E-cigs under fire by an Orwellian Shadowy Cabal

[StefanDidak]

Piedmont, CA is looking to introduce the concept of Restricting Smoking in Public Places and Possible Direction to staff on their next steps. But that is not the creepy part, stay tuned for that after I get some details out of the way first. Given the short notice I am sure I can not get folks to show up there so please allow me to shine a light on something that I think requires some awareness and hopefully I can get people to start paying attention to something that should be brought to light!

TIme: September 15 (TODAY)

Location: City Council Chambers, 120 Vista Avenue, Piedmont, CA at 7:30pm

Agenda: http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/govern/agendas/2014-09-15.pdf

Staff Report : http://www.ci.piedmont.ca.us/html/govern/staffreports/2014-09-15/smoking.pdf

Note from the staff report that… "The American Lung Association of California has approached the City with a request that the City consider adopting an smoking ordinance regulating smoking.”

The creepy part is not that the ALA approaches cities to create or augment ordinances regarding smoking by including vaping and trying to push prohibition and restrictions as far as they possibly can get away with at this stage. That’s what that group of MSA and Prop-99 Money Addicted control freaks do. It’s in their nature. The creepy part is that we finally have 100% proof that Change Lab Solutions and their “model ordinances” are involved seeing as the Staff Report include one of their documents as Exhibit A. It’s a slightly older version of documents that you can also find on their own site here:

http: // -- changelabsolutions.org/publications/e-cig-ord

and here:

http: // -- changelabsolutions.org/sites/default/files/Model_Ordinance_E-Cigarettes_FINAL_20140604.docx

http: // -- changelabsolutions.org/news/e-cigarette-regulation-resources-now-available

Note how the document says that it was made possible by funds received from Grant 09-11182 with the CA Department of Health, CA tobacco Control Program and that is is also copyrighted by said department. But that is also not even the creepiest part about it.

ChangeLab Solutions (CLS) develops model city ordinances that are often found used in many places where e-cig ordinances are presented (and passed). Sometimes you will find part of their texts being used and sometimes you will find entire chunks verbatim. You may wonder, why is this strange (and usually unseen and unmentioned) group so involved in all this. Well, you’re not the only one wondering about that. Who’s behind CLS? I would invite you to dig down the rabbit hole and investigate it for yourself. Be prepared to be shocked and disgusted, though. And be prepared to understand that this is not a conspiracy but most definitely a shadowy group that operates as if they were the invisible hand that you are not supposed to be aware of. Do you feel daring enough to investigate and dig into who’s gaining from what CLS does?

Do I catch your interest with this and the catchy title?

Do you feel like digging around or do you need some extra bits to justify the title?

You might want to take a look at their Briefing Paper on New Restrictions on Federal Grantee Lobbying Activities under Section 503 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012, Division F (a document produced by ChangeLabs)

http: // -- changelabsolutions.org/sites/changelabsolutions.org/files/FT%20Briefing%20Analysis_Section%20503.pdf

Note that CLS is being extremely cozy with the CDC since it includes job openings posted in the CDC’s public health newsletter. Here’s a PSA that shows their director and founder and it appears these folks adhere to a typical “my way or the highway” policy.

https: // -- www. youtube. com/watch?v=xrPsuQq0Yvg#t=86

Given the money going from the government to CLS, why is the government paying for lobbying the government?

They mention such activities are allowed from alternate funding sources and it looks like another one is www. Center4TobaccoPolicy. org - a project of the American Lung Association (ALA) in CA. (The Center) but doesn't ALS also receive federal funds?

They also receive funds from Funds from CA Dept. of Public Health under contract, see here:

http:// www. hayward-ca.gov/CITY-GOVERNMENT/BOARDS-COMMISSIONS-COMMITTEES/DOWNTOWN-HAYWARD-BUSINESS-IMPROVEMENT-AREA-ADVISORY-BOARD/2013/BCC-BIA100213-IRAM06.pdf

Just his year alone, $920,969 awarded to CLS. Award Number U3O5000141. Award Title: PPHF 2013: OSRLTS Partnerships- CBA of the Public Health System. OPDIV: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCK. Organization: Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support. Award Class: Cooperative Agreement. Award actions go back to 2013, and total $1,320,969.

