheaper prescription drugs from Canada and Europe, but then they their shift drug patents and profits to offshore tax havens to avoid paying U.S. taxes.

Higher drug prices cost an average American family <a href="http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/23" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">over $1250 per year</a> [24].

Drug companies also participate in <a href="http://www.alternet.org/drugs/where-does-it-say-supreme-court-has-constitutional-power-hike-medicine-prices-5x-their-cost" target="_blank" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">"Pay-for-Delay"</a> [25] deals, through which brand-name firms pay generic makers to keep their cheaper drugs out of the market for a number of years.

That's capitalism. Ripping a once-strong society into little pieces.

</div>

</div>

<div class="tags">See more stories tagged with:

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<div class="field-item odd"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/economy-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">economy</a> [27],</div>

<div class="field-item even"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/america" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">america</a> [28],</div>

<div class="field-item odd"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/wages" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">wages</a> [29],</div>

<div class="field-item even"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/wealth" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">wealth</a> [30],</div>

<div class="field-item odd"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/walmart" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">walmart</a> [31]</div>

</div>

<div class="print-source_url" style="text-align: left;">Source URL: <a href="http://www.alternet.org/economy/5-industries-are-mercilessly-robbing-american-people" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">http://www.alternet.org/economy/5-industries-are-mercilessly-robbing-american-people</a></div>

<div style="text-align: left;">Links:</div><div style="text-align: left;">[1] http://alternet.org</div><div style="text-align: left;">[2] http://www.alternet.org/authors/paul-buchheit-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[3] http://www.alternet.org/economy/product-rip-offs?paging=off</div><div style="text-align: left;">[4] http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/03/04-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[5] http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_138575.html</div><div style="text-align: left;">[6] http://democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/sites/democrats.edworkforce.house.gov/files/documents/WalMartReport-May2013.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[7] http://laborcenter.berkeley.edu/retail/walmart.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[8] http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/104169/000010416913000011/annualreporttoshareholders.htm</div><div style="text-align: left;">[9] http://corporate.walmart.com/our-story/locations</div><div style="text-align: left;">[10] http://www.usagainstgreed.org/Forbes400_2011-12.xls</div><div style="text-align: left;">[11] http://www.thefinancialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2012-GlobalWealthReport-.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[12] http://www.bis.org/publ/otc_hy1111.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[13] http://beforeitsnews.com/alternative/2012/10/the-economy-derivatives-market-a-1-2-quadrillion-time-bomb-2479924.html</div><div style="text-align: left;">[14] http://www.cmegroup.com/investor-relations/annual-review/2011/financial-milestones.html</div><div style="text-align: left;">[15] http://taxfoundation.org/article/summary-latest-federal-individual-income-tax-data-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[16] http://www.inthepublicinterest.org/sites/default/files/Criminal-Lockup%20Quota-Report.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[17] http://www.alternet.org/story/155061/getting_paid_93_cents_a_day_in_america_corporations_bring_back_the_19th_century</div><div style="text-align: left;">[18] http://www.prisonpolicy.org/prisonindex/prisonlabor.html</div><div style="text-align: left;">[19] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-27/u-s-internet-users-pay-more-for-slower-service.html</div><div style="text-align: left;">[20] http://www.alternet.org/bill-moyers-why-us-internet-access-slow-costly-and-unfair</div><div style="text-align: left;">[21] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/05/internet-speed-united-states-digital-divide_n_1855054.html</div><div style="text-align: left;">[22] https://soundcloud.com/danahey/tim-danahey-show-david-cay</div><div style="text-align: left;">[23] http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/02/09-7</div><div style="text-align: left;">[24] http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/09/23</div><div style="text-align: left;">[25] http://www.alternet.org/drugs/where-does-it-say-supreme-court-has-constitutional-power-hike-medicine-prices-5x-their-cost</div><div style="text-align: left;">[26] http://www.alternet.org/tags/capitalism</div><div style="text-align: left;">[27] http://www.alternet.org/tags/economy-0</div><div style="text-align: left;">[28] http://www.alternet.org/tags/america</div><div style="text-align: left;">[29] http://www.alternet.org/tags/wages</div><div style="text-align: left;">[30] http://www.alternet.org/tags/wealth</div><div style="text-align: left;">[31] http://www.alternet.org/tags/walmart</div><div style="text-align: left;">[32] http://www.alternet.org/%2Bnew_src%2B</div>

