Another Koch-group staffer made a silly mistake: telling the truth about what the Kochs believe. The Koch brothers’ carefully constructed facade of caring about poverty too often crumbles when Koch mouthpieces start talking.
The Kochs’ focus on poverty casts government as the cause of inequality. A Koch Industries video accused government of “picking winners and losers,” a favorite refrain of the billionaire brothers. Income inequality is a purely political talking point for the billionaire brothers. Stand Together–a non-profit arm of the Koch empire–was launched with a focus on poverty. The stated goal of Stand Together is to win over moderate and disengaged voters. (Not to actually do anything about poverty.)
Then someone opens their mouth and betrays the real thinking of the Koch network. In an interview with Freedom Action Network, Americans for Prosperity North Carolina Communications Director Joseph Kyzer dismissed concerns about economic inequality and tax cuts that only benefit the ultra-rich as, “A class envy type bullet point that the left uses.” In Kyzer and the Kochs’ view of America, we shouldn’t worry about inequalities. No, in Koch-world, “It’s about making the best of what you have.”
The Koch Network Has Made A Show Of Being Concerned About Poverty And Addressing The Divide In American Society
Koch Industries: “Look Around. America Is Divided. Between Success And Failure.”
Koch Industries Launched An “End The Divide” Ad Campaign Encouraging Viewers To “Look Around” At How “America Is Divided Between Success And Failure,” Casting Government As The Villain. According to a video uploaded to YouTube by Koch Industries, “Look around. America is divided. Between success and failure. With government and corporations picking winners and losers. Rigging the system against people. Creating a two-tiered society with policies that fail our most vulnerable.” [Koch Industries – YouTube, 6/9/16]
The Koch Network Launched An Organization To Win Over Moderate Voters By Demonstrating A Focus On Poverty And Education
The Koch Network Announced A New Organization, Stand Together, Aimed At Addressing “Poverty And Educational Quality.” According to USA Today, “The political and policy empire controlled by billionaire industrialist Charles Koch is building a non-profit wing its leaders say will work to address deep-seated social ills and ‘revitalize civil society.’ Its initial efforts will focus on poverty and educational quality. The organization, known as Stand Together, is still in its start-up phase but aims to raise $15 million this year, top officials told USA TODAY in the first interview about the new organization.” [USA Today, 1/29/16]
- A Koch Network Senior Director Said Stand Together For America Would Be A “Third Leg” Of The Kochs’ Organization Focused On Winning Over Moderate Voters, Along With Disengaged Voters.According to CNN, “The president of one the top nonprofits bankrolled by Charles and David Koch has left the organization to start another major group in the powerful Republicans’ orbit, CNN has learned. Evan Feinberg, who since 2013 was the executive director of Generation Opportunity, the youth engagement arm of the Koch Brothers’ political network, departed the organization in June. He will now lead a new group to be called Stand Together for America. […] A senior director within the Koch network said the group would be a ‘third leg’ of the Kochs’ organization focused on winning over moderate voters, along with voters generally disengaged from politics. Donors were briefed on the group at the last two conferences organized by Freedom Partners, the umbrella funding organization at the heart of the network.” [CNN, 9/1/15]
Stand Together: America’s “Rising Poverty” And “Depressed Communities” That “Look Like Hopeless Valleys Of Despair” Call Into Question Whether Freedom Really Works For Everybody
August 2016: Stand Together Released A Video On Rising Poverty In America, Framing Economic Security As An Issue Of Freedom And Declaring Proving That “Freedom Really Works For Everyone” Was “America’s Unique Calling To The World,” A Mission Which Could Only Be Achieved If “All Of Us… Stand Together.” According to a video uploaded to YouTube by Stand Together, “[‘Stand Together partner’ Rev. DeForest B. Soaries Jr.:] ‘I believe freedom is worth fighting for, not only in your own life but in other people’s lives. It includes respect for one’s neighbor, caring about education for all children, helping people reclaim some of the options they lost as a consequence of their circumstances. This notion of freedom is, I believe, America’s unique calling to the world. […] America still has the burden of answering the question “Does freedom really work for everybody?” While most people are not poor, too many are. While most people haven’t given up, too many do. The number of people living in poverty is rising. […] It’s America’s unique role to prove to the world that freedom really works for everyone. But all of us have to stand up and stand together.” [Stand Together – YouTube, 7/25/16; Stand Together, 8/10/16]
