Thursday, July 21, 2011

Alberta Darling Sold Out WI Kids To Big Tobacco

You can't turn on the radio or TV anymore without hearing or seeing one of the Koch Brothers funded commercials for Alberta Darling, spreading their distortions and out right lies.  One of her talking points which annoys me to know because of its blatant hypocrisy is when Darling claims to be in favor of the children.and of the tax payers.

Anyone who thinks that this is true will change their mind after finding out what she did in this budget. The following is a press release from We Are Wisconsin:
REPORT: ALBERTA DARLING SOLD OUT WISCONSIN’S KIDS TO HELP HER BIG TOBACCO BACKERS
Jul 21, 2011


Darling pushed through policy written by tobacco industry that helps Big Tobacco market cancer-causing products to Wisconsin children

RIVER HILLS, WI – A recent report has called into question Sen. Alberta Darling role in inserting a last-minute budget amendment that makes it easier for tobacco giant Philip Morris to push cancer-causing tobacco products to Wisconsin children – marketing them with fruity flavors and candy-like packaging. The amendment was pushed in Madison directly by Philip Morris parent company Altria, and provided Big Tobacco with a huge tax break over the status quo and their competition.

The report shows Darling’s amendment to be nearly exact ‘model language’ provided to state legislators by a group called the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a secretive, corporate-funded outfit with strong connections to the tobacco industry. Darling’s connections to ALEC go back to 2009 when she used tax dollars to pay $200 in membership fees to the organization, giving her access to exclusive, closed-door meetings with potential corporate donors, including ALEC member Altria/Philip Morris USA.

And voila! Altria/Philip Morris USA wrote a $1,000 check to Alberta Darling, just days after she became chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee where she was able to insert the language requested by Big Tobacco.

“Alberta Darling’s willingness to sell out the health of Wisconsin’s children to her Big Tobacco pals shows she’s a complete tool of the powerful corporate interests that bankroll her campaigns and push the attacks on middle class working families currently coming out of Madison,” said Sally Evans, a retired kindergarten teacher from Shorewood. “Alberta Darling’s shameless handout toher friends in the tobacco industry to help them market their cancer-causing products to Wisconsin’s children is immoral, unethical, and truly reprehensible.”

Notably, the late-night amendment Darling slid through her committee as a favor to Big Tobacco was actually vetoed by Scott Walker – who said it represented a huge threat to the health of Wisconsin’s children. According to the report, Darling refused to return multiple calls seeking an explanation for her conduct.

2 comments:

  1. I found this hard to believe, I mean fruit flavored cigarettes, WTF? but then I googled it and this is worse than I could've imagined.

    Do these people drive vans with "Free candy" on the sides? How is this different from your local meth dealer?

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  2. Darling pulled a similar item in Joint Finance where she inserted a last-minute item that allowed private companies to print and distribute license plate stickers. If you watch the tape, Darling actually is whispered this idea, and then she throws it in there.

    She is a clueless stooge. SHE MUST GO

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