Working Assets - Disturbing "Progressive" Long Distance Program

vanity | April 12, 2004 | ntnychik

[ntnychik]

I got some really disturbing mail today from something called Working Assets Long Distance. If you join their long distance telephone plan, you get a free pint of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream every month for a year, 60 free minutes of long distance for 3 months, paid connection fee, free calls every day to targeted decision-makers, and 1% of charges to progressive nonprofit groups.

"Progressive organizations" that were listed were ACLU, Stand for Children, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Center for Economic Justice, Planned Parenthood, Sweatshop Watch, and Children's Defense Fund (of Marian Wright Edelman and Hillary fame).

The final page of the three page insert says, "Check the boxes, and we'll send low-cost CitizenLetters on your behalf." Examples of checkboxes are "protect water supply" and "Fund Public Broadcasting." A detachable coupon to enclose with payment will include two issues a month. Here are the blurbs for the two mentioned:

Keep Sewage Out of Drinking Water

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the relaxation of national sewage-treatment standards. The new rules would allow treatment plants to skip critical sanitation measures when it rains and pump pathogen-filled sewage directly into lakes, rivers and coastal waters. that would mean more disease-causing parasites, bacteria and viruses in your drinking water supply. Urge EPA Commissioner Leavitt to protect our water supply.

Increase Funding for Public Broadcasting Public broadcasters provide an oasis of thoughtful news commentary and culture amid the racket of commercial programming. The federal government supports public broadcasting through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). But Congress has neglected to reauthorize the CPB for the last six years, and funding has lagged badly behind what's needed. Urge your Senator to reauthorize and increase funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The page says "Just check the box on your bill and we'll send a low-cost, well-argued CitizenLetter for you." Other quotes are: "Call targeted decision-makers FREE any day of the week and we'll pay for the call." "Round up your check--it's an easy way to increase support for progressive causes."

Other services:

Read hot-off-the-wire progressive news (WorkingForChange)

Shop and give back at the same time (ShopForChange)

Give decision-makers a piece of your mind (ActForChange)

A page of address labels was included with the mailing. The labels have symbols for environment, peace, human rights, equality, and education. At the bottom of the sticker sheet is written "Your Vote Matters. Not every candidate wins. But every voter does. If you aren't registered to vote, please do so at" a website they provided.

The whole mailing flacks the "progressive" agenda under the guise of normal business solicitation.

A google search of Working Assets includes a mention of voter registration and change of voting registration services.

[ntnychik]

This group operates out of San Francisco (where else?) Are any of you familiar with this? Is this part of Campaign Finance Reform? This is a nightmare.

[onyx]

Excellent post.
EXPOSE' alert.

Please ping your lists.

[PhiKapMom]

FYI!

[Howlin]

Wow, look at this:



San Francisco, CA, November 17, 2000 (DLD Digest) - A national ad campaign launched by Working Assets, a San Francisco-based long-distance, credit card and online services company, calls on Florida election officials to do whatever it takes to count every vote in the presidential election.

Take your pick:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=working+assets+long+distance

[A CA Guy]

Shed light on them and they will melt wax in the sun.

[Mo1]

Is this legal???

[Viking2002]

'ACLU, Stand for Children, Rainforest Action Network, Greenpeace, Doctors without Borders, Amnesty International, Center for Economic Justice, Planned Parenthood, Sweatshop Watch, and Children's Defense Fund'

All pretty-smelling, anti-American organizations with a mile-deep alterior agenda beneath the inch-deep veneer that they present to the public.

[onyx]

Is this legal?






I have no idea.

[goodnesswins]

From HOOVERS Biz info.....

Working Assets Funding Service, Inc.

101 Market St. Ste. 700

San Francisco, CA 94105 (Map)

Phone: 415-369-2000

Fax: 415-371-1046

Toll Free: 800-788-8588

http://www.workingforchange.com

Covered by Editorial Staff

Working Assets Funding Service works to fund political causes. Working Assets Long Distance resells phone services and donates 1% of customers' charges to politically active and philanthropic nonprofit groups. The Working Assets Credit Card allows users to do their shopping and donate 10 cents for each transaction. Customers can nominate nonprofit groups to receive funding. Working Assets also provides information on political issues. Since its founding in 1985 by Laura Scher, Michael Kieschnick, and Peter Barnes as a spinoff of the Working Assets money-market fund, the company has raised more than $30 million in donations for such organizations as Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and Planned Parenthood.

