« Carla steeps herself in liberal Hollywood excess and gets all pruney | Main | You Weren't Supposed to Hear That »

August 28, 2006

The Ballot Measure Funding Saga Continues

For those who have been following the saga of libertarian funding for spending limit, term limit and eminent domain ballot measures and their relationship to Rick Berman's Union "Facts" advertising campaign, the following new chapters have been added:

Sandlapper's entry at Daily Kos: Rick Berman's ads `in short grass with bad camouflage'.

Ed Waldo's most recent addition to his running expose: Unlimited Terms of Endearment Part XIV: The Hoop Snake.

Of particular interest to me is the disclosure that the efforts have been partially funded by a Chicago gentleman named Barre Seid, whose generous giving totaled nearly $18 million to conservative groups between 1998 and 2003, and is still running strong. Recipients included $839,689 to the Heartland Institute, $740,000 to U.S. Term Limits, $422,618 to the Cato Institute, $170,000 to the Illinois Taxpayer Education Foundation, $165,000 to the Competitive Enterprise Institute, $150,000 to LEAD Foundation, and much more. He has also given $2,212,000 to the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, which is focused on dergulation, particularly in the area of the environment, and was founded by Rich Fink, executive vice president of Koch Industries (no surprise here) – which itself, of course, is linked through the Koch brothers to a vast libertarian network that includes Cato, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and all of Howard Rich's groups. In other words, Seid is a heretofore unexamined player in this underground libertarian coup attempt, and one to whom a bit more attention should be directed.

UPDATE: Carla at Loaded Orygun has broken the news that Governor Kulongoski has issued a challenge to Howard Rich to debate him on the merits of Measure 48. I would be surprised if the challenge was accepted, but it is a great move on the part of the Governor.

Posted by Becky at August 28, 2006 09:02 AM