Posted on 02/26/2012 3:22:13 PM PST by kbobdelux
We, the Ben & Jerrys Board of Directors, compelled by our personal convictions and our Companys mission and values, wish to express our deepest admiration to all of you who have initiated the non-violent Occupy Wall Street Movement and to those around the country who have joined in solidarity. The issues raised are of fundamental importance to all of us. These include:
The inequity that exists between classes in our country is simply immoral.
We are in an unemployment crisis. Almost 14 million people are unemployed. Nearly 20% of African American men are unemployed. Over 25% of our nations youth are unemployed.
Many workers who have jobs have to work 2 or 3 of them just to scrape by.
Higher education is almost impossible to obtain without going deeply in debt.
Corporations are permitted to spend unlimited resources to influence elections while stockpiling a trillion dollars rather than hiring people.
We know the media will either ignore you or frame the issue as to who may be getting pepper sprayed rather than addressing the despair and hardships borne by so many, or accurately conveying what this movement is about. All this goes on while corporate profits continue to soar and millionaires whine about paying a bit more in taxes. And we have not even mentioned the environment.
We know that words are relatively easy but we wanted to act quickly to demonstrate our support. As a board and as a company we have actively been involved with these issues for years but your efforts have put them out front in a way we have not been able to do. We have provided support to citizens efforts to rein in corporate money in politics, we pay a livable wage to our employees, we directly support family farms and we are working to source fairly traded ingredients for all our products. But we realize that Occupy Wall Street is calling for systemic change. We support this call to action and are honored to join you in this call to take back our nation and democracy.
Ben & Jerrys Board of Directors
Whos on our Board?
Whats our position on the issues that matter? Big Picture, Small World Fair Trade Climate Justice Peace Building Caring Dairy
Does Ben & Jerrys spend money on lobbying in the United States? Ben & Jerrys has launched numerous activist campaigns over the years that are considered lobbying activities according to federal and state laws.
In the past four years, the positions we have taken in these activist campaigns are: 1.Support for a Constitutional amendment that would limit corporate spending in elections. 2.Support for stronger social and environmental protections in the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. 3.Support for the Youth PROMISE Act, which funds proven youth violence prevention programs. 4.Support for continued funding for the United States Institute of Peace. 5.Support for continued funding for the Complex Crises Fund which supports State Department emergency efforts to defuse volatile conflicts around the globe. 6.Support for aggressive federal legislation to limit and reduce carbon emissions to respond to the challenge of climate change. 7.Opposition to FDA approval of foods from cloned animals. 8.Support for a USDA program to require mandatory tracking of cloned animals in the food supply to support consumer choice. 9.Opposition to FDA approval of genetically engineered animals in the food supply. 10.Support for the right of dairy companies to label their products as being rBGH-free. 11.Support for the United Nations Millennium Development goals to eradicate extreme poverty and inequality.
Ben & Jerrys has reported all expenditures on these grassroots campaign activities as required by federal and Vermont state law.
The Activism sidebar is reserved for FR activism. Not leftist causes.
Let em stand with em. I don’t eat their garbage ice cream.
People aren’t supposed to know/remember that Ben and Jerry sold their company to Unilever in 2000 for quite a tidy sum.
Why in the world would any Texan buy ice cream from Communists when there’s Texas’s own Blue Bell, from the little creamery in Brenham?
So does this mean Ben and Jerry’s is going to take all their evil profits and distribute them through all of the “99%”...
Yea didn’t think so.
I thought Ben and Jerry’s was owned by Unilever. OK, what says the Unilever board of directors?
The teacher's unions have to pay for their lavish LIFETIME PENSIONS so they can live out their lives as 1%'ers, right?
They have some good flavors but so much for Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for me.
Ben and Jerry’s COWS have it better than most of us do.
The freeloaders were axing for $20-an-hour jobs. Does BJ’s provide that? Doubt it.
I agree
(We are in an unemployment crisis. Almost 14 million people are unemployed. Nearly 20% of African American men are unemployed. Over 25% of our nations youth are unemployed.
Many workers who have jobs have to work 2 or 3 of them just to scrape by.
Higher education is almost impossible to obtain without going deeply in debt.)
These problems are the direct result of leftist policies.
#1 problem above is due to leftists making US employment too expensive and its cost too unpredictable thanks to the plethora of “reforms” such as health care and Dodd frank. Also at fault are unnaturally high minimum wages that keep the unskilled (new to the workforce and a good % of hispanics and blacks).
#2 problem above is due to high tax rates and the depreciating currency that acts as a hidden tax, which is directly caused by the Fed printing of money and artificially keeping interest rates low.
#3 problem is due to the subsidy of college by the federal government. Colleges keep raising their tuition as they see that the only response by the government is to increase government “aid”. The federal government also guarantees student loans, which removes the need for banks to actually ask people what the heck they’re studying for that money, and whether the material is consistent with them finding a good paying job that would allow them to pay back the loan.
Ben & Jerry should therefore say mea culpa and spend all their profits on us the people, as penance for their lobbying for bad laws.
Humpf! Seen the prices on that lately? 2 of their 1/2 gallon tubs for $9.00 locally...at sale price!
Our local @"Oak Farms" products look better every day, especially with 3 of their 1/2 gallon tubs going for $9.00 when on sale.
When people can't even afford ice cream until it goes on sale there's a problem.
Just saying...
They’re rich guys peddling high-fat stuff, and they SOLD OUT to a multi-national conglomerate.
Did anyone know that Haagen-Daaz was actually started in NEW JERSEY? They’re not not Swiss, not even 1% Euro.
“non-violent Occupy Wall Street Movement” rofl.
More millionaire communists (are there any other kind?) lecturing the rest of us about “greed”.
Wonderful.
My view is a bit different.
I think the govt provides subsidized student loans with minimal vetting of credit risk so universities can pay high salaries to liberal teachers and admins who recycle the money to Dem orgs. Sort of like the union dues scam.
If education loans were on par with similar credit risks, demand would be reduced and universities would be forced to price accordingly.
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