Competitive Enterprise Institute

I am, without a doubt, an avid supporter of First Amendment protection for every citizen of the United States and would extend that protection to everyone in the world if I could!

A short while back, I called Legal And Safety Employer Research (LASER, Inc.) a fraud, not because I want to limit what they write but because LASER is a labor union (IRS 501 (c) 5) masquerading as a "public service" non-profit.

First Transit Employee Rights Blog had a visit from the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) and I think the door swings both ways. In my opinion, CEI is as big a non-profit fraud as LASER, the only difference is who pays the bills. A fraud not because I believe that their "facts"are wrong but because CEI presents their point of view without disclosing their funding sources; the U.S. Chamber of Commence, perhaps?

I applaud their "mission statement":

The Competitive Enterprise Institute is a public interest group dedicated to free enterprise and limited government.

Just disclose "and paid for by big business" I'm sure that the key players believe in what they do - hell, hire me as one of the four who shared in over a millions bucks in compensation (2007 figures) and it would make it a lot easier for me to believe in anything you ask.

Take a peek at the CEI 2007 form 990 if you're interested. I certainly believe it's possible, and perhaps necessary, to engage in a good public service enterprise regardless of who foots the bill - just tell me what your bias's are so I can make up my own mind.