[WaterDragon]

The offer sounds perfect for every liberal I know.....just sign up and someone will do your thinking and writing for you, you never have to know what's going on, you never have to make a decision.

They're all ignorant and happy in it. The liberal activists think we are all just as stupid and passive as their own followers.

[Mo1]

Here is there website with those promotions .. They are claiming 35 million in donations since 1985

Working Assets

[kcvl]

Dian J. Harrison
President and CEO of Planned Parenthood, Golden Gate.
Working Assets customer since 1999

"We have a very close working relationship with Working Assets. The turn in the economy has really made a difference in terms of fund-raising. We did okay last year, but we knew that coming into this current fiscal year, it would be a little tougher. Working Assets support has made a difference."

[Mo1]

Also has ties with

Amnesty International

[kcvl]

Introducing the 50 Nonprofit Groups We're Supporting in 2004


Alliance for Responsible Trade
Americans for Peace Now
Amnesty International
Center for Victims of Torture
Doctors Without Borders (France)
Global Fund for Women
Grassroots International
Peace Action
Physicians for Social Responsibility
WITNESS


AlterNet
American Civil Liberties Union
Educators for Social Responsibility
Internews Network
National Center for Science Education
Parents for Public Schools
People for the American Way
Reporters Without Borders
TomPaine.com
Women's eNews



American Rivers
EarthRights International
Friends of the Earth
Greenpeace
League of Conservation Voters
Organic Farming Research Foundation
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility
Sierra Club
WildAid
Wilderness Watch


America’s Second Harvest
Center for Community Change
Children’s Defense Fund
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Corporation for Supportive Housing
CorpWatch
Disability Rights Advocates
Family Violence Prevention Fund
Sweatshop Watch
United for a Fair Economy



American Immigration Law Foundation
Center for Reproductive Rights
Ella Baker Center for Human Rights
Equal Rights Advocates
Innocence Project
International Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Commission
Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund
Marijuana Policy Project
NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund
Planned Parenthood (Affiliates)

[Torie]

Sure its legal, unless it is viewed as an anti-competitive "tying arrangement" under the antitrust laws. This puppy doesn't qualify. There is no law about a company offering a no pain way to further their left wing agenda, or whatever political agenda, if only you buy their product. It is about about freedom. The small print bit is a bit annoying. So many statutes, so many cases, so much ensuing fine print, that nobody reads, except the judge or jury in a trial. It is all just grist for my mill.

[potlatch]

Glad you posted this ntnychik, the liberals will try anything!

[Mo1]

http://www.thedigest.com/more/122/122-91.html

Editorial Follow-Up
It's one thing for a long distance company to contribute money to charities, but it's another thing altogether to support slanted political views. I used to like Working Assets' ideals, but they have swung so far to the left as to completely alienate not only conservatives, but the average American as well.

Some of the causes that they "donate" money to (it's really the customers who are footing the bill) are not ones that the average citizen would probably want their money going towards. I think that they would do better to stick to less personal politics and focus their efforts on causes that everyone would agree are worthwhile.

[onyx]

Thanks Torie.
Mo, please see #15.

[Mo1]

http://www.internews.org/prs/Misc/working_assets_040128.html

Internews Selected as a Working Assets Donation Recipient
(January 28, 2004) Working Assets has selected Internews Network, an international non-profit organization that supports open media worldwide, as one of its donation recipients, with funds to be distributed in early 2005.

“Internews Network has been selected in part because we are confident that you will use the money well in a way that helps all of us,” said Working Assets President Michael Kieschnick.

Internews’ most recent projects include “Reporting for Humanity,” focusing on training young Arab reporters in how to report on conflict in a way that reduces the potential for violence, and “Hear My Voice,” training women radio journalists in Pakistan to report on gender issues.

Working Assets is a long distance, wireless, credit card and broadcasting company that was created in 1985 with the purpose of building a world that is more just, humane and environmentally sustainable. The company donates a portion of its revenue to nonprofit groups working for peace, human rights, equality, education and the environment.

Internews was nominated by one of Working Assets’ customers and selected by an internal process involving 107 employees and the board of directors.

The allocation of funds each year is determined solely by a vote of Working Assets’ customers who generate donations by making long distance calls, charging purchases on Working Assets credit cards, and other similar activities.

[Mo1]

Got it .. thanks