Thursday, December 6, 2007

What constitutes bribery? ...

Consumer Reports reports something fishy going on:
According to the HMHB Web site, the National Fisheries Institute, an industry trade association, provided honoraria of $1,000 each to the 14 members of the panel who came up with this new advice, and also covered travel, hotel bills and food for a meeting attended by the panelists. In addition, the four-person Executive Committee received an additional $500 each for the time spent in planning the meeting. Both the New York Times and the Washington Post reported that the NFI also gave the Coalition $60,000 for its education campaign on seafood consumption.
The board of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition decided pregnant women can, and apparently should “eat a minimum of 12 ounces per week of fish like salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel, and can do so safely,” lead be damned.

Is this just another group organized for the purpose of pushing the corporate mafia's message? They pick a socially responsible message: healthy mothers, healthy babies. The next step is the betrayal of that message? And they get paid to do this? Republican and corporations repeat this scenario over and over:
Disclaimer Related to Partner Organizations

Recommendations and position statements issued by the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) are voted on by its Board of Directors. Any statement that is supported by the HMHB Board in no way implies that it has been endorsed by our member organizations. Questions regarding any member organizations' position on such matters should be directed to the leadership of those member organizations.
But individuals and groups keep going along ... a disclaimer isn't enough!

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