</div>

===

RESEARCH SOURCES

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anomaly tracker:

<h3 style="text-align: left; margin-top: 20px;">Lawmakers receiving twice as much in contributions from their top donor industry as their next highest donor industry</h3>

<table class="tablesorter"><thead><tr><th class="header" style=" padding-right: 18px;">Member</th><th class="header" style=" padding-right: 18px;">State</th><th class="header" style=" padding-right: 18px;">Industry</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00029901">Mark Begich (D)</a></td><td>AK</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00030622">Terri A. Sewell (D)</a></td><td>AL</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033363">Thomas Cotton (R)</a></td><td>AR</td><td>Republican/Conservative</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00013823">Mark Pryor (D)</a></td><td>AR</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00030771">Paul Gosar (R)</a></td><td>AZ</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00006424">John McCain (R)</a></td><td>AZ</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031586">Vernon Parker (R)</a></td><td>AZ</td><td>Leadership PACs</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00026341">Jim Costa (D)</a></td><td>CA</td><td>Crop Production & Basic Processing</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00007479">Zoe Lofgren (D)</a></td><td>CA</td><td>Computers/Internet</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00006954">Gary Miller (R)</a></td><td>CA</td><td>Real Estate</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00007248">Devin Nunes (R)</a></td><td>CA</td><td>Crop Production & Basic Processing</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00008274">Loretta Sanchez (D)</a></td><td>CA</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00009585">Adam Schiff (D)</a></td><td>CA</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033454">Kim Dolbow Vann (R)</a></td><td>CA</td><td>Crop Production & Basic Processing</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00029127">Jared Polis (D)</a></td><td>CO</td><td>Securities & Investment</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00029070">Jim Himes (D)</a></td><td>CT</td><td>Securities & Investment</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033736">Andrew Roraback (R)</a></td><td>CT</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00000652">Christopher Shays (R)</a></td><td>CT</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031820">Chris Coons (D)</a></td><td>DE</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033599">Keith Fitzgerald (D)</a></td><td>FL</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00026425">Connie Mack (R)</a></td><td>FL</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00009926">Bill Nelson (D)</a></td><td>FL</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00002858">Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R)</a></td><td>FL</td><td>Pro-Israel</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00030612">Marco Rubio (R)</a></td><td>FL</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033519">Lee Ivey Anderson (R)</a></td><td>GA</td><td>Leadership PACs</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00026080">John Barrow (D)</a></td><td>GA</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00024760">Phil Gingrey (R)</a></td><td>GA</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00026160">Tom Price (R)</a></td><td>GA</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00004208">Leonard L. Boswell (D)</a></td><td>IA</td><td>Leadership PACs</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00027464">Bruce Braley (D)</a></td><td>IA</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00004981">Dick Durbin (D)</a></td><td>IL</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031104">Randy Hultgren (R)</a></td><td>IL</td><td>Securities & Investment</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033613">Jason Plummer (R)</a></td><td>IL</td><td>Leadership PACs</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033495">Susan Brooks (R)</a></td><td>IN</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031227">Larry Bucshon (R)</a></td><td>IN</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00030744">Mike Pompeo (R)</a></td><td>KS</td><td>Oil & Gas</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00030245">Bill Cassidy (R)</a></td><td>LA</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00005395">Mary L. Landrieu (D)</a></td><td>LA</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00029147">Andy Harris (R)</a></td><td>MD</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00028257">Keith Ellison (D)</a></td><td>MN</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00034521">Jim Graves (D)</a></td><td>MN</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00004436">John Kline (R)</a></td><td>MN</td><td>Education</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00005181">Russ Carnahan (D)</a></td><td>MO</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00034069">Teresa Hensley (D)</a></td><td>MO</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033291">Kim Gillan (D)</a></td><td>MT</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00026166">Virginia Foxx (R)</a></td><td>NC</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033630">Richard Hudson (R)</a></td><td>NC</td><td>Leadership PACs</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00034416">Robert Pittenger (R)</a></td><td>NC</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033633">Pam Gulleson (D)</a></td><td>ND</td><td>Crop Production & Basic Processing</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00000743">Scott Garrett (R)</a></td><td>NJ</td><td>Securities & Investment</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00000860">Rush Holt (D)</a></td><td>NJ</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00000786">Joe Kyrillos (R)</a></td><td>NJ</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00008619">Steven R. Rothman (D)</a></td><td>NJ</td><td>Pro-Israel</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00012672">Steve Pearce (R)</a></td><td>NM</td><td>Oil & Gas</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00006546">Heather A.Wilson (R)</a></td><td>NM</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00009922">Harry Reid (D)</a></td><td>NV</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031058">Randy Altschuler (R)</a></td><td>NY</td><td>Securities & Investment</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031640">Ann Marie Buerkle (R)</a></td><td>NY</td><td>Leadership PACs</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033640">Hakeem Jeffries (D)</a></td><td>NY</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00034276">Julian D. Schreibman (D)</a></td><td>NY</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031129">James Lankford (R)</a></td><td>OK</td><td>Oil & Gas</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033723">Rob Wallace (D)</a></td><td>OK</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033474">Suzanne Bonamici (D)</a></td><td>OR</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00034128">Matt Cartwright (D)</a></td><td>PA</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00027503">Bob Casey (D)</a></td><td>PA</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00029168">Pedro Pierluisi (D)</a></td><td>PR</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033176">Barry Hinckley (R)</a></td><td>RI</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00027533">Sheldon Whitehouse (D)</a></td><td>RI</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00009975">Lindsey Graham (R)</a></td><td>SC</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00004572">John Thune (R)</a></td><td>SD</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031141">Steve Fincher (R)</a></td><td>TN</td><td>Crop Production & Basic Processing</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00006023">Lloyd Doggett (D)</a></td><td>TX</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033541">Pete Gallego (D)</a></td><td>TX</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00005928">Nick Lampson (D)</a></td><td>TX</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033839">Marc Veasey (D)</a></td><td>TX</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00009957">George Allen (R)</a></td><td>VA</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00013131">Eric Cantor (R)</a></td><td>VA</td><td>Securities & Investment</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00032029">Morgan Griffith (R)</a></td><td>VA</td><td>Mining</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00000528">Bernie Sanders (I)</a></td><td>VT</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00009760">John Koster (R)</a></td><td>WA</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00026314">Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R)</a></td><td>WA</td><td>Health Professionals</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00032546">Ron Johnson (R)</a></td><td>WI</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00033728">Tommy G. Thompson (R)</a></td><td>WI</td><td>Retired</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00031681">David McKinley (R)</a></td><td>WV</td><td>Mining</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00001685">Jay Rockefeller (D)</a></td><td>WV</td><td>Lawyers/Law Firms</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/resources/learn/anomalies.php?type=P&id=N00029788">Cynthia Marie Lummis (R)</a></td><td>WY</td><td>Oil & Gas</td></tr></tbody></table>

