My imagination, or does this sound like a threat?

[Mike Irwin]

From the Seattle Post Intelligencer.

Full article is here: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/129155_coke02.html




"A prominent Washington, D.C., law professor who led billion-dollar victories against the tobacco industry warned the Seattle School Board yesterday that it might become the target of an anti-obesity lawsuit for allowing middle and high schools to peddle soda to students.

George Washington University professor John Banzhaf said he and other lawyers would lend their support to lawsuits against school boards in districts that have exclusive vending machine contracts with soft drink providers.

He said Seattle Public Schools is a prime target for such a lawsuit, given its exclusive five-year contract with Coca-Cola. The School Board had been scheduled to vote at tonight's meeting on whether to extend the contract, which expires Aug. 31, but the vote has been delayed until at least July 17.

Banzhaf said via telephone during a news conference in Seattle yesterday that since schools and school boards have a legal duty to protect students, Seattle School Board members could be sued individually and as a group if the district renews the Coke contract. A lawsuit is in the "planning stages," he said, and lawyers involved in the fight against the tobacco industry will offer assistance to any plaintiffs in a suit against the Seattle School Board.

"I feel very strongly ... that it is terribly wrong, terribly wrong, for school boards and school board members to be making money by harming the health of children," he said.

The contract allows only Coca-Cola products to be sold in school vending machines and nets about $400,000 annually for school activities."

 

[Greg L]

Well it is in Seattle. Maybe Starbucks wants the franchise now and they are trying to get Coke out .

Greg

 

[El Tejon]

"Doctor Evil, in 1971 Virtucon invested in a small coffeehouse in Seattle . . . " Scott! Get me a latte.

Good to know that the assault lawyers are raising our kids instead of the parents. Parenting is such a hassle; don't these kids understand it's all about me?

"Cledus, Junior, you tub of goo. Pour out that pop, get off the sofa and go play football."

 

[marley]

It is not the company fault that kids are very inactive watching TV. Its the parents fault. Besides coca cola sells water, juice drinks, along with its sugar water. The schools cut of the money goes for things the taxpayer does not want to pay for. Things like band ,sports and other activities.

 

[Nathaniel Firethorn]

A lawsuit is in the "planning stages," he said, and lawyers involved in the fight against the tobacco industry will offer assistance to any plaintiffs in a suit against the Seattle School Board.

Same pigs, different trough...

- pdmoderator

 

[Henry Bowman]

Same pigs, different trough...

Perfectly stated!

 

[Chipper]

El Tejon coined:

...assault lawyers...

Is it time to enact a ban?

Chipper

 

[Alan Smithiee]

this bozo was on one of the morning explotation (AKA News) shows this morning, and it sure sounded like threats to me, lots of "we will file" and "we will sue", I wonder if GWU is planning on getting involved in these law cases and that is the We he is talking about.

 

[Waitone]

HEY, ALL YOU THR LAWYERS OUT THERE. I have a question to ask.

How is a society to protect itself from predatory members of the bar?

What is the legal check and balance over legal goons?

If environmentalists can stop corporation from mining natural resources, how can we stop legal goons from mining the legal system?

Is there a tipping point whereby those subject to legal mugging stand up erect and say, "No more."

When will RICO charges be filed against lawyers specializing in asbestos litigation?

 

[Ledbetter]

I hate them; I am one.

How is a society to protect itself from predatory members of the bar?

Pass laws immunizing school districts from such crap; allow only individuals (not corporations or bar associations) from making campaign contributions.

What is the legal check and balance over legal goons?

Self-policing (stop laughing NOW.) Stupid (or corrupt) judges are the weak point.

If environmentalists can stop corporation from mining natural resources, how can we stop legal goons from mining the legal system?

Make it harder to become a lawyer. No more unaccredited law schools.

Is there a tipping point whereby those subject to legal mugging stand up erect and say, "No more."

Yes, it's called bankruptcy.

When will RICO charges be filed against lawyers specializing in asbestos litigation?

Never, ever.

 

[STW]

Hard as it is to believe California actually nailed some lawyers the other wek. Their particular scam was to threaten to sue small businesses under some typically poorly written state law. The threat came with an offer to settle for a couple of grand or so. They sent these out by the thousands to mostly minority owned businesses and collected millions. The two firms have been shut down and the process has started to disbar the partners.

 

[El Tejon]

Chipper, I stole "assault lawyers" from Standing Wolf. Could not stop laughing.

(No, it does not take one to know one. I'm another kind).