If you have time and feel like you might want to dig into this organization, their history, their funding, their gains, and their true purpose, please feel free to do so. If you find anything you think is interesting, let me know, drop me a line, or better yet, expose them everywhere you can.

 

[DC2]

Dig deeper...
http://changelabsolutions.org/content/co-funders

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gave them $500 million dollars.

It appears that the money was INTENDED to be used to fight childhood obesity.
It also appears that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has enough money to fight smoking, vaping, and childhood obesity.

Unfortunately, $500 million is just a drop in the bucket for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation...
FORCES International - News Portal

 

[AgentAnia]

Brilliant sleuthing, Stefan! I've downloaded the pdf Staff Report, as it wouldn't surprise me that it disappears from the web once CLS becomes aware they've been exposed.

I love the way the report justifies this ordinance because the ALA has given them an F:

The American Lung Association of California has approached the City with a request that the
City consider adopting an smoking ordinance regulating smoking. They have researched all
Alameda County jurisdictions to determine whether or not a particular jurisdiction’s ordinance
matches the Lung Association’s standards, and have developed a rating and grading system. The
City of Piedmont is the only jurisdiction in Alameda County that currently has an “F”, in part
because we have no ordinance at all.

It would appear the ALA is now running Piedmont; will the entire state be next? Tomorrow, the country. And we can't even vote for them (or not)...

CLS definitely needs more light shone on them!

 

[StefanDidak]

Brilliant sleuthing, Stefan! I've downloaded the pdf Staff Report, as it wouldn't surprise me that it disappears from the web once CLS becomes aware they've been exposed.

They might! Given how that is usually the case and I expect it will I always make sure I download the files and keep them safe and then make them re-appear again elsewhere

 

[DC2]

By the way, if you want to dig deeper into the American Lung Association...

This link results in a search of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant archive...
Grant Archive - Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

That search shows around $9.6 million in grants to the American Lung Association.
It includes some grants to others, like the American Cancer Society, but I just added up the ALA grants.

These are just the grants for the Smokeless States program, although the ALA has received many other RWJF grants.

 

[DrMA]

I wonder how many such "Orwellian Shadowy Cabals" operate right under our noses and push corporate interests to the detriment of The People, having Orwellian and Shadowy repercussions for every aspect of our lives.

 

[Kent C]

Dig deeper...
http://changelabsolutions.org/content/co-funders

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation gave them $500 million dollars.

It appears that the money was INTENDED to be used to fight childhood obesity.
It also appears that the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has enough money to fight smoking, vaping, and childhood obesity.

Unfortunately, $500 million is just a drop in the bucket for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation...
FORCES International - News Portal

Dig even deeper Try RWJF (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation) and Soros, or Van Jones......

 

[Bill Godshall]

Change Lab Solutions used to be called Public Health Law and Policy (or something like that), and they've been funded by drug companies and by public health agencies (often in violation of the law) to draft model ordinances and lobby to ban vaping (and e-cig sales) since 2010 or 2011.

I've sent the folks at Change Lab Solutions all of the scientific evidence on e-cigs ever since they began campaigning against them (just as I've done with e-cig prohibitionists and propagandists at WHO, FDA, CDC, CTFK, ACS, AHA, ALA, UCSF, ANR, AMA, AAP, Legacy, ASTHO, NACCHO, GASP, many state and local health depts, researchers, etc.).

Unfortunately, none of those groups are interested in scientific evidence or public health, as they've continued to lie about e-cigs in order to ban or severely restrict their sales and use (which protects cigarette markets and threatens the lives and health of all vapers, smokers and secondhand smokers).

 

[dragonpuff]

Ok I poked around a tad (as much as time permits at the moment), and yes I am thoroughly creeped out though not at all surprised.

