Send out-of-state lobbyists a message

Missoulian 9/4/06 letter to the editor

On Aug. 22 the Missoulian printed a full-page anti-union advertisement from the organization Unionfacts.com. It attacked state service employees and union leadership. I have also seen several advertisements from this organization on local television stations.

As a union member, I felt it was my obligation to look into these attacks and allegations to see who's behind them. After a little research I found that Unionfacts.com is a Web site run by a right-wing lobbyist named Rick Berman.

Berman has been tied to possible U.S. Congress ethics violations, and his lobbying organization also tried to stop a ban on a known cancer-causing pesticide called Alar.

Armed with the knowledge that Unionfacts.com is run by a $10 million corporate lobbying group, I now see why they can afford full page ads. Additionally, I ask why are Montanans subjected to false claims from out-of-state corporations with exorbitant amounts of lobbying money?

Between several ballot initiatives “supported” by big-money Libertarians, Jack Abramoff's tit-for-tat money given to Montana's congressional representatives, and now a national anti-union lobbying group attacking our state employee's and working families, what's a citizen to do?

Very simply, vote! Support candidates who support working families and labor causes. Vote “no” to Constitutional Initiatives 97 and 98, and Initiative 154. Let's send these out-of-state lobbyists and their dirty money home.

Roy Houseman Jr., Missoula