 

[gun-fucious]

KRAFT FOODS ANNOUNCES GLOBAL INITIATIVES TO HELP ADDRESS RISE IN OBESITY

NORTHFIELD, IL, July 1, 2003 - In response to rising obesity rates around the world, Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE:KFT) said today it will initiate a new series of steps to further strengthen the alignment of its products and marketing practices with societal needs.

“The rise in obesity is a complex public health challenge of global proportions,†said Betsy D. Holden, Co-CEO of Kraft Foods. “Just as obesity has many causes, it can be solved only if all sectors of society do their part to help. Kraft is committed to product choices and marketing practices that will help encourage healthy lifestyles and make it easier to eat and live better.â€

The commitments Kraft is making, which are global in scope and supplement a variety of actions the company is already taking, will focus in four key areas: product nutrition, marketing practices, consumer information and public advocacy and dialogue. Some are fully developed and nearing implementation, while other steps will require further development, including continued input from experts and interest groups outside the company.

To aid in this process, Kraft is forming a global council of advisors to help it structure its ongoing response to obesity and develop policies, standards, measures and timetables for implementation.

Among the steps Kraft is committed to taking in the four areas are:

Product nutrition


* A cap on the portion size of single-serve packages

* Guidelines for the nutritional characteristics of all products

* A planned effort to improve existing products and provide alternative choices, where appropriate

Marketing practices


* The elimination of all in-school marketing

* Locally appropriate criteria to use with the vending industry in different regions of the world to determine the selection of Kraft products to be sold through in-school vending machines

* Guidelines for all advertising and marketing practices, including advertising and marketing to children, to encourage appropriate eating behaviors and active lifestyles

Consumer information


* Nutrition labeling in all markets worldwide, including markets where labeling is not required

* Added nutrition and/or activity-related information on product labels and company websites to assist consumer choices

* Guidelines for the use of health-related claims in all markets worldwide, including markets where no restrictions exist

Advocacy and dialogue


* Advocacy for appropriate public policies to engage schools and communities in helping to improve fitness and nutrition

* Increased dialogue with key stakeholders to help guide the company's continuing response to the obesity issue

“What people eat is ultimately a matter of personal choice, but we can help make it an educated choice,†said Roger K. Deromedi, Co-CEO of Kraft Foods. “And helping them get more active is every bit as important as helping them eat better. By providing people with products and information they can use to improve their eating and activity behaviors, we can do our part to help arrest the rise in obesity.â€

Kraft is currently in the process of forming its expert advisory council, which will bring together leading voices from key disciplines important to the company's response to changing patterns in diet, activity and weight. These will include experts in obesity, nutrition, physical activity, public health, human behavior, nutrient fortification and lifestyle education and intervention programs. Kraft expects to complete the formation of the council shortly.

Among the first priorities of the council will be an overall assessment of Kraft's current and planned responses to the growth of obesity. In addition, the council will be asked to help develop detailed standards and measures for implementing several of the specific commitments the company has made. These include:


* Determining the levels at which the portion size of its single-serve packages will be capped

* Developing measures to guide the nutrient characteristics of all products and to help improve existing products and provide alternative choices, where appropriate

* Developing locally appropriate criteria to use with the vending industry in different regions of the world to determine the selection of Kraft products intended to be sold through in-school vending machines

* Creating a standardized approach for nutrition labeling and the use of health-related claims in countries where such regulations do not exist

The company is targeting the end of 2003 to complete the development of these standards and measures. Implementation will begin in 2004 and will likely require two to three years to complete.

The commitments announced today are in addition to a range of other programs the company has conducted for many years to help people improve their eating and activity behaviors. These include:


* Providing a wide variety of food choices, including numerous reduced-fat and sugar-free products

* Providing extensive healthy-lifestyle information and recipes on kraftfoods.com and other company websites, booklets and brochures

* Creating the Kraft Diabetic Choices program to provide products and important health and lifestyle information for diabetics

* Investing more than $17 million since 1997 to significantly increase the amount of fruits and vegetables distributed by U.S. food banks to people in need through the Kraft Fresh Produce Initiative, as part of a larger ongoing program to assist food banks in many countries to improve the nutrition quality of the foods they provide

* Contributing $2 million to the International Food Information Council Foundation to help fund Kidnetic.com, a state-of-the-art healthy-lifestyle website for 9-12 year olds and their parents

* Developing an 8-week healthy-lifestyle course for Latino families, currently being piloted in four U.S. cities

More information about Kraft's commitments to help address obesity is available on the company's corporate website at http://kraft.com/obesity.

Kraft Foods markets many of the world's leading food brands, including Kraft cheese, Maxwell House and Jacobs coffees, Nabisco cookies and crackers, Oscar Mayer meats, Philadelphia cream cheese, Post cereals and Milka chocolates, in more than 150 countries.

