Women of the Storm - And the Men Who Love Them

[ensho]

http://counterpunch.com/


"Be the One," a campaign urging citizens to petition the Congress towards passing and funding a comprehensive Gulf Coast restoration plan, has drawn criticism from some who point to the group's corporate oil and gas industry backers.

Brenden DeMelle and Jerry Cope report in the Huffington Post that, "a group of oil companies including BP, Shell, ExxonMobil, Citgo, Chevron and other polluters are using a front group called 'America's Wetland Foundation' and a Louisiana women's group called Women of the Storm to spread the message that U.S. taxpayers should pay for the damage caused by BP to Gulf Coast wetlands, and that the reckless offshore oil industry should continue drilling for the 'wholesale sustainability' of the region."

"Be The One" draws on celebrity endorsements from Sandra Bullock, Dave Matthews, Lenny Kravitz, Emeril Lagassi, John Goodman, Harry Shearer, Peyton and Eli Manning, Drew Brees and other stars with connections to New Orleans. To her credit Sandra Bullock —who bought a mansion in the city's posh Lower Garden District several years ago— withdrew her endorsement of the campaign after learning about the role of oil and gas companies in funding the America's Wetland Foundation. But the influences of corporate oil and gas goes much deeper into this campaign than just America's Wetland Foundation and its fiscal supporters.

Women of the Storm is the coordinator of "Be The One," and the group's founder Anne Milling has said she sees no problem with the grassroots organization's partnership with America's Wetland Foundation. DeMelle and Cope noted, however, that Anne Milling is married to R. King Milling, chairman of America's Wetland Foundation, making the relationship between her community group and the industry front group more than cozy. They go on to note other partnerships between the two organizations and their overall coordination of a single message: restoring the Gulf and making the region "sustainable" means keeping the oil and gas spigots flowing at full force.

-long revealing snip, do read on-
-------------------------------------


also from the article: "Truth is Women of the Storm was never a grassroots "women's organization."

shine some light on these scammers

[bananas]

1. Here's the direct link to the article

for when it gets moved off the front page of counterpunch: http://counterpunch.com/graham08022010.html

[femrap]

2. Corporations think

they're so fucking clever with their little front groups.

May they choke on their $$$.

[ensho]

3. kicking - these scammers need more sunshine

nt