Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2014 12:49 AM Subject: Forward letter to Father Lannon for your consideration Dear Archbishop Lucas: Normally, I would not suggest you involve yourself with local educational institutions but in this case I make an exception. Here is a letter I sent Father Lannon about 2 wks ago. So far there has been no acknowledgement. I am appalled that my university should connect in any way with the Koch brothers. Steve Horn To: Reverend Timothy Lannon S.J. Presidents Office 2500 California Plaza Creighton Hall Room 232 Omaha, NE 68178 Dear Father Lannon: I write today to comment on the Sunday World Heralds article concerning the Heider Center and its sponsorship by the Koch Brothers. Over the years I have seen major institutions across the country lose their independence and credibility by accepting funds from corporations. These corporations frequently have adverse influence upon the universitys ability to perform research and to provide a truly independent voice for the public. Never, in my wildest dreams, would I ever have expected my university to move with the crowd towards such behavior. Recently, it has become exceedingly clear, that my idealistic thoughts on this subject were pipe dreams. Not only has Creighton followed the lead of so many other institutions but, much more importantly, CU has allied itself with possibly the absolute worst sponsor imaginable. The Koch brothers have established themselves as leaders in crony Capitalism using their incredible profits to subvert Democracy, to make a reputation as low as any other I can consider. Surely you know their business model includes repeated examples of treating the environmental laws of the USA with contempt beyond normal belief. Surely, you know that they use their vast fortune to fund climate deniers, to elect “friendly” representatives, to sway votes on judges to their liking and on and on. The last election was an example of huge amounts of money spread around the country by groups with selfish interests that certainly are at odds with the common good. Just a few days after the OWH story broke there was an article on how Koch Industries Inc. were hiding their profits in offshore accounts this time in Luxembourg using “...secret deals to avoid paying U.S. Taxes...” (Dec 11th issue) This one example is a very small snapshot of a much wider pattern of actions that are certainly non-patriotic but also immoral. Who do you suppose pays for the missing taxes? The article states that the actual tax rate paid was “under 1%”. What do you suppose the rest of us pay? I will include a long article that goes into considerable detail on much more critical actions the Koch Brothers have been doing for literally decades. These much more nasty actions include spilling oil and literally covering it up along with squirming their way towards many fines while continuing the march as a CODB. Bet those at the Heider Institute know what CODB means and will teach it as if such an attitude is acceptable in their business world. Which brings me to the specific world of Austrian Economics. The article suggested that it was a useful idea that Austrian Economics be presented to the young students as some kind of alternative to more traditional economics. While not being educated formally in Economics I have had considerable exposure to their beliefs and materials. Back in the olden days at Cathedral High (1957) our Social Studies teacher spoke of the French Laissez-faire economics. I got the distinct idea that the Church teaching was certainly not in line with that view. Now Laissez-faire may differ in that the Libertarians that espouse that basic design would say that the so-called “Free Market “ somehow regulates the excesses and all come out better in the end. These people have a hate of government and teach a history that views the Civil War and Lincoln, among other aspects, in rather unusual ways. They tend to find a kind of Utopia sometime before the Civil War wherein the economy functioned w/o government interference and most everybody lived happily “free”. Never mind that there has never been a real “Free Market” and significant portions of our people were enslaved or under genocidal attack. Their philosophy is based upon the tenets of Ayn Rand, another pillar of Catholic belief??? Basically its the old “pull themselves up from their bootstraps” dictates. It certainly is NOT what the Catholic Church has traditionally taught and, more importantly, it is not what Jesus Christ taught. Certainly, the current JESUIT pope seems to be finally taking the Church back to Christs essential beliefs and Catholics like Paul Ryan and the major portion of our Catholic dominated Supreme Court need to take heed. Lastly, as we approach Christmas with its culture of Consumer Capitalism, consider that Capitalism as an economic system depends upon using up natural resources to fund its constant need for expansion. Fossil Fuel has allowed some of us to live a life far more luxurious than our ancestors as we pollute and destroy our Earth and the indigenous people who once lived more simple less damaging lives. It is a sad fact that areas of the world with the most resources such as Africa, West Virginia, and the Tar Sands of Canada contain really poor people who see nothing for themselves from the destruction brought on by exploitation of their lands by large corporations who care little for anything but PROFIT. Christmas, as we celebrate it here in the US, is a orgy of spending on primarily things we supposedly need versus want. Our landfills are monuments to the waste inherent in a system that constantly looks for new and more toys to sell despite growing danger from Global Warming and dangerous destruction of our natural world to fuel this constant expansion. The Kochs are major sponsors of the Libertarian party, the Tea Party, and the old John Birch society. They should NOT be sponsors of any institution that values its independence, its reputation, or its Catholic Roots. Please look into their reputation and consider the example they have shown in a wide variety of actions. Stephen Horn BS 61, MS 71 Veterans For Peace NE for Peace NADP and many more... p.s. Here is a link to a very detailed look at the Koch Brothers. There are many more sources with similar indictments of their ideology and business practices... rollingstone/politics/news/inside-the-koch-brothers-toxic-empire-20140924
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 15:31:47 +0000
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