My father is a union buster!

[Joesunionreview]

The story of the self proclaimed doctor evil and his sons confession

http://anti-union.blogspot.com/2009/02/my-father-is-union-buster.html

"My father.You might be surprised to know he is famous, for terrible reasons. My father is a despicable man. My father is a sort of human molester."..."He is a union buster."- David Berman on his father, Richard "Rick" Berman

Entirely from:
http://www.prwatch.org/node/8168">

Front Group King Rick Berman Gets Blasted by his Son David Berman

by Anne Landman on Fri, 01/30/2009 - 11:00

Rick BermanWashington, D.C. lobbying scourge http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Rick_Berman">Richard B. "Rick" Berman is facing steadily increasing pushback these days, and some of it is coming from a surprising source -- his own son, musician http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_Berman">David Berman.

Berman has long been the front man through which corporations have aggressively attacked their opponents without leaving fingerprints. Known to his own friends and enemies alike as "http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/04/05/60minutes/main2653020.shtml|Dr. Evil>," Berman has perfected the art of setting up non-profit "charitable" groups to advance corporate interests. The groups have deceptively helpful-sounding names, like "http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Guest_Choice_Network">Guest Choice Network," the "http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Employment_Policies_Institute">Employment Policies Institute" or the "http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Center_for_Consumer_Freedom">Center for Consumer Freedom," but really serve as well-funded attack dogs for the tobacco, alcohol, chain restaurant, tanning and other industries. The groups' non-profit status makes their funding hard to trace, which has permitted Berman to operate in the shadows for decades while pocketing millions from unpopular industries for his work thwarting public interest legislation.

Pushback against underhanded lobbying tactics

Berman depends on secrecy to cloak his operations, but recently the Congressional watchdog group http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Citizens_for_Responsibility_and_Ethics_in_Washington">Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) unveiled a hard-hitting new Web site, http://www.bermanexposed.org/">www.BermanExposed.org, which unmasks Berman's http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=front_groups">front groups, tactics, employees and projects. CREW's Web site outs Berman's "charitable" groups as the lobbying tools they are, and describes how he uses them to run attack ads and implement other tactics to fight http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Mothers_Against_Drunk_Driving">Mothers Against Drunk Driving, http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=People_for_the_Ethical_Treatment_of_Animals">People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and other public interest groups' efforts to raise awareness of obesity, secondhand smoke, drunk driving, mad cow disease, and other causes. CREW even posted a photo of the http://www.bermanexposed.org/facts">$3.3 million house Berman purchased with money he has earned from his dirty lobbying tactics.

Another Blow Hits Closer to Home

CREW's new site was a resounding strike at Berman, but it might have inadvertently catalyzed yet another blow that hits even closer to home.


Rick Berman's son, http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=David_Berman">David Berman, is a 42-year-old singer-songwriter who, since 1989, has been the front singer for a popular New York City indie rock band called the "http://www.silverjews.net/">Silver Jews." Over the years, the Jews have developed a loyal following, but on January 22, 2009 David Berman http://www.examiner.com/x-574-Colorado-Politics-Examiner%7Ey2009m1d23-Silver-Jews-David-Berman-closes-the-curtain">stunned his fans by posting a note to an http://www.dragcity.com/dcforums/viewtopic.php?t=649">online message board announcing that after all these years he was leaving the Silver Jews. The reason? His father, Rick Berman.

In scathing language, David disclosed to his fans who his father is, and how leaving the band related to his father's work. David wrote,

Now that the Joos are over I can tell you my gravest secret. Worse than suicide, worse than crack addiction:

My father.

You might be surprised to know he is famous, for terrible reasons. My father is a despicable man. My father is a sort of human molestor.

An exploiter. A scoundrel. A world historical mother******* son of a bitch. (sorry grandma).

You can read about him here:

http://www.bermanexposed.org

... A couple of years ago I demanded he stop his work. Close down his company or I would sever our relationship.

He refused. He has just gotten worse. More evil. More powerful. We've been "estranged" for over three years.

Even as a child I disliked him. We were opposites. I wanted to read. He wanted to play games.

He is a union buster.

When I got out of college I joined the Teamsters (the guards were union organized at the Whitney).

I went off to hide in art and academia.

The Silver Jews perform "I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You."

I fled through this art portal for twenty years. In the meantime my Dad started a very very bad company called Berman and Company.

He props up fast food/soda/factory farming/childhood obesity and diabetes/drunk driving/secondhand smoke.

He attacks animal lovers, ecologists, civil action attorneys, scientists, dieticians, doctors, teachers.

His clients include everyone from the makers of Agent Orange to the Tanning Salon Owners of America.

He helped ensure the minimum wage did not move a penny from 1997-2007!

The worst part for me as a writer is what he does with the English language.

Though vicious he is a doltish thinker, and his spurious editorials rely on doublethink and always with the Lashon Hara.

As I studied Judaism over the years, the shame and the shanda, grew almost too much. My heart was constantly on fire for justice. I could find no relief.

This winter I decided that the SJs were too small of a force to ever come close to undoing a millionth of all the harm he has caused. To you and everyone you know.

Literally, if you eat food or have a job, he is reaching you.

I've always hid this terrible shame from you, the fan. The SJs have always stood autonomous and clear.

Hopefully it won't contaminate your feelings about the work ... In a way I am the son of a demon come to make good the damage.

Previously I thought, through songs and poems and drawings I could find and build a refuge away from his world.

But there is the matter of Justice.

And I'll tell you it's not just a metaphor. The desire for it actually burns.

It hurts.

There needs to be something more. I'll see what that might be.

DCB

Ouch.

David's powerful note provides insight into the tortured feelings David has endured as the son of the Lobbyist from Hell. We well agree that Rick Berman is guilty of shamefully obstructing public health and working to crush those who care about public welfare, clean air, the environment, animal rights and other causes. For any normal father, this public note would be excruciatingly painful. For all we know, it might be for Rick Berman, too. But will the pain of this note be enough to change him?

We hope David's public expression of his feelings about his father's work will make Rick Berman think about what he is doing to society, if not his family. If it isn't, well then David, we are on your side and are willing to help you in any way we can.

MORE INFO:
You can see a video of the Silver Jews tune "I'm Getting Back Into Getting Back Into You." by clicking the image below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tWmPFwYRk8&eurl=http://www.anti-union.blogspot.com/">

http://www.bermanexposed.org">

[billyoc]

1. You can't pick your relatives, Dave.

No reflection on you, though.

[Joesunionreview]

2. Thats so true

I give him the ultimate respect for coming forward. That had to be tough.

[drm604]

3. K&R

Thank you Joesunionreview for posting this.

And thank you David Berman for speaking out like this. It must be a painful thing to have to speak out against your father like this, but it's definitely the right thing to do.

These fake groups have been angering me for some time now. For years I've been watching these faux-populist front groups springing up all over the web. I've seen their misleading banner ads which seem to inevitably lead to a page with a plea to "contact your representatives". Fortunately I've learned to quickly spot them for what they are but I'm sure that many people fall for them, otherwise they wouldn't continue to spend the money.

We even get astro-turfers signing up and posting on DU. I've confronted a few myself and pointed out that they're citing front groups.

Any idea what percentage of these groups Berman is responsible for? Are the trolls we see here working for him?

[BanzaiBonnie]

4. Rick Berman sounds like a sociopath

Who else could set out to ruin the lives of others in this way.

David Berman is a brave and honest person and the association with his father should leave no taint, although I fear it does. I'm praying that David Berman can make a difference by exposing his father for the parasite that he is.