STOCK MARKET WATCH -- Monday, 1 June 2015

[mother earth]

13. I had not heard of Peter Peterson before, eye opening, but not surprising given propaganda style

current workings and infiltrations of respected media sources, at least that is how I used to feel about NPR (respected source). I will not make that mistake again.

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Peter_G._Peterson_Foundation

Peter G. Peterson, born June 5, 1926, is a controversial Wall Street billionaire who uses his wealth to underwrite a diversity of organizations and PR campaigns to generate public support for slashing Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, citing concerns over "unsustainable" federal budget deficits. In 2007, he made a fortune from the public offering of the private equity firm he co-founded, Blackstone Group, and pledged to spend $1 billion of this money to "fix America's key fiscal-sustainability problems." He endowed this money to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, which he launched in 2008 (see below for more).[1] His son, Michael A. Peterson, is the President and Chief Operating Officer of the foundation.
According to its website, the foundation's mission is to "increase public awareness of the nature and urgency of key fiscal challenges threatening America's future and to accelerate action on them." [2]

Dean Baker, co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research, has been highly critical of the Peterson Foundation, stating that Medicare and Social Security are "under assault at the hands of the Peterson Foundation."[3].
A more complete list of the many organizations, projects and PR stunts funded by Peterson advocating for cuts to Social Security and Medicare can be found on the Sourcewatch Pete Peterson page.

In fiscal year 2010 the Peterson Foundation gave $2,027,470 to the group America Speaks for a series of Town Hall meetings intended to inform the deliberations of the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction commission. [4] America Speaks sponsored 19 town hall meetings linked by video on the same day, June 26, 2010 while the Simpson-Bowles commission was underway and six months before the chairmen released a report. These "Town Halls for the 21st Century" made headlines when the audience revolted against the message they were being spoon fed and instead backed a series of progressive policy solutions, such as a financial transaction tax. Learn more at America Speaks

We've got some wonderful sounding foundations in this country that are hell bent on serving the l%, but of course it's all for the good of the public, right?

TY, Demeter.