American Agriculture Movement
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The American Agriculture Movement has 4500 entries in the tobacco archives, and another 400 under the name American Agricultural Movement. It was a very active lobby organisation for the tobacco industry, run by David Senter who was National Director, and his wife (or sister) Joan Senter who also ran the American Family Farm Foundation. These operations were funded and controlled through Senter Associates which later became David Senter & Associates.
Documents & Timeline
1988 Dec Susan Stuntz the Issues Manager at the Tobacco Institute made a speech to the board of directors of the Fertilizer Institute which had asked the Tobacco Institute for lobbying advice. She sent a copy of her speech to Sam Chilcote, her boss. [Very truncated here]
This morning, I would like to examine some of the elements that make up Issues Management... as the Tobacco Institute understands and practices it.
As a rule we do not speak to groups about how we do what we do. but ... when the National Journal says that the Tobacco Institute and the Fertilizer Institute are among the top five lobbies in town ... and the American Medical Association is among the bottom five... we were encouraged to stop by.
When it comes to tactics, and especially with the creation and use of coalitions ... we find the right specialists, and give them the job.
We use literally hundreds of professionals... scientists... engineers... pollsters... coalition experts... economists... and communicators... most of them independent. We buy just what we need, when we need it. We can change talent ... without having to change our entire team. Taken as a whole the process of issues management, from analysis through tactics, has accomplished several things for us.
First, we win most of the time. i won't bore you with the numbers... but we lost just one of 145 significant federal bills in the 100th Congress... and fewer than one in ten State measures last year.
Our image -- what's wrong with being considered tough and effective? it discourages some critics from even trying.
- [In tobacco circles this was known as the Big Chill tactic. They would pour money into a campaign to defeat a candidate - and then quietly let it be known by the other politicians that they had been behind the defeat. This would bring any potentially wayward maverick anti-smoking politicians into line.
Second, we work through so many Third Parties and Coalitions that we have built many important, productive, trusting relations with key groups.
Our image with them is quite good. Groups as diverse as the AFL-CIO; the U.S. Chamber; the American Legion; the Association of Fire Chiefs; and Black Newspaper Publishers, the American Agriculture Movement, and the National Toxics Campaign... like us just fine. [2]
- [This is an amazing turn-around for the NTC; in just a few months it had been transformed from critic to ally.]
1989 Jan 4 Susan Stuntz to her assistant Debbie Schoonmaker (both TI) about the need to review support for some coalition groups, especially those associated with Ogilvy & Mather (O&M) and Jim Savarese. She lists current payments and is looking for reductions in cost:
- Citizens for Tax Justice (run as a front by O&M) - $6,000 a month. "I would propose returning to the $5,000 contribution, unless there's a reason to do otherwise."
- Coalition on Human Needs (CHN) - $4,000 a month (The main 'liberal' training institution aimed at workers, but secretly a part of the libertarian Atlas Network)
- LCLAA - $2,000 a month. (Labor Council for Latin American Advancement) "I would like to find a way to either reduce our support, or identify opportunities to increase their support to our projects."
- APRI (A Philip Randolph Institute) - $10,000 a year
- CLUW (Coalition of Labor Union Women - the women's side of AFL-CIO) - $10,000 a year
- Leadership 2000/New Century - $2,500 a month. "I would propose significant reductions unless we can be assured that the organization is on track and meeting its original commitments."
- Minnesota CTJ (Citizens for Tax Justice - run by O&M).." has been paid $2,000 but not delivered."
- David C Wilhelm(DNC chairman - owns The Strategy Group - $4,000 a month. "That contribution will be redirected in the future to WLK Associates. I would propose reducing it to $2,500 until and unless Wilhelm and Lux begin providing us with regular reports of activities. "
- WLK Associates was run by Wilhelm, (Mike) Lux and an unknown 'K' associate. It was closely asssociated with The Strategy Group, and with Wilhelm's other interest, the Citizens for Tax Justice, the Consumer Tax Alliance, Leadership 2000 and also Leadership for the New Century.
- American Family Farm Foundation - $5,000. "We will need to meet soon with Dave Senter concerning support of AAM projects by O&M."
- From the viewpoint of the Tobacco Institute the American Family Farm Foundation and the American Agriculture Movement were both part of the same lobby operations run by Joan and David Senter.
1989 Feb 6 Ogilvy & Mather has sent a report to Susan Stuntz at the Tobacco Institute about their current projects (with Jim Savarese) in opposing excise tax increases.
- Leadership for the New Century
Following a conference they are writing a White Paper to be distributed to Congress and the labor unions- American Agricultural Movement
With Savarese they are writing an economic impact paper on excise taxes + brochures, briefings and media report; also a State Fair plan in 18 states; article in the AAM Reporter attacking excise taxes; planned mailing to 10,000 names from AAM list.- Economic Policy Institute
They have two reports ready for release in early 1989 -- promoting progressive taxes as alternative to cigarette excises. Also an anti-excise study by Professor Richard Musgrave.- Citzens for Tax Justice
New report on progressive revenues due in next two months. O&M will work with CTJ on promoting these. Also a Minnesota report in early February.- Public Employees Division (AFL-CIO)
An extra 5000 copies of White paper are being printed for distribution to State newspapers; legislators, etc.
1989 June 2 Beth Bring at Ogilvy & Mather is contacting Carol Hrycaj and Debbie Schoonmaker at the Tobacco Institute about the promotion of the American Agricultural Movement's (AAM) study (trying to prove that farmers are discriminated against by excise taxes -- like those on cigarettes and alcohol). This 'study' has been done by two Cash-for-Comments Network Economists, Robert B Ekelund and James E Long], commissioned through the Savarese/Tollison organisation. Lobbyist David Senter ran the AAM.
In addition to the press conference and video and radio releases that took place, we mailed the press release to AAM's national media list. The list is made up of about 900 rural publications across the country (including newspapers and journals). The study played particularly well with reporters for rural newspapers and syndicates.
She is recommending an expanded program of promotion using such organisations as the League of Rural Voters (LRV)
Recently, we met with Julie Ristau of LRV to discuss possible coalition activities. One of the options we discussed was distribution of the AAM rural excise tax study to LRV's extensive rural media network. LRV would also work the study through its activist network. [5]
