The American Beverage Association: Making The Soft Drink Industry Seem Sweeter Than It Already Is

   Obesity is by far the leading health problem in the United States. It is a relatively recent epidemic, with obesity rates doubling in some states over the past 20 years. Because of this, policymakers are scrambling to introduce public education initiatives, improve school lunches, and enact laws that would regulate the food and beverage industry. One product which seems to find itself continually at the center of this is soda. From former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on oversized soft drinks to state and citywide taxes on soda, the sugary-carbonated beverage which is dear to so many Americans has become a popular target for laws and regulations aimed at reducing its consumption. While many citizens have been against the laws claiming they create a “nanny state”, proposed laws, taxes, and regulations which threaten to reduce the soda consumption have seen no greater opponent than the American Beverage Association.

   The American Beverage Association, or ABA, is an industry trade group that represents America’s non-alcoholic beverage industry. Founded in 1919 as the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages and renamed the National Soft Drink Association in 1966, the organization has been a longstanding fixture in Washington. In 2005, when they finally changed their name to the ABA, it was to better reflect the increasingly diverse non-alcoholic beverages which were coming to market. Though the ABA represents  hundreds of brands of non-alcoholic beverage makers, the organization’s three biggest supporting companies by far are: The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo Inc., and Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Presidents and CEOs from these three corporations make up almost half of the organization’s current board members, with the remaining positions being held by executives from the likes of Nestlé Waters, Polar Beverages, Sunny Delight, Honest Tea, and Red Bull.

A few of the companies which make up the ABA.

   A few of the ABA’s top positions, including three out of the six officers, are held by people without ties to any specific beverage corporation. The organization’s president and chief executive officer, Susan Neely, is one of these. Appointed in 2005, Neely had previously worked in the

"We the people and corporations...": Why The Koch Brothers Are Dangerous For America

While Harry Reid is a liberal (so this will naturally have a left-wing bias), the issue he is discussing is something that is an American issue. We NEED to get the corporate money out of our government and overturn the 2010 ruling which classified corporations as people. Corporations are not people because their only interests are their bottom line and pleasing their stockholders. The amount of money one has should not determine the amount of influence one has on the democratic process of our government. Whether you are a conservative or liberal, the amount of influence corporations have on our government should concern you as it is one of the largest contributors to the inequality in the United States. Our constitution begins with the words "We the people" and not "We the people and corporations" for a reason.

I'm So Tired Of....Pretty Much Everything, But Let's Talk About It

     I'm tired of all the big media, the back and forth, the 'talking heads', and the constant rehashing of meaningless issues. I'm sick of facts having two sides, of politicians being bought out, and of huge corporations sacrificing the public well-being just to appease their shareholders. I'm fed up with the general lack of respect, the endless name calling, the closed-mindedness of most people, and the shouting at each other which now suffices for conversation. I've officially had it with the Left, Right, up, and down.
     If any of the forefathers were alive today they would probably be ashamed of the way our politicians acted. Well first they would actually be shocked to find out what the internet is and that the slave trade had been broken up, but after that they would be sickened to see what has become of public discourse. Politicians today are tied to so many corporations and special interest groups that they are not able to truly represent the people. Though billionaire Tom Perkins jokingly suggested that the rich get more votes, it is already happening. Corporations and the industries with billions of dollars are able to lobby our government officials on every little issue and thus increase the likelihood of bills and laws being passed which reflect their interests. While this makes sense for the corporations (actually it's more than "cents", try billions of dollars), it doesn't benefit the majority of the people in the United States.
     I could rant on and on, but I would just be contributing to the problem even more. We need to stop long political rants (see above or visit Bill O'Reilly's website) as they do little good other than to help divide our country more than it already is. As a young person who is going to have to live in this world for at least another day (hopefully much, much longer), I would rather talk to someone I disagree with face to face like human beings than yell at them from my soapbox while they stand on theirs. However, I realize that like Michael Jackson said,

"If you wanna make the world a better place, 

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change."

This is why I will be attempting to keep this blog as open and agenda-free as possible. While it will be hard for me to hide my inner ideas of justice, equality, and the idea that we should all love and respect each other, I will try my best.