05-01_Lowdown_final.qxd 1/12/05 2:44 PM Page 1 GROWING UP The WITH YOUR CHIP How on earth, wondered a bunch of law-and-order bureaucrats and some elec- tronic nerds, could we get Americans to accept carry- ing ID that we can track 24/7? n Edited by Jim Hightower and Phillip Frazer n Vol. 7 No. 1 n January 2005 For the kids, that’s how! To protect your kids from terror- ists, kidnappers, molesters, and you name it, we should electronically track them. Out of love, of course. The buying of the government 2004 (Part I): Thus, the school district of Spring, Texas, is now issuing radio frequency ID cards to its school kids, so police can track each of Bush II brought to you by... them on a computer screen. Did little Jeannie stop off at her friend’s house rather than going straight home after school? With her RFID he Capitol City is swarming this month ing, like pro golfers and NASCAR drivers do. tag, the authorities know with party-hopping Republicans cele- But, of course, they’re not honest, so most Americans where she is. Indeed, brating the inauguration of their boy are unaware that many of the brand names that they buy authorities in Spring are now Bush—but the most joyous inaugural are behind Bush. Top executives of these companies rake considering having the in your consumer dollars, then donate a portion of them party of all is one that the media will RFIDs implanted under the to the GOP to produce a White House and Congress skin of each child. Then they not cover or even mention. It’s being that will rig the rules to let their corporations gut you. could track them 24/7. held in all of the private suites along Maybe you’d prefer not to do business with brand-name “It makes me feel kind of Washington’s K-Street corridor, where the corporate lob- outfits that so greedily work against your interest and val- like an animal,” observed byistsT hang their hats. These tassled-toed, cuff-linked cel- ues—or at least you might like to know who they are. one 15-year-old girl who ebrants are ecstatic, for Bush literally is their boy, bought To help, here’s a Lowdowner’s “Shopping Guide” of seems likely to rebel. But and paid for, and they’re planning to party not just for one brands that are big-time funders of Bush and the current younger kids risk growing up night, but for the next four years. Republican Congress. To help cull the list down to a man- thinking this is normal—the ageable size, we’ve included only those corporations that new American way. The pundits insist that George put up at least $75,000 in the ’04 presidential and con- won in November because of gressional elections, with at least two thirds of their MERCK EXECS’ his “moral values,” or money going to Republicans. We offer it in a handy clip- BAILOUT LOOT because he was “the and-carry format so you can whip it out whenever you’re war president,” or making a shopping decision. When drugmaker Merck because he was “a lik- None of this is charitable giving. The corpo- recently withdrew its best- able guy.” But what rate honchos, of course, recite the same old selling drug Vioxx (because really brought Bush to boilerplate response when asked about it can cause heart attacks) the White House is the the mighty sums of money they’re company executives took same thing that has shoveling into the GOP White House their time disclosing this little brought him everything in life: and Congress: “I can assure you problem to regulators, doc- Rich people’s money, specifically that GreatBigMegaCorp tors, or patients, and now the corporate funds. While some Incorporated is simply company faces federal worry that George will now interested in good investigations and thou- push a Jerry-Falwellian, government, and sands of lawsuits. ultra-right we’re delighted to Merck’s stock price has cultural be able to con- plummeted by 40 percent, on agenda, by tribute what we top of a 30 percent slide far the can toward that caused by a lack of new greatest noble goal.” products, all of which makes damage will Horsehooey. it a likely target for a takeover be done by You don’t need by another drug giant. his whole- an IQ higher than But Merck executives are hearted today’s humidity to quick on their feet when pro- embrace of know that they define tecting their own personal the full wish list presented to him by K-Streeters. “good government” as the corporate interests. Their exec retire- Bush Cheney & Company is the most corpo- agenda they attach to their checks. ment plan says that if anoth- rate presidency in nearly a century, rivaled only The top items: turn America’s er company takes over by the corrupt administrations of McKinley and Social Security fund over Merck—or even just 20 per- Harding. If George and Dick to the stock brokers; cent of it—the top 230 execu- were honest about it, they let oil, mining, and tim- tives can bail out