tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236895917331192509.post6174349428926128528..comments2023-05-17T04:01:26.506-04:00Comments on The Neutron Economy: Rent-seeking and Greenwashing: The Case of Sierra Club and Natural GasAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12086026121605548134noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236895917331192509.post-63414083330076213802012-02-12T08:55:10.494-05:002012-02-12T08:55:10.494-05:00@Rod - I certainly agree, and perhaps I have misin...@Rod - I certainly agree, and perhaps I have misinterpreted your point. Free market advocates *should* be incensed by this kind of behavior, because it represents everything gone wrong with the system - this we agree upon. In fact, I can find little that I do disagree with in what you said above. <br /><br />Honestly, the more you mention it, the more I begin to wonder about how these "donations" to Sierra Club should be treated - in essence, they seem more like money given to a lobbying organization (not tax deductible) rather than a tax-exempt charity. The more one pulls at this thread though, the more one has to wonder how far it goes. If anything, this certainly should be making the case to the feds to start opening the books of groups of supposed "environmental non-profits" like Sierra and Greenpeace...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12086026121605548134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236895917331192509.post-88923113631019349192012-02-12T08:48:52.150-05:002012-02-12T08:48:52.150-05:00@SteveK9: Probably true. In no way is the problem ...@SteveK9: Probably true. In no way is the problem limited to the energy sector, that's for certain...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12086026121605548134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236895917331192509.post-31447211344551091122012-02-12T06:40:38.932-05:002012-02-12T06:40:38.932-05:00@Steve - excellent article.
You might have misun...@Steve - excellent article. <br /><br />You might have misunderstood the point that I was trying to make about the way that "free market" advocates have dismissed the importance of the immoral issue of paying someone else - anyone else - to kneecap a competitor and raise the barriers to entry.<br /><br />I know I am weird about this, but I like competition that is based on self improvement, not based on doing something that makes it more difficult for your competitor. The world benefits when businesses compete by seeking to improve their own products and to more effectively communicate the benefits of purchasing those products. The world - over all - loses when businesses denigrate other good products or prevent those products from reaching the market. (By the way, I never cheer if a member of "my team" gets away with holding or pass interference either.)<br /><br />Aside - I fully support, however, the notion that there is a need to protect intellectual property from the simple act of imitation or downright theft. There is a good reason for businesses or individuals who have invested in creation to seek to ensure that others do not steal their markets without making the same kind of improving effort. - End Aside.<br /><br />One thing that should come out of this blatant, egregious example of the natural gas industry PAYING the Sierra Club to directly do work to both harm a competitor and promote its product is an investigation of the tax exempt nature of the Club itself.<br /><br />The actions that it was paid to perform are exactly the same actions that firms on K-street or Madison Avenue get paid to perform. There is no justification for those business transactions to be exempted from taxation - even if they are legal manipulation. <br /><br />Aubrey McClendon's tax returns should be audited. His deductions for paying the Sierra Club to market his company's products should be disallowed. The Sierra Club's tax returns should be audited to at least classify their "Beyond Coal" campaign as a commercial enterprise that is done in return for being paid to do it. <br /><br />It is past time to shine a spotlight on the widespread practice of paying groups that CLAIM to be working for higher purposes with tax deductible money when the transaction is clearly one that results in that front group performing commercial services for hire.<br /><br />Rod Adams<br />Publisher, Atomic InsightsRod Adamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03652375336090790205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1236895917331192509.post-25593814420647063392012-02-11T21:58:07.315-05:002012-02-11T21:58:07.315-05:00Thanks for this. The only quibble I would have is...Thanks for this. The only quibble I would have is the comment that crony capitalism is a particular problem in the energy industry. As bad as it is, nothing can equal the financial sector.SteveK9noreply@blogger.com