First, they changed their name from Public Health Law & Policy to ChangeLab Solutions. The former name indicated clearly what their organization is all about. The latter sounds more like the name for an organic lab testing facility or something of the like, not at all like a public policy organization. In my experience, if a group has a name that makes it sounds like they do something completely different from what they actually do (like Citizens United, for example), they are up to some seriously shady business...

Secondly, I followed Stefan's link to the Youtube video, and in the middle of the lady's intentionally soothing-sounding speech, I heard this:
"... using the law to shape the environment... so the healthy choice is the easy choice."

That's about as Orwellian as it gets now that I am totally spooked, please excuse me while I go grab my flashlight mod and hide in the closet shaking for the next 12 hours...



(Pokes head out of closet... "Is it 1984 yet?")

 

[Uma]

Be sure to google China owns Big Pharma, .. The can of worms opened goes way deep I'm afraid.

 

[DC2]

Changing the world for the better... and to line their pocketbooks.

Who leads the attack on sugar, Stevia, and childhood obesity?
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, makers of Splenda and other sucralose-based sweeteners.

Stevia: The Best Natural Sweetener

To be clear, I take no position on the health effects of using Stevia, as I don't know enough about it.
But reading the above link sounds all too familiar if you ask me.

 

[Nate760]

Mom always told me that if I paid someone to do my homework and cheated on all my tests, I could be a member of an Orwellian shadowy cabal one day.

 

[Jman8]

I wish the CLS links would put to rest the "vapers are doing it to themselves" arguments in the many "vaping in public" threads. But alas, I think some vapers will think that is the case despite any evidence to the contrary.

 

[StefanDidak]

I wish the CLS links would put to rest the "vapers are doing it to themselves" arguments in the many "vaping in public" threads. But alas, I think some vapers will think that is the case despite any evidence to the contrary.

Unless it's a variation on the theme; vapers are doing it to themselves... because they don't stand up to this shady BS.

 

[AndriaD]

Well I just tweeted this whole thread, so some other folks can read this GARBAGE (I'd call it what it really is but the forum would just censor it). But there are a lot of twitterers that seem to read my tweets that aren't on ECF.

I may re-tweet this entire thread on a daily basis. THESE CLOSET FASCISTS NEED TO BE STOPPED BY ANY MEANS AVAILABLE!

Andria

 

[Jman8]

Unless it's a variation on the theme; vapers are doing it to themselves... because they don't stand up to this shady BS.

Agreed, but the shadiness is even deeper IMO.

Jman asks: how do we know 'smoking kills' and the numbers that are cited to support that meme?

Average person responds: because CDC, ALA and similar health organizations all say it is a fact.

Seriously, if they can pass off lies against smoking/BT, you think they will have any problem doing the same with eCigs?

Again, anyone anywhere, want to cite data on 'smoking kills' and NOT use a source that also just so happens to have arsenal lined up to take out eCigs? I double dog dare you.

Lemme know when you all are ready to stand up to that shady BS.

 

[StefanDidak]

THESE CLOSET FASCISTS NEED TO BE STOPPED BY ANY MEANS AVAILABLE!

I couldn't agree more! They do.

 

[StefanDidak]

Lemme know when you all are ready to stand up to that shady BS.

I do it every day but lately, especially after he enormous let-down by vapers in Berkeley, I'm not so sure whether our strategy needs to be one of trying to get the largest number to join us and participate or whether we should deploy a strategy of much more efficient small teams of just "the few" (that care).

 

[Jman8]

FYI - this thread (not even a day old as I type this) is already on p. 8 of my google search for "change lab solutions."

Would be nice to get that to page 1.

 

[dragonpuff]

FYI - this thread (not even a day old as I type this) is already on p. 8 of my google search for "change lab solutions."

Would be nice to get that to page 1.

Unfortunately this thread did not show up on my google search, but I did find... <snipped>

EDIT: Ah, I see I've simply come back around to the monstrosity linked in OP's original post. My bad.