Robert B Ekelund
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Robert Ekelund, was the Lowder Professor of Economics at Auburn University, Alabama. He was recruited to help maintain the tobacco industry's profits by Robert Tollison an economist at George Mason University. Tollison worked with James Savarese, a lobbyist with Ogilvy and Mather in the early 1990s -- who later set up his own lobbying company -- which seems to have had some partnership arrangement with Tollison.
Ekelund also ran his own private consultancy, RB Ekelund and Associates in Blake Street, Auburn. This was also used to launder tobacco industry payments. He seems to have worked often with another economist, Mark Thornton and he provided services to libertarian think-tanks in the Atlas Network.
His CVs tell us that he was:
- a 'fellow' at the Hoover Institute.
- a policy advisor to the Heartland Institute,
- a consultant at the Heritage Foundation
- a 'research fellow' at the Independent Institute
- an 'adjunct faculty member of the Mises Institute
Contents
Cash for Comments Economists Network
Overall, Tollison and Savarese recruited (in total) between 120 and 130 professors of economics (usually Libertarian - Public Choice zealots at State Universities). Some stayed for the duration while others washing temporarily through this lobbying scam. Most of the recruits were members of Tollison's Public Choice Society which had the public-choice libertarian economics guru James Buchanan at its head.
Anna Tollison (wife) also appears to have handled the Society and some network operations, while Savarese had Leslie Dawson (wife of Sam Dawson from United Steel Worker's Assoc/union) and Kelleigh Varnum (aka Kelleigh Varnum-Roffman) as his key assistants.
The recruited professors would be instructed on occasions to write a 1200-1400 word opinion article (known as 'op-eds') for their local newspaper. The subject to be discussed or the claim to be challenged, and any important statistical information and possibly a broad outline, would be sent to them along with the names of (usually two) selected newspapers. They would also be given the name of two local Federal or State politicians to lobby by sending a copy of their article, along with a personal note.
They were paid on the basis of work performed -- at rates which varied between $600 and $3,000 for each article. This was good money for a second-rate State university professor of economics at the time. See longer explanations: Economists' network and the full-blown Cash for Comments Economists Network.
Ekelund was part of the inner-core group who circled around Tollison and Buchanan. This group harvested the extra rich tobacco industry pickings available from them giving special lectures, appearing at media events, giving radio interviews, writing books, etc.
Ekelund and Thornton
Ekelund and Mark Thornton, both Auburn University professors, produced for the Tobacco Institute a couple of the many hogwash op-eds to oppose restrictions on cigarette advertising: Science, Economics, and Environmental Policy: A Critical Examination
"Advertising presents a difficult logical paradox to those who hold the view that there are differences between markets for legal products and markets for ideas. There is no validity to the notion that consumers can properly evaluate proposed national policies when selecting officeholders but are. somehow unable to choose between cans of beans or to decide whether to smoke cigarettes or not." [2] -- Ekelund
"Consulting economists have identified an opportunity to present earmarking arguments during the Southwest Social Science Association meeting in Fort Worth, TX, early next year. Robert Ekelund will chair the session, "The Political Economy of Tax Earmarking." The papers, to be presented by Tollison, Wagner and Lee, will consist of chapters from the upcoming user fees/earmarking book." [3] - Tobacco Institute Confidential Memo online, page 20.
"Two papers, one by Professor J.J. Boddewyn and another by Professors Ekelund and Jackson are now being printed in the British Journal of Addiction. The papers rebut a New Zealand study by Chettwynd et. al., alleging that advertising influence young people's smoking. Also to be included is an article by Glen Smith of the Children's Research Unit. The rebuttals will appear in the Fall issue, expected in December." [4] - Tobacco Institute Confidential Memo online, page 14.
Documents & Dates
1940 Sep 20 Born at Galveston, Texas
1962 BBA in Economics, St Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas
1963 MA in Economics, St Mary's University, San Antonio, Texas
1967 -79 Instructor-Tutor [claimed Assistant/Associate Professor], Texas A&M University
1967 Finally completed his PhD in Economics through Louisiana State University
1979 Associate Professor of Economics at Auburn University. Moved to Alabama
1981 Writing with Robert Tollison (who was at Texas A&M Uni) -- reviewed by another C4C economist David Gay.
1982 -83 Ekelund lists in his C/V "Consulting to the Bureau of Economics, FTC, Washington DC"
- [At this time the FTC is at war with the tobacco industry]
1983 On his CV he lists ' to Present' "Consulting to the Heritage Foundation, Washington DC" [5]
1983 elevated to the chair of "Lowder Professor of Economics at Auburn University."
1984He lists in his 1984 C/V as 'Present' "Consulting for Ogilvy & Mather, PR, Washington DC"
- [James Savarese worked for the Tobacco Institute via O&M at this time]
Also in the 1992 update of his C/V he says that he is "Consulting for Savarese and Company, Washington DC" [6]
- [But he makes no mention of the Tobacco Institute]
Robert Ekelund and Mark Thornton, Auburn University
Punitive Taxes on Cigarettes Are Both Ineffective, Unfair
by Robert Ekelund and Mark Thornton. [7] News Op/Ed
Cigarette Tax Is Based on Shaky Numbers
by Robert Ekelund and Mark Thornton.
[8] News Op/ed, 1993 before report.
Other Related SourceWatch Resources
- Alexis de Tocqueville Institution
- S. Fred Singer
- The Epa and the Science of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (EPA??)
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