Ralph Nader's Blog, page 63

Small Press with Big Ideas

Among the vast daily news sources bidding for our readership, I find four little-heralded publications representing major causes worthy of attention.



Spotlighting the dwindling survival of the family farm and ranch is the monthly OCM News published by the Organization for Competitive Markets (OCM). OCM is opposed to the concentration of power in a few megacorporate hands such as the four giant meatpackers and the giant seed company, Monsanto. The effect on farmers is to increase their costs of supplies and decrease their right, under neglected federal law, to receive competitive bids for their product, such as beef.
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Statement of Ralph Nader on Supreme Court's Attack on Consumer Rights

With today's 5-4 decision in the AT&T v. Concepcion case, the U.S. Supreme Court undermined the rights of consumers to band together and challenge corporate misdeeds.



Justices Scalia, Thomas, Kennedy, Alito and Chief Justice Roberts should be ashamed of themselves for limiting consumer access to the courts.



The decision means that in many cases consumers will need to individually spend more time and money challenging anti-consumer practices than they would if they were allowed to band together and collectively seek justice.



To counter this decision, consumers should rally in support of the Arbitration Fairness Act, sponsored by Senator Al Franken of Minnesota, which is expected to be introduced in the coming weeks.



Consumers should not be barred from the courts based on anti-consumer, one-sided, fine-print contracts.



For more information this topic visit the following websites:

http://citizen.org

http://faircontracts.org

http://www.publicjustice.org/

http://www.fairarbitrationnow.org/

Remarks by Ralph Nader on the 25th anniversary of the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl, Ukraine.

The disaster at Chernobyl’s reactor on April 26, 1986 continues to expose humans, flora and fauna to radioactive lethality especially in, but not restricted to, Ukraine and Belarus. Western countries continue to reflect an under-estimation of casualties by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
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Stripmining America-Unpatriotically

It is time to apply the standard of patriotism to the U.S. multinational corporations and demand that they pledge allegiance to the United States and “the Republic for which is stands…. with liberty and justice for all.” This July 4, 2011 would be good day for Americans to demand such a corporate commitment.
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Waiting for the Spark

What could start a popular resurgence in this country against the abuses of concentrated, avaricious corporatism? Imagine the arrogance of passing on to already cheated working people and the jobless enormous corporate losses? This is achieved through government bailouts and tax escapes.
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Taking Progressives for Granted

When liberals and progressives have nowhere to go, New York’s new Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo can move toward the corporatist-right of the political spectrum with impunity. Brandishing an inherited $10 billion state deficit, Cuomo has earned the following description in the April 7th edition of The New York Times:
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Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader Calls for Investigation of Treasury Department's Handling of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorship

April 11, 2011



Consumer Advocate Ralph Nader Calls for Investigation of Treasury Department's

Handling of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Conservatorship



Nader Says High-ranking Government Officials Made Misleading Statements

about the Financial Health of Fannie & Freddie



In a letter to Department of the Treasury Inspector General Eric Thorson, Senator Tim Johnson, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs and Representative Spencer Bachus, Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Mr. Nader raised a variety of questions about the manner in which Treasury Department officials established the conservatorships for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the way the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) delisted the companies from the New York Stock Exchange.



Mr. Nader said, “the Treasury Department Inspector General and Congressional Committees with appropriate jurisdiction are in the best position to conduct a thorough investigation of the way Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac common shareholders have been used and abused by the Treasury Department.



Nader noted that high-ranking government officials including: former Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke, former Senator Christopher Dodd, Representative Barney Frank, and former OFHEO Director James B. Lockhart, made positive comments about the financial health of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in July of 2008, just two months prior to the creation of the conservatorship.

Open Letter to President Obama on the Nomination of Elizabeth Warren

Dear President Obama:



An interesting contrast is playing out at the White House these days—between your expressed praise of General Electric’s CEO, Jeffrey R. Immelt and the silence regarding the widely desired nomination of Elizabeth Warren to head the new Consumer Financial Regulatory Bureau within the Federal Reserve.
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Letter to Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg

April 1, 2011



Ivan Seidenberg, CEO

Verizon Communications Inc.

140 West Street

New York, NY 10007



Dear Mr. Seidenberg,


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Letter to President Obama on Auto Safety and Motor Coach Safety Legislation

Dear President Obama:



A few days ago, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told some long-time auto safety advocates in his office that the Department wants to see the two bills—the auto safety and the motor coach safety legislation—enacted this session. Last December, all was set for these two bills to be passed—a clear majority in the House (led by Cong. Waxman) and 99 Senators signed off on unanimous consent (led by Sen. Rockefeller). One Senator, Dr. Tom Coburn, refused to release his hold. We conversed with him several times and tried to respond to his procedural and substantive complaints within his own framework of thinking and not knowing, but to no avail.


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