Koch owned Georgia Pacific wants government help on rail line
Problems with a private railroad tunnel on the southern Oregon coast are causing problems for forest products companies. A short line south of Florence is closed due to a tunnel collapse, negatively impacting area producers.
So what does mighty Georgia Pacific, which Koch Industries purchased in 2005 in a deal valued at $21 billion, do when there's a need to repair a private third party railroad? Come running to the government, of course. From the Coos Bay World:
A 2004 Center for Public Integrity report details some of Koch's activities in the political realm.
Then it's up to taxpayers to bail them out. The pseudo-libertarian views espoused by the Kochs and Big Stinky are just a ruse.
It all sounds good to Rush Limbaugh listeners, clutching their sidearms and Viagra while desperately worrying that some planning official is going to deny them a permit to expand the Cheetos Den, but in the end Big Stinky isn't there to serve the rank and file wingnuts.
The Kochs will gladly take as much money as Oregon will offer to fix the railroad, with nary a thought to the beneficial free market lessons they are so intent on teaching the rest of us.
This sort of thing puts progressives in something of a tough spot. The first impulse is to tell Georgia Pacific to fix the darn thing themselves, but of course we are always the ones who have to be grown ups and realize it wouldn't be fair to the hundreds of real families in that area who depend on decent wage jobs.
And since railroads, be they private or public, are still a vital piece of the region's economic infrastructure, then the responsible position is to encourage Oregon elected officials to see what practical measures can be taken. (It's a somewhat complicated engineering challenge, so far be it for me to offer technical advice.)
In the end, the next time you hear some blathering radio host drone on about "free markets," you can think of our good friends at Georgia Pacific and their owners the Koch brothers, and how they are the first ones in line demanding government do something when they have a need.
To shorten the equation, "takings" are bad, but "givings" are good. Neat trick. Irony is so special and wonderful.
So what does mighty Georgia Pacific, which Koch Industries purchased in 2005 in a deal valued at $21 billion, do when there's a need to repair a private third party railroad? Come running to the government, of course. From the Coos Bay World:
While the tracks are privately owned, G-P at least has been ringing phones all the way up to the governor's office. On Friday, the company's Portland-based lobbyist also called up Rep. Arnie Roblan, D-Coos Bay, and suggested that if times get too tough, G-P's Coos Bay mill, which employs 140 people, may cut operations. Two-thirds of that company's lumber heads out on rail.Dedicated observers of the right wing noise machine will recall that Charles and David H. Koch are among the wealthiest and most active supporters of "Big Stinky," which is a shorthand term I've chosen for the seemingly endless number of right-wing think tanks that busily pump hard right and pseudo-libertarian views into the American media. The Cato Institute is one example. But there are many more.
A 2004 Center for Public Integrity report details some of Koch's activities in the political realm.
Despite its size and political largesses, Koch is able to dodge the limelight because it is privately-held, meaning that nearly all of its business dealings are known primarily only by the company and the Internal Revenue Service. In fact, it is the second largest private company in the country, trailing only food processing giant Cargill.Until, of course, their profits are threatened.
Koch also prefers to operate in private when it comes to politics and government.
Although it is both a top campaign contributor and spends millions on direct lobbying, Koch's chief political influence tool is a web of interconnected, right-wing think tanks and advocacy groups funded by foundations controlled and supported by the two Koch brothers.
Among those groups are some of the country's most prominent conservative and libertarian voices including the Cato Institute, the Reason Foundation, Citizens for a Sound Economy and the Federalist Society. All regularly beat the drum in official Washington for the causes the Koch's hold dear—minimal government, deregulation, and free market economics.
Then it's up to taxpayers to bail them out. The pseudo-libertarian views espoused by the Kochs and Big Stinky are just a ruse.
It all sounds good to Rush Limbaugh listeners, clutching their sidearms and Viagra while desperately worrying that some planning official is going to deny them a permit to expand the Cheetos Den, but in the end Big Stinky isn't there to serve the rank and file wingnuts.
The Kochs will gladly take as much money as Oregon will offer to fix the railroad, with nary a thought to the beneficial free market lessons they are so intent on teaching the rest of us.
This sort of thing puts progressives in something of a tough spot. The first impulse is to tell Georgia Pacific to fix the darn thing themselves, but of course we are always the ones who have to be grown ups and realize it wouldn't be fair to the hundreds of real families in that area who depend on decent wage jobs.
And since railroads, be they private or public, are still a vital piece of the region's economic infrastructure, then the responsible position is to encourage Oregon elected officials to see what practical measures can be taken. (It's a somewhat complicated engineering challenge, so far be it for me to offer technical advice.)
In the end, the next time you hear some blathering radio host drone on about "free markets," you can think of our good friends at Georgia Pacific and their owners the Koch brothers, and how they are the first ones in line demanding government do something when they have a need.
To shorten the equation, "takings" are bad, but "givings" are good. Neat trick. Irony is so special and wonderful.