with a gold- would sew the logos of their ber giants plunder our nat- —continued p. 2 corporate sponsors all over their cloth- ural resources; protect our 05-01_Lowdown_final.qxd 1/12/05 2:44 PM Page 2 —continued from p. 1 January 2005 The Hightower Lowdown 2 en parachute of three times drug companies from consumers all possible to break the backs of machinery in the next weeks, their annual salaries, plus seeking cheaper prescription medi- unions; allow the media giants to months, and years, you can track its their expected bonuses, as cines from abroad; hold down the get tighter control of our public air- source not by looking at the name of well as stock payments. For minimum wage; promote waves; etc., etc., etc. the congressional sponsor or of the example, CEO Raymond more job-busting As you see each of these policies regulator announcing it but by fol- Gilmartin, who helped engi- trade scams and do coming out of our governmental lowing the money. neer this sweet deal, would get about $57 million to soften TOTAL 2004 PERCENTAGE his landing. CORPORATION & PRODUCTS CONTRIBUTIONS TO GOP CONAGRA $197,252 82% ONE ECONOMIC FOOD & BEVERAGE Act II Popcorn, Andy Capp’s snacks, Armour meat products, Banquet foods, Blue Bonnet FACTOR RISING margarine/spreads, Brown ‘n Serve breakfast sausage, Butterball turkey, Chef COMPANIES Boyardee, Chun King Chinese food, County Line cheese and deli products, Crunch ‘n In America, the richest Munch, Decker meats, Dennison's chili, Eckrich meats, Egg Beaters, Fleischmann's country in the world, the food spreads, Golden Cuisine, Gulden's mustard, Heathy Choice brand, Hebrew TOTAL 2004 PERCENTAGE National Kosher Meats, Jiffy Pop, Knotts Berry Farm, La Choy, Libby's meats, poverty rolls are rising dra- CORPORATION & PRODUCTS CONTRIBUTIONS TO GOP Manwich, Margherita Italian Meat Specialties, Marie Callenders frozen foods, Orville matically. and shamefully. Redenbacher's, PAM cooking spray, Patio frozen meals, Pemmian jerky, Peter Pan COCA-COLA $510,164 71% peanut butter, Ranch Style beans, Reddi-Wip, Ro*Tel tomatoes, Rosarita, Slim Jim, The number of poor people A&W, Barcardi Mixers, Barq's, Canada Dry, Coca-Cola, Coke (Diet, Cherry, Vanilla, Swiss Miss, Texas Signature Foods, Van Camp’s Pork and Beans, Wesson Cooking Oils, is up by 4.8 million in the last Caffeine-free), Dannon, Dasani, Delaware Punch, Dr Pepper, Evian, Fanta, Fresca, Wolf Chili, Wolfgang Puck Frutopia, Five Alive, Hi-C, Minute Maid, Mr. Pibb, Mello Yello, Nature's Own, Odwalla, four years. Powerade, Red Flash, Schweppes, Sparkletts, Sprite, Squirt, Sunkist, Surge, GENERAL MILLS $185,640 72% Another 39 million people TaB,Tahitian Treat Betty Crocker cereals (including Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cheerios, Chex, Kix, Lucky Charms, Total, Trix, Wheaties), Bisquick, Bugles, Cascadian Farms, Gardetto's, Gold are “working poor,” meaning PEPSICO, INC $392, 949 68% Medal, Green Giant, Haagen Dazs, Hamburger Helper, Muir Glen, Nature Valley gra- their jobs pay so poorly that Pepsi (Diet, Edge, One, Twist, Vanilla, Wild Cherry), Mountain Dew, AMP, Mug Root nola bars, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Progresso, Totino's and Jeno's frozen pizzas, Yoplait Beer, Slice, Mirinda, Sierra Mist, Lipton, Aquafina, Frappuccino, DoubleShot, and Columbo yogurts they cannot afford the basics Tropicana, Gatorade, Lay's, Baked!, Cheetos, Cracker Jack, Doritos, Funyuns, in life. GrandMa's, Munchies, Rold Gold, Ruffles, Sabritones, Santitas, Sun Chips, Tostitos, CHIQUITA BRANDS $175,402 98% Bananas, grapes, and other fruits But our mass media most- WOW!, various salsas and dips SMITHFIELD FOODS $130,920 85% ly ignores poor people. We PILGRIM'S PRIDE POULTRY $303,826 97% Smithfield meats, Farmland meats, John Morrell meats, Gwaltney meats, Patrick just had a national election DEAN FOODS $276,500 69% Cuhady meats, Cumberland Gap meats, Quik-to-Fix meats, Krankus meats, Stefano that supposedly was about Alta Dena dairy products, Barbe’s, Barber’s, Bonus, Brown's Dairy, Carb Conquest, Foods moral values, yet neither Creamland, Cremora, Dairy Ease, Dean's Dips, Dean Specialty Foods, Healthy Shake, NESTLE $99,500 75% Hershey's Milk and Milkshakes, Horizon Organic, Lehigh Valley Dairy Farms, Marie's Very Best Baby formula, Carnation, Coffee-mate, Carnation Instant Breakfast, Nestle party even mentioned the Dips and Dressings, Mayfield Dairy, McArthur Dairy, Meadow Brook Dairy, Meadow Crunch, Kit Kat, Wonka candies, Power Bar, Lean Cuisine, Ortega Mexican foods, immorality of rising poverty Gold, Melody Farms, Mountain High Yogurt, Oak Farms Dairy, Price's Creameries, Purity Stouffers, Juicy Juice, Nescafe, Nesquik, Nestea, Taster's Choice coffee, Nestle Water Dairies, Rachel's Organic, Reiter Dairy, Robinson Dairy, Schepps Dairy, Silk Soymilk, in the midst of plenty.