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top 28 skeptic funders http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2012/may/30/companies-block-action-climate-change/print

Top US companies shelling out to block action on climate change

Analysis of 28 companies finds cases of support for thinktanks that misrepresent climate science, including Heartland Institute

Suzanne Goldenberg, US environment correspondent

guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 30 May 2012 13.49 EDT

US oil and Energy major companies lobby in Washington against green policies ( lobbyist )

Oil company heads during the US Senate finance hearing on oil and gas tax incentives on 11 May 2011.

Some of America's top companies are spending heavily to block action on climate change or discredit climate science, despite public commitments to sustainable and green values, a new report has found.

An analysis of 28 Standard & Poor 500 publicly traded companies by researchers from the Union of Concerned Scientists exposed a sharp disconnect in some cases between PR message and less visible activities, with companies quietly lobbying against climate policy or funding groups which work to discredit climate science.

<div style="text-align: left;">[While all companies in our</div><div style="text-align: left;">sample stated they were taking</div><div style="text-align: left;">voluntary internal action to</div><div style="text-align: left;">reduce carbon emissions, half of</div><div style="text-align: left;">them also misrepresented some</div><div style="text-align: left;">element of established climate</div><div style="text-align: left;">science in their public</div><div style="text-align: left;">communications. </div>

twoface:

<div style="text-align: left;">These companies included</div><div style="text-align: left;">Ameren Corporation, Chesapeake Energy Corporation,</div><div style="text-align: left;">ConocoPhillips, DTE Energy Company, Exxon</div><div style="text-align: left;">Mobil Corporation, FMC Corporation, Marathon</div><div style="text-align: left;">Oil Corporation, Murphy Oil Corporation, Occidental</div><div style="text-align: left;">Petroleum Corporation, Peabody Energy</div><div style="text-align: left;">Corporation, Progress Energy, Inc., TECO Energy,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Inc., Valero Energy Corporation, and Waste Management,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Inc.</div>

The findings are in line with the recent expose of the Heartland Institute. Over the years, the ultra-conservative organisation devoted to discrediting climate science received funds from a long list of companies which had public commitments to sustainability.

The disconnect in this instance was especially stark in the researchers' analysis of oil giants ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil, and the electricity company DTE energy.

But even General Electric Company, which ranks climate change as a pillar of its corporate policy on its website, had supported trade groups and thinktanks that misrepresent climate science, the researchers found.

Caterpillar Inc, despite its public commitment to sustainability, also worked behind the scenes to block action on climate change. The company spent more than $16m (£10.3m) on lobbying during the study, with nearly five times as much of that spent lobbying to block climate action than on pro-environmental policies.

Other big corporate players were fairly consistent with their public image. Nike and NRG Energy Inc lobbied in support of climate change policy and supported conservation groups.

Peabody Energy Corporation, which produces coal, was ranked the most obstructionist of any of the companies. It spent more than $33m to lobby Congress against environmental measures and supporting trade groups and think tanks which spread disinformation about climate science, the researchers found.

"The thing we found most surprising in doing this research is just how all 28 companies expressed concern about climate change," said Francesca Grifo who heads the UCS scientific integrity programme. "But when we took a deeper look we found that a lot of the actions they took weren't connected to the messages."

The result of the disconnect was growing confusion about climate science, the researchers said. That made it more difficult to push for environmental protections.

The study was focused on the years 2009 and 2010, and looked at the companies' responses to moves by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions and the failed attempt by Congress to pass a climate change law.

It also looked at lobbying and political contributions surrounding the 2010 referendum to overturn California's climate change regulations.

But the researchers acknowledged that they were handicapped by a lack of transparency about corporate donations and lobbying, which made it difficult to determine exactly how companies were trying to exert political influence.

"Given the inconspicuous ways in which companies can utilize supposedly independent groups to further their own agendas, the funding of industry groups is an important pathway through which corporations influence the national climate conversation without accountability," the analysis said.

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We reviewed 12 of the dirtiest corporate tax dodgers: Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo, Chevron, BP, Shell, Exxon, Massey Energy, Alpha Natural Resources, Peabody Energy and Arch Coal. These 12 banks, oil and coal companies are responsible for foreclosing on millions of people’s homes and polluting our air, water and climate. At the same time, we found that they pay next to nothing into a tax system that provides the very services that protect the homeless, the sick and our environment.

