David Koch Donates to Fight Cancer While His Company Fights the Regulation of Carcinogens

[Donnachaidh]

http://www.prwatch.org/spin/2011/03/10285/david-koch-donates-fight-cancer-while-his-company-fights-regulation-carcinogens

Scientists, politicians and Nobel laureates lauded billionaire David H. Koch at an event on March 4, 2011 for donating hundreds of millions of dollars to cancer research. Koch decided to put money towards cancer research after he contracted prostate cancer in 1992. But one of Koch's companies, Georgia Pacific, produces formaldehyde, which the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says causes cancer in animals, and may cause cancer in humans. Moreover, Georgia Pacific has been lobbying to keep the EPA from listing formaldehyde as a human carcinogen. While he has donated millions to science, Koch's company, the oil/coal/chemical/paper conglomerate Koch Industries, is known to be a major polluter, and Greenpeace has called Koch "a kingpin of climate change denial." Meanwhile, Koch's PR offensive continues with the big profile in the New York Times, headlined "Cancer Research Before Activism, Koch Brother Says." The Center for Media and Democracy--which has profiled the political activities of the company leaders and Mr. Koch's investment in special interest groups to push his ideological agenda--responded by noting, "The truth is that it costs a lot more to cure cancer than to buy influence with a politician through donations or provide the funding to fuel a bunch of special interest groups to peddle policy, push talking points, and pay for expensive ad campaigns" said Lisa Graves, CMD's executive director, adding "A little money goes a long way in the business of manufacturing consent; it's apparently and unfortunately got a great return on investment."

[aquart]

1. And thinks himself wonderful and generous.

And guaranteed a seat at the right hand of God.

[Cleita]

2. The only reason the likes of Koch donate to anything

is:

(1) A tax write off.

(2) A belief by them and other conservatives that charities should take care of the inequities in the world. Government social programs are not needed in their world view.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. David Koch's name is on the walls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and

City Opera in New York City while Congress defunds NPR. (BTW, NPR station WQXR broadcasts opera every Saturday afternoon.)

[LiberalFighter]

4. Those scientists, politicians and Nobel laureates are scumbags!!