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Top 10 Corporate Outrages
Posted: Jul 2, 2010
You might have heard this: BP is so well connected in Washington that even after being cited for 760 different safety and environmental violations, the company still got environmental waivers for the Deepwater Horizon rig that's now destroying the Gulf.1
But BP's not alone in using its DC influence. Check out the list below of other companies' outrages—then pass it along. And be sure to sign our new Fight Washington Corruption Pledge to support 3 key measures that will protect our democracy from corporate lobbyists!
1. Exxon Mobil made billions in profits, and yet paid not one dime in federal income taxes in 2009.2
2. The 2005 energy bill had a little known provision, commonly called the Halliburton Loophole, which exempted natural gas drilling from the Clean Water Act. The result? Water so contaminated that you can light it on fire.3
3. Massey Energy was cited more than 2400 times for safety violations in its mines, but chose not to fix potentially lethal problems because low penalties meant it was cheaper to simply keep paying the fines. This spring, 29 miners were killed in an underground explosion at a Massey mine in West Virginia.4
4. Michael Taylor was the FDA official who approved the use of Monsanto's Bovine Growth Hormone in dairy cows (even though it's banned in most countries and linked to cancer). After approving it, he left the FDA—to work for Monsanto. Until last year, when he moved back to the government—as President Obama's "Food Safety Czar." No joke.5
5. Internal Toyota documents outline how the company was successful in limiting regulators actions in the recalls last year—saving hundreds of millions while the death toll continued to climb.6
6. GE and its lobbyists—including 33 former government employees—have successfully lobbied Congress to override Defense Department requests to cancel a GE contract to work on a new engine for the Joint Strike Fighter jet. GE will need $2.9 billion to finish the project.7
7. Top executives at 9 top banks including Citibank, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley paid themselves over $20 billion dollars in bonuses just weeks after taxpayers bailed them out to the tune of 700 billion dollars.8
8. During the waning days of the Bush administration, officials responded to a long-term lobbying campain by pre-empting product liability lawsuits for dozens of whole industries. They bypassed Congress entirely and rewrote rules ranging from seatbelt manufacturing regulations to prescription drug safety.9
9. Sunscreen manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson and Schering-Plough, in the interest of profits, are opposing an FDA proposal requiring full reporting on sunscreen labels. The New York Times just confirmed that current SPF ratings don't even measure sun rays that cause cancer.10
10. BP—a company with a record of 760 drilling safety and environmental violations—was granted safety waivers in order to operate the deepwater drilling rig that ultimately created the worst environmental disaster in US history.1
Mad yet? Sign the pledge here and we'll pass your name on to your member of Congress, and ask them to Fight Washington Corruption too.
Sources:
1. "BP's latest plan succeeding, but may make spill worse," Newsweek, June 2, 2010.
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=88880&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=2
2. "GE, Exxon Paid No U.S. Income Taxes in 2009," ABC News, April 6, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89262&id=&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=3
3. "Why is Dick Cheney Silent on the Oil Spill?," Newsweek, June 10, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89263&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=4
4. "Other Massey Mines Showed A Pattern Of Violations," NPR, April 13, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89264&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=5
5. "Monsanto's man Taylor returns to FDA in food-czar role," Grist, July 8, 2009
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-07-08-monsanto-FDA-taylor/
6. "Toyota tried to cut costs on recalls," Los Angeles Times, February 22, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89265&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=6
7. "GE vice chairman openly challenges Gates over F-35 fighter jet engine," The Hill, June 17, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89266&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=7
8. "Bankers Reaped Lavish Bonuses During Bailouts," The New York Times, July 30, 2009
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/business/31pay.html
9. "Bush Rule Changes Curtail Rights of States, Consumers," Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2008
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89267&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=8
10. "UVA Reform: It's Not PDQ," The New York Times, June 23, 2010
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=89268&id=21534-5238824-Wcsfrnx&t=9
They should add natural gas well drilling in Marcellas Shale to that list. - Backwards Typist
[ In Reply To ..]They have destroyed water supplies, roads, etc. DOT did a blitz on the trucks hauling from there (1031 of 'em) and 251 were put out of service for leaking acid on the roads, bad brakes, and more.
The governor of PA just added a tax on revenus for the gas drilling companies like other states, BUT, cut the DEP/EPA budget by 9%, which means less investigating/less safety.
(As an aside, for the first time in 8 years, the PA budget passed on time, but the governor will not sign it until "the complementary bills" are passed, (supposedly the budget won't work unless these bills are passed?. Doesn't make sense to me.)
Sorry, no can do. It's Move On, and they are partnered with the SEIU. - Backwards Typist
[ In Reply To ..]I just don't trust them. Think George Soros, SEIU outrages, etc.
They pay. - adam
[ In Reply To ..]"Recently we published the story "What the Top U.S. Companies Pay In Taxes," and a related blog post, "Big Oil's Tax Bill." What's received the most attention from readers and bloggers was our assertion that ExxonMobil, despite recording more than $15 billion in income taxes, "paid none of its 2009 income taxes in the U.S."
My mistake was in thinking that these figures somehow reflected actual tax benefits and liabilities. So what we should have written was that ExxonMobil "recorded" no U.S. income taxes for 2009 instead of "paid." All you re-bloggers out there, please note the clarification. Mea culpa.
And for all you commenters outraged that Exxon isn't paying taxes in the U.S., don't worry, it is. Our article only focused on income taxes, but it's worth noting that the 10-k also records $7.7 billion in other taxes in the U.S. (like sales taxes) and more than $50 billion of other taxes and duties paid (I mean recorded) overseas.
http://blogs.forbes.com/energysource/2010/04/07/exxon-says-it-does-pay-u-s-income-taxes/
Thanks for posting this. I signed the pledge. (nm) - Nikki
[ In Reply To ..]nm
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