Read more: <a href="http://ran.org/corporate-tax-dodgers-dirtiest-dozen-0#ixzz1rw5ubuoN" style=" color: #003399;">Corporate Tax Dodgers: The Dirtiest Dozen | Rainforest Action Network</a> <a href="http://ran.org/corporate-tax-dodgers-dirtiest-dozen-0#ixzz1rw5ubuoN" style=" color: #003399;">http://ran.org/corporate-tax-dodgers-dirtiest-dozen-0#ixzz1rw5ubuoN</a>

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PEOPLE FOR THE AMERCAN WAY:

<h1 style="text-align: left;">After Citizens United: A Look into the Pro-Corporate Players in American Politics</h1>

<a href="http://www.pfaw.org/media-center/publications/after-citizens-united-look-into-the-pro-corporate-players-american-politic">http://www.pfaw.org/media-center/publications/after-citizens-united-look-into-the-pro-corporate-players-american-politic</a>

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Dirty Money

Oil Companies and Special Interests Spend Millions to Oppose Climate Legislation

SOURCE: AP/Alex Brandon

Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill makes a pattern in the waters of Chandeleur Sound, LA, on May 6, 2010. BP is spending $5 million a week on advertising to restore its image after its oil disaster. Meanwhile, Big Oil and its allies have spent more than $126 million on television ads this year to promote the expansion of offshore oil drilling and defeat efforts to eliminate their tax loopholes.

By Daniel J. Weiss, Rebecca Lefton, Susan Lyon | September 27, 2010

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This article contains a correction.

See full data on how much energy companies and trade associations spent on oil lobbying for 2009-2010 (.xls)

There will be many bad memories from the summer of 2010. We’ve seen the worst oil disaster in U.S. history, record temperatures across the globe, calving ice chunks the size of Manhattan, record heat waves and wildfires in Russia, and floods in Pakistan submerging one-fifth of the country. These extreme weather events are consistent with scientists’ predictions about global warming, and they portend more catastrophes to come as greenhouse gas pollution spews unchecked from power plants, vehicles, and factories [1].

But as the case for action grew more urgent Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other energy companies redoubled their efforts to block congressional adoption of global warming pollution reductions. With that effort successful they are now scheming to stop the Environmental Protection Agency from following the law and setting reduction standards for the largest polluters.

Reductions would effectively establish a price on carbon pollution that would increase incentives to invest in clean energy technologies, create jobs, and enhance international competitiveness. The United States needs these investments now more than ever as it falls further behind international competitors like China that are forging ahead with investments in clean energy technologies that create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and increase their international competitiveness.

This occurs while the United States still suffers high unemployment and slow growth as we emerge from the worst recession in eighty years. Clean energy and climate legislation would create jobs and stimulate the growth of clean energy industries as well as hold polluters accountable for their emissions. Unfortunately, the Senate was unable to muster a supermajority of 60 votes to limit the danger of burning fossil fuels after the House passed the American Clean Energy and Security Act.

This failure is no accident. Big Oil, Dirty Coal, and other special interests like the American Petroleum Institute combined spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying lawmakers and filling their campaign coffers. So far, these dirty energy corporations have gotten their money’s worth.

Companies and trade associations have two powerful tools to defeat measures they don’t like. They can spend millions of dollars on lobbying to strong arm legislators into opposing measures that they believe will cost them money. And these special interests can bequeath campaign cash to legislators who support their agenda while funding the opponents of those willing to oppose them.

So just how much are these groups spending to defeat climate legislation? We created a preliminary “political pressure” measure that combines the funds companies and trade associations spent on lobbying and on their political action committee donations. This measure, however, significantly underestimates special interests’ total advocacy efforts because there are no public reporting requirements for spending on many traditional pressure tactics such as earned media, polling, rallies, and television advertising (which these companies and associations heavily engage in). Further, companies’ donations to trade associations are kept secret, and the recent Citizens United Supreme Court decision empowers corporations to spend their money to elect or defeat candidates often without any disclosure or reporting requirements.

total lobby spending by energy industry

Lobbying activities ramped up in 2009 as the House of Representatives began debate on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, or ACES. Senate deliberations began last fall and continued throughout 2010. The entire electric utility industry spent more than $264 million on lobbying alone in 2009 and the first half of 2010. Oil and gas interests spent a record $175 million lobbying in 2009—a 30 percent increase from 2008—and have spent $75 million already in 2010.

