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Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) is a conservative political group operating in the United States, whose self-described mission is "to fight for less government, lower taxes, and less regulation."
The group produces more than 100 policy papers each year, delivering them to many congressional offices, sending out thousands of pieces of mail, and getting coverage of its viewpoints in thousands of news articles around the nation. The group's representatives have appeared on hundreds of radio and television shows and published hundreds op-ed articles arguing that "environmental conservation requires a commonsense approach that limits the scope of government," acid rain is a "so-called threat [that] is largely nonexistent," and global warming is "a verdict in search of evidence."
"Based in Washington, D.C., CSE describes itself as an organization of "grassroots citizens dedicated to free markets and limited government." However, it is commonly known as what Public Relations Quarterly has called a "corporate front group." The publication explained that "the use of such 'front groups' enables corporations to take part in public debates and government hearings behind a cover of community concern [in order to] oppose environmental regulations, and to introduce policies that enhance corporate profitability." (from Lawsuit Against Clean Air Act By Members of Congress Raises Conflict-of-Interest Questions an investigative report from the Center for Public Integrity.) [1] (http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipients/cse.htm)
The Washington Post reported that soon after CSE began opposing an Army Corps of Engineers plan to restore thousands of acres of the Florida Everglades, it received $700,000 in contributions from Florida's three biggest sugar enterprises, which stood to lose lands on which they were growing cane. The Post continued: "The sugar contributions were never disclosed publicly but were outlined in internal CSE documents that detail how various corporate interests donated millions to the group to bankroll its efforts on issues of direct interest to them, from global warming to Florida tort reform. Along with those earmarked contributions, from companies such as Exxon Corp. and Hertz Corp., the organization received more than $ 1 million from Philip Morris Cos.at a time when CSE was opposing cigarette taxes. Phone company U S West Inc. gave $ 1 million as CSE pushed deregulation that would let U S West offer long-distance service." [2] (http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipients/cse.htm)
Funding
The CSE has a related funding arm, the Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation (CSEF). According to internal documents leaked to the Washington Post, 85 percent of CSE's 1998 revenues of CSE's $16.2 million came not from its 250,000 members, but from contributions of $250,000 and up from large corporations.
Between 1985 and 2001, CSE received $15,993,712 in 104 separate grants from only twelve foundations:
Other CSE funders (not included in above funding total) have included:
See also
External links
- [http://www.cse.org/ Citizens for a Sound Economy website
- Disinfopedia (http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Citizens_for_a_Sound_Economy)
- Media Transparency (http://www.mediatransparency.org/recipients/cse.htm) "The CSE is a Washington-based think tank founded by David and Charles Koch. Charles Koch also co-founded the Cato Institute. Current Chairman (July 2004) is Dick Armey, former Republican House Majority Leader."
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