YES on Prop 2 campaign fights rotten eggs

[Guest guest]

Jennifer Fearing - YES! on Prop 2 <director

August 14, 2008 5:55:09 PM PDT

scott

YES! on Prop 2 campaign fights rotten eggs

 

Dear Prop 2 supporter,

 

Pasted below is today's blog from HSUS' CEO Wayne Pacelle that

discusses the details of a lawsuit that the YES! on Prop 2 campaign

filed on Tuesday against the American Egg Board and the USDA for

misappropriating millions of dollars to illegally campaign against

Prop 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.

 

We are extremely disappointed that the US government would meddle so

blatantly in the affairs of California voters. We intend to fight this

vigorously and need your help to do so! Please encourage FIVE friends

to join the YES! on Prop 2 campaign today.

 

Thank you!

 

Jennifer Fearing

Campaign Manager

YES! on Prop 2 campaign

 

P.S. - Help us stop animal cruelty - donate to the YES! on Prop 2

today - YESonProp2.com/donate.

 

 

Wayne Pacelle: A Humane Nation | The Humane Society of the United States

 

Rotten Eggs

Posted: 14 Aug 2008 12:00 PM CDT

The basic workings of a democracy depend upon the integrity of its

government. Adherence to the rule of law is a foundation stone upon

which any civil society is built. It is especially vital that we as a

nation keep elections clean—by allowing qualified citizens to vote, by

not suppressing voting through intimidation or arcane rules, by not

using the instruments of the state to influence elections, and by

allowing proper tabulations of all votes cast.

 

 

© iStockphoto

It's for these reasons that I am so thoroughly disappointed by the

U.S. Department of Agriculture's approval of a $3 million egg industry

advertising campaign in California by the American Egg Board between

now and election day—the very period when the Proposition 2 campaign

to phase out battery cages for laying hens (and also to phase out veal

and gestation crates) is at high tide. Californians for Humane Farms,

the political committee backing Prop 2 that HSUS actively supports,

filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in San Francisco yesterday to

challenge this federal action.

 

Through our Animal Protection Litigation department, we obtained

correspondence dating from last November, after we launched the Prop 2

campaign, to indicate that the AEB approved a $3 million California

appropriation to " supplement " an ongoing " campaign to defeat the

measure " through the funding of " public relations and other projects. "

Federal law says " no funds collected by the Egg Board under the order

shall in any manner be used for the purpose of influencing government

policy or action. " (See Rep. Earl Blumenauer's letter to Agriculture

Secretary Ed Schafer asking the USDA to rescind its approval.)

 

One source says that the series of ads for this California campaign

may have even been produced by the same public relations firm handling

the No on Proposition 2 campaign. And it appears that they'll even

have some of the same spokespersons, and use messaging from the very

same script as the No on Prop 2 campaign.

 

The USDA and the AEB can advertise in any state but California between

now and election day, to avoid the charge of an illegal political

expenditure. And they can do so in 50 states after Nov. 4 without

complaint from anyone. The only reason AEB and USDA would spend $3

million now is to augment the formal No on Proposition 2 campaign. And

that is against the law, and it is highly unethical.

 

Today is a day I am deeply troubled by the actions of a federal

government agency. But, as usual, we won't take this action or any

action inimical to animals—and so corrosive to the workings of civil

society—without a proportional response. Our attorneys will fight this

federal action with every resource of the organization.

 

And on this day, I urge you to think about redoubling your commitment

to passing Proposition 2. To win, with the factory farming industry

and the federal government aligned against us, we need your financial

support. Edmund Burke said it best, " All that is required for evil to

prevail is for good men to do nothing. "

 

 

 

 

 

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YES!on Prop 2 - Californians for Humane Farms

P. O. Box 418202

Sacramento, CA 95841-8202

USA

http://www.YESonProp2.com | director

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