The oil, gas, and coal industries have spent over $2 billion lobbying Congress since 1999. These three industries combined spent a whopping $543 million on lobbying in 2009 and the first two quarters of 2010. Meanwhile, alternative energy companies spent less than $32 million on lobbying efforts in 2009 and have only spent $14.8 million this year.

The 20 biggest-spending oil, mining, and electric utility companies shelled out $242 million on lobbying from January 2009 to June 2010 [2]. Trade associations that generally oppose clean energy policies spent another $290 million during this time. This is over $1,800 in lobby expenditures a day for every single senator and representative.

Six of the seven companies with the largest lobbying expenditures are Big Oil companies—ExxonMobil (1), ConocoPhillips (2), Chevron (3), BP (5), Koch Industries (6), and Shell (7). Their 18-month lobbying expenditures total $143 million. Their agenda varies among companies, but generally they oppose most proposals to reduce global warming pollution from oil refineries and transportation fuels. And they seek to limit companies’ liability for oil spills like the BP oil disaster.

top 10 political presssure spending by energy companies

Southern Company, a major utility with significant coal-fired power generation, was the fourth-largest lobbying company at nearly $20 million. The company is a longtime opponent of efforts to reduce global warming pollution. American Electric Power, or AEP, was eighth, spending nearly $10 million. AEP played a (somewhat) more positive role by attempting to shape clean energy and global warming legislation to its benefit. But it also supported efforts to prevent EPA from limiting global warming pollutants from the largest sources in the absence of congressional action.

The largest trade association working to defeat clean energy and global warming legislation is the umbrella lobby organization the Chamber of Commerce, which spent nearly $190 million during this year and a half [3]. The Edison Electric Institute, which represents investor-owned utilities, spent $18 million—a million dollars a month—lobbying on global warming legislation. EEI helped shape and supported ACES and the American Power Act (subscription only), and it has taken no position on halting EPA from reducing global warming pollution.

The American Petroleum Institute, or API—the trade association and lobbying arm for the biggest oil and gas producers—spent $11 million to lobby Congress to defeat pollution reductions and maintain their tax loopholes. The New York Times reported on some of their activities with their story, “Oil and Gas Interests Set Spending Record for Lobbying in 2009.”

top five political pressure spending by energy trade associations

API certainly got its money’s worth since no legislation was passed and the tax loopholes are still in place. Their spokesman Bill Bush said: “We had a lot of work to do trying to educate people on these issues…We hope we were successful."

Lobby reports show that oil companies lobbied on a number of clean energy and global-warming-related issues. These included:

* The Blowout Prevention Act, H.R. 5626, to prevent future oil disasters

* BP federal royalty payments for oil captured from the Deepwater Horizon blow out, Spilled Oil Royalty Collection Act, H.R. 5513

* Clean Air Act pollution reduction requirements

* Efforts to cut global warming pollution: American Clean Energy and Security Act, H.R. 2454 and the American Power Act

* Opposition to closing tax loopholes that save oil companies $45 billion

* Opposition to a “Community Right to Know” requirement that shale gas producers publicly report on the toxic chemicals they use to “frack” rock to produce natural gas, Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, H.R. 2766

* Restrictions on the use of oil produced from highly polluting “tar sands

* Increases in energy efficiency and deployment of wind, sun, and other renewable energy sources

* Other public health, job creation, oil reduction, and environmental protection policies

Twenty-first century campaigns are outrageously expensive. Senators and representatives must raise millions of dollars in campaign cash for their contested reelection campaigns. Legislators’ need for money combined with special interests’ access to cash makes campaign contributions a potent weapon in the hunt for votes. Trade associations, businesses, and their employees donate thousands of dollars to legislators willing to do their bidding.

Political action committees, or PACs, from the oil and gas industry gave $6.6 million to federal candidates from January 2009 to June 2010, with two-thirds going to Republicans. The mining industry donated $1.6 million so far, with $3 of every $5 going to Republicans.