- Stand Together: “The Number Of People Living In Poverty Is Rising. Often Depressed Communities Look Like Hopeless Valleys Of Despair.”According to a video uploaded to YouTube by Stand Together, “[‘Stand Together partner’ Rev. DeForest B. Soaries Jr.:] ‘America still has the burden of answering the question “Does freedom really work for everybody?” While most people are not poor, too many are. While most people haven’t given up, too many do. The number of people living in poverty is rising. Often depressed communities look like hopeless valleys of despair. We’ve got to break these cycles around the country. […] It’s America’s unique role to prove to the world that freedom really works for everyone. But all of us have to stand up and stand together.” [Stand Together – YouTube, 7/25/16; Stand Together, 8/10/16]
Americans For Prosperity Framed An Argument Against A $10.10 Minimum Wage Around The Impact On Hispanics And Women
AFP Condemned A Past Democratic Proposal To Raise The Minimum Wage To $10.10: “Even The Non-Partisan Congressional Budget Office Estimated A Reduction In Employment Of 500,000 Jobs – 57 Percent Of Whom Would Be Women And 20 Percent Of Whom Would Be Hispanic.” According to a post on the Americans for Prosperity website, “Just a few years ago one of the left’s more radical proposals was to raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour. This proposal, which probably had to do more with the catchy name than any serious economic considerations, endured massive criticism as many economists projected large decreases in employment if the proposal were to take effect. Think tanks and pundits pointed out that the law would hurt low-skilled workers at a time when the economy was still coming out of the worst of the Great Recession. Even the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office estimated a reduction in employment of 500,000 jobs – 57 percent of whom would be women and 20 percent of whom would be Hispanic.” [Americans for Prosperity, 8/10/16]
An AFP Spokesman Condemned Concerns About Economic Inequality As “A Class Envy Type Of Bullet Point That The Left Uses” In An Interview Exalting North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory’s Tax Cuts
AFP-NC Communications Director Joseph Kyzer: “Whether It’s Men And Women Or By Race Or By Income,” “Class Divisive Politics” Were “Lazy,” A Distraction From “Real Solutions” And “Not What America’s About.”
AFP-NC Communications Director Joseph Kyzer Promoted Gov. Pat McCrory’s Tax Cuts On Freedom Action Network. According to Freedom Action Network, “Mark speaks with Joseph Kyzer, Communications Director for Americans for Prosperity of North Carolina, about their campaign to thank Gov. Pat McCrory for the recent tax cuts for North Carolinians as part of their plan to campaign for McCrory in his upcoming election. Joseph said that people will be able to keep more of their own money after the most recent tax breaks and that AFP-NC wanted to thank McCrory and legislators in the state for putting those policies in place. Mark speaks with Joseph about how the Left will yell about tax cuts as being for the rich but that the cuts put forth in the state are helpful for the 2/3 of taxpayers who don’t itemize their tax returns. Joseph calls pointing at the specter of tax breaks for the rich as opposed to arguing against the policy is lazy and inaccurate politics. Joseph says that, even though the weather is still toasty, that AFP-NC is getting ready to kick off its Fall Field Plan to educate about the tax cuts. Joseph says that AFP-NC wants to hit a couple thousand doors during the election season.” [Freedom Action Network, 8/9/16]
- Kyzer Agreed That Concerns About Tax Cuts For The One Percent Were “A Class Envy Type Of Bullet Point That The Left Uses” Designed To “Create An Emotional Response But It’s Just Not True.”According to an interview on Freedom Action Network, “[Host:] I just think the point that needs to be made—and I’m glad that you guys are out there knockin’ on doors and meeting people all over the state, letting them know that these tax reforms are for everybody in North Carolina. They’re not just for ‘the wealthy 1%’ and I love— that’s just such a class envy type of bullet point that the left uses. ‘Class envy. Tax reform for the wealthy.’ You know, it just kind of makes people get mad. ‘Well, you know, I’m not wealthy; they’re not helping me.’ And that’s all that’s designed to do is create an emotional response but it’s just not true. [Joseph Kyzer:] And it’s lazy politics. And it’s unfortunate that that’s the approach because obviously there’s no solution embedded in there if your solution is just ‘Well, just take more from those folks.’” [Freedom Action Network, 8/9/16]