Contact:
Michael Mudd (North America)
847-646-2666
[email protected]

Richard Johnson (International)
44 208 5802417
[email protected]

http://www.kraft.com/newsroom/07012003.html

 

[JeanC]

WHO warns against media obsession with obesity
http://news.ft.com/servlet/ContentServer?
pagename=FT.com/StoryFT/FullStory&c=StoryFT&cid=1054966361970

By Adam Jones and Frances Williams in Geneva and Neil Buckley in,New
York
Published: June 24 2003 5:00 | Last Updated: June 24 2003 5:00

The world's media have become too "fixated" on obesity, according to
the man leading World Health Organisation attempts to improve global
eating habits.


Derek Yach, executive director for non-communicable diseases and
mental health at the WHO, said the excessive focus on obesity
stigmatised the obese and ignored the fact that thin people were not
necessarily healthy. Public debate of other diet-related issues such
as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and dental decay was also
being inhibited, he added.

The WHO is developing a global strategy on diet, physical activity
and health that will influence governments around the world. Dr Yach
said: "Of course obesity is important but it isn't the only issue,
and we wouldn't want that to be seen as the only issue. And yet the
media have got really fixated on obesity as the most visible sign of
what is going wrong in the food-related area."

Although he said the media debate had been "very helpful" overall, Dr
Yach insisted obesity should be seen as "the tip of a diet- and
physical activity-related crisis". Dr Yach - who said he was fond of
chocolate - has met food industry executives and lobbyists recently.
A draft of the WHO's strategy is due to be published in the autumn.

Makers of foods with a high fat, salt and sugar content needed to do
more to avoid encouraging excessive consumption or inactivity through
marketing, Dr Yach said. He also said food manufacturers should lobby
governments to make exercise in school compulsory.

"Fat taxes" on foods seen as contributing to excessive weight gain
have been suggested by some health lobbyists and politicians.
However, Dr Yach said it was unlikely the WHO would recommend
taxation as a solution. "It would create incredible distortions in
the food market with potentially uncontrollable effects which may be
undesirable. We don't think manipulating taxes to change consumption
is the healthy way to go and that's the advice we are getting from
the World Bank. We always took the World Bank advice on tobacco and
we are going to take it again on food."

Dr Yach said many food companies were willing to make their products
more healthy. "If what they are saying they have got in their plans
gets put into the field we are going to see pretty much a sea change
over the next few years in many areas."

Dr Yach said the WHO wanted a "dramatic expansion in the marketing of
fruit and vegetables" and, to a lesser extent, nuts. He also
predicted flavouring companies would become increasingly important as
food manufacturers sought ways to make products more healthy without
compromising taste.

 

[Giant]

Same lawyers and same trough, only a thin separator in the trough.

Serious here folks, the bar in each state needs to take a long hard look at the complete lack of ethics displayed by attorneys in these United States. Not a majority of attorneys lack ethics, but way to many, a large number do. I'm not anti attorney, i'm an anti me first money above all else legal system that has contaminated every aspect of the practice of law and the courts in this country.

Assault lawyers is a fitting phrase.

Giant

 

[spartacus2002]

I'll chime in, see what you think of this...

I'm an attorney (criminal defense). I never really had some huge desire to be one, but the opportunity to go to law school came up, so I took it.

I'm a very rare species of attorney in that I've spent a lot of time continuing my education on the side. I've always wondered why attorneys do the things they do that seem so avaricious. I learned why in law school.

In law school, there is no such thing as an accident. Everything a defendent does is either negligent or intentional. Why? Because nobody gets rich off suing someone for an accident.

Law school also teaches you how to be the rat running thru the maze of laws and regulations, and it teaches you how to run thru the maze, open doors, etc. BUT, it fails to teach why the maze is built the way it is. There is shockingly little education on why our system of law developed the way it has from English common law. So, most of these megatrial lawyers have no idea of the damage they are doing to our system of law, or to the respect we no longer hold for lawyers.

Alexis de Tocqueville said in Democracy in America that lawyers were the closest thing America had to an aristocracy, not because lawyers are nobility, but because like the aristocracy of England, the lawyers were the ones charged with preserving the system -- which was not too bad a system (trial by jury, presumption of innocence, few laws -- most of which were common sense, easily knowable, and applicable to all) when compared to today's nightmare of laws and regulations that seek to force certain behavior rather than let you know the consequences and let you decide how to act.

 

[Bruce H]

Sounds like an excellent candidate to dress is a period costume from 227 years ago and hang from a tree. The costume would be symbolic but the message would be the same. Freedom is at stake, examples need to be made.