The most generous individual energy PACs belong to Koch Industries and ConocoPhillips, who doled out $700,000 and $600,000, respectively. And this does not include Koch’s recent $1 million donation to pass Proposition 23 in California, which would repeal the state’s landmark clean energy and global warming law.

But the lobbying and campaign expenditures capture only part of the influence of spending by the oil, coal, utility, and other traditional energy industries. Many of these companies and trade associations are also spending millions of dollars that need not be reported to run expensive television, radio, and print “message” ads that do not explicitly mention energy or global warming legislation but are still designed to shape legislators and voters’ views.

BP, for example, is spending $5 million a week on advertising to restore its image after its oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Between April and July BP spent $93 million, which is more than three times the amount it spent on ads during the same period last year. Meanwhile, Big Oil and its allies have spent more than $126 million on television ads this year to promote the expansion of offshore oil drilling and defeat efforts to eliminate their tax loopholes.

Companies are not required to report these expenditures like they are for lobbying or campaign spending. API, Koch, and others have also funded Astroturf rallies to spread their anti-global-warming and anti-safety-regulation platforms. These expenses are unreported, too.

The energy interests’ successful efforts to block clean energy investments, oil use reductions, and global warming pollution limits have real costs. It’s not clear, for example, whether or when there will be a declining limit on global warming pollution that establishes a carbon price. This doubt has in turn led investors to husband rather than invest their capital in the research, development, deployment, and commercialization of clean energy technologies. Fewer investments mean fewer jobs.

And while the United States dithers other nations continue to build their clean energy industries to bid for their share of the $1 trillion we’ll see in the worldwide clean energy market by 2030. For instance, China knocked the United States down to second place as the most attractive market for investing in renewable energy according to Ernst and Young’s new “Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Indices.” Ernst and Young cite lack of clean energy policies like a renewable electricity standard and long-term stable incentive structures as reasons for the takeover.

The United States has economic, national security, and environmental imperatives to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy generation, reduce oil use, and cut global warming pollution. What’s more, Americans overwhelmingly support these measures, as many recent opinion polls demonstrate.

Yet the Big Oil and Dirty Coal lobbies are working hard to stop reforms so that they can protect their enormous profits. Legislators must ignore the pleadings of special interests and adopt comprehensive clean energy and global warming policies to enhance our economic competitiveness, safeguard our national security, and protect public health and our environment.

* Correction, September 30, 2010: This article originally stated that the Edison Electric Institute was occasionally supportive of some global warming proposals, but strongly advocated halting EPA from reducing global warming pollution.

See full data on how much energy companies and trade associations spent on oil lobbying for 2009-2010 (.xls)

Daniel J. Weiss is a Senior Fellow and Director of Climate Strategy, Rebecca Lefton is a Researcher, and Susan Lyon is a Special Assistant for Energy Policy at American Progress.

Endnotes

[1]. See U.S. Energy Information Administration, “Annual Energy Outlook” (2010), p. 4.

[2]. Lobbying and PAC contribution figures from the Center for Responsive Politics at opensecrets.org.

[3]. The Chamber of Commerce undoubtedly spent many of these resources lobbying against the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, and other issues. Lobbying reports do not specify the various amounts per each issue.

To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:

Print: Megan Smith (health care, education, economic policy)

202.741.6346 or msmith@americanprogressaction.org

Print: Anna Soellner (foreign policy and security, energy)

asoellner@americanprogressaction.org

Print: Raúl Arce-Contreras (ethnic media, immigration)

202.478.5318 or rarcecontreras@americanprogressaction.org

Radio: Laura Pereyra

202.741.6258 or lpereyra@americanprogressaction.org

TV: Andrea Purse

202.741.6250 or apurse@americanprogressaction.org

Web: Erin Lindsay

202.741.6397 or <a href="mailto:elindsay@americanprogressaction.org">elindsay@americanprogressaction.org</a>

<a href="http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2010/09/dirty_money.html">http://www.americanprogressaction.org/issues/2010/09/dirty_money.html</a>

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