- Kyzer Condemned “Class Divisive Politics,” “Whether It’s Men And Women Or By Race Or By Income,” As “Lazy,” A Distraction From “Real Solutions” And “Not What America’s About.”According to an interview on Freedom Action Network, “[Joseph Kyzer:] And it’s lazy politics. And it’s unfortunate that that’s the approach because obviously there’s no solution embedded in there if your solution is just ‘Well, just take more from those folks.’ I would ask you this: That if you consider people and where they grew up on a spectrum— You know, I grew up, my parents were teachers. My mom got into real estate a little but mostly they were teachers, middle class. Went to a good public school but didn’t have the opportunities to go to great private schools but wasn’t stuck in a really bad inner city school. My parents really cared a lot about my education. So I could have looked at ‘Some people have a lot of things I don’t. You know, some people really—their parents had a lot more and offered a lot more resources; they got to take a lot more summers and more camps and—’ but, you know, a lot of people had a lot less than me. And I was taught to work as hard as I could for what I wanted and not look and see ‘Well, they have less and they have more.’ And that’s what I really dislike about that class divisive politics where, whether it’s men and women or by race or by income is we don’t talk about the real solutions and I think anyone could look at the spectrum and say they were disadvantaged compared to others or they were advantaged compared to someone else. That’s not what America’s about. It’s about making the best of what you have for you, the people you love and for the country.” [Freedom Action Network, 8/9/16]
- Kyzer: “I Was Taught To Work As Hard As I Could For What I Wanted And Not Look And See ‘Well, They Have Less And They Have More.’ … Anyone Could Look At The Spectrum And Say They Were Disadvantaged Compared To Others Or They Were Advantaged Compared To Someone Else.”According to an interview on Freedom Action Network, “[Joseph Kyzer:] And it’s lazy politics. And it’s unfortunate that that’s the approach because obviously there’s no solution embedded in there if your solution is just ‘Well, just take more from those folks.’ I would ask you this: That if you consider people and where they grew up on a spectrum— You know, I grew up, my parents were teachers. My mom got into real estate a little but mostly they were teachers, middle class. Went to a good public school but didn’t have the opportunities to go to great private schools but wasn’t stuck in a really bad inner city school. My parents really cared a lot about my education. So I could have looked at ‘Some people have a lot of things I don’t. You know, some people really—their parents had a lot more and offered a lot more resources; they got to take a lot more summers and more camps and—’ but, you know, a lot of people had a lot less than me. And I was taught to work as hard as I could for what I wanted and not look and see ‘Well, they have less and they have more.’ And that’s what I really dislike about that class divisive politics where, whether it’s men and women or by race or by income is we don’t talk about the real solutions and I think anyone could look at the spectrum and say they were disadvantaged compared to others or they were advantaged compared to someone else. That’s not what America’s about. It’s about making the best of what you have for you, the people you love and for the country.” [Freedom Action Network, 8/9/16]
- Kyzer: America Was “AboutMaking The Best Of What You Have For You, The People You Love And For The Country.” According to an interview on Freedom Action Network, “[Joseph Kyzer:] And I was taught to work as hard as I could for what I wanted and not look and see ‘Well, they have less and they have more.’ And that’s what I really dislike about that class divisive politics where, whether it’s men and women or by race or by income is we don’t talk about the real solutions and I think anyone could look at the spectrum and say they were disadvantaged compared to others or they were advantaged compared to someone else. That’s not what America’s about. It’s about making the best of what you have for you, the people you love and for the country.” [Freedom Action Network, 8/9/16]