National Center for Public Policy Research
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The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a self-described conservative think tank in the United States. Its president since its founding has been Amy Ridenour. David A. Ridenour, her husband, is vice president, and David W. Almasi is executive director. Key staff include J. Peyton Knight, who oversees environmental programs; David Hogberg, Ph.D., who oversees health care/Social Security programs; and Ryan Balis, who oversees United Nations studies. Dana Joel Gattuso, Council Nedd, R.J. Smith, Deroy Murdock and Bonner Cohen are among those who frequently speak or publish under the NCPPR banner as senior/distinguished fellows.
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[edit] Policy areas
NCPPR's work is in the areas of environmental, retirement security, regulatory, economic, and foreign affairs. Particular areas of interest include global warming, endangered species, energy policy, environmental justice, property rights, legal reform, Medicare reform, health care, Social Security, civil rights, foreign affairs/defense and United Nations reform/withdrawal.
NCPPR is a member of the Cooler Heads Coalition, whose object is described as "dispelling the myths of global warming by exposing flawed economic, scientific, and risk analysis".
In 25 years of operation, NCPPR has received about $280,000 from Exxon Mobil,[1] and presently receives about one half of one percent of its funding from the company. [2]
[edit] Publications
Publications include National Policy Analysis papers, Talking Points cards, the newsletters What Conservatives Think, Ten Second Response and In the News, among other publications and a National Center Blog.
[edit] Abramoff connections
Disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff was a member of NCPPR's Board of Directors; he resigned in October 2004 after NCPPR's Board of Directors concluded he had violated the organization's conflict of interest policy.[3]
In October 2002, Abramoff directed the Mississippi Band of Choctaws to give $1 million to NCPPR, and then told Amy Ridenour to distribute the funds to Capital Athletic Foundation ($450,000), Capital Campaign Strategies ($500,000) and Nurnberger and Associates ($50,000). In June 2003, Greenberg Traurig, the firm that employed Abramoff, sent $1.5 million to NCPPR, of which Ridenour distributed $250,000 to Capital Athletic Foundation and the remainder to Kay Gold LLC, both controlled by Abramoff. Ridenour said in testimony that she believed Abramoff co-conspirator Michael Scanlon was the owner of Kay Gold (Kaygold).[4]
[edit] Special projects
The National Center for Public Policy Research is one of the few, possibly the only, U.S. conservative organization to have an extensive long term outreach to the African American community. Since 1992, the group has sponsored Project 21, a "national leadership group of black conservatives." Consisting of several hundred members, Project 21 provides research and commentary on public policy issues from a conservative black perspective to the U.S. news media at large and to African American community newspapers and media outlets. According to the organization, Project 21 members, all of whom are black, were published, quoted or interviewed over 12,000 times on a variety of public policy issues between 1992-2006.
Edmund Peterson was the first chairman of Project 21. It presently is chaired by NewsMax columnist Mychal Massie. Deneen Moore was appointed Project 21's first full-time senior fellow in 2006. Project 21's staff director is David W. Almasi, who is white.
Of Project 21, the liberal magazine The Nation said in May 2005, "Project 21 remains a crucial gear in the right’s propaganda factory. Without [Project 21, its] cadres would probably be at home screaming at the TV. But instead, they’re on TV." [5]
[edit] Board of Directors
The board of directors of the National Center for Public Policy Research includes author Peter Schweizer, management consultant Victor Porlier, health care analyst Edmund F. Haislmaier, policy analyst Jay Timmons, law professor Horace Cooper, Amy Ridenour, and David Ridenour.
[edit] References
- ^ ExxonSecrets Factsheet: National Center for Public Policy Research
- ^ Amy Ridenour's National Center Blog: ExxonMobil on Gas Prices: We Couldn't Manipulate the Price Even If We Wanted To
- ^ "Oversight Hearing Regarding Tribal Lobbying Matters, Et Al", United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, United States Government Printing Office, 2005-06-22. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
- ^ http://indian.senate.gov/2005hrgs/062205hrg/ridenour.pdf
- ^ Blumenthal, Max. "The Minister of Minstrelsy", The Nation, 2005-03-24. Retrieved on 2007-12-12.
[edit] Further reading
- People for the American Way's Right Wing Watch: Project 21 - A Laughable Attempt to Redefine "Civil Rights"
- "Tom DeLay's Right Arm", Media Transparency
- E&E TV: National Wildlife Federation and National Center for Public Policy Research debate changes to Endangered Species Act
- "The fear merchants: "Fright mail' fund-raisers targeting elderly with scare tactics?", San Francisco Chronicle, February 8, 1998
- "After critical article, conservative nonprofit accuses Raw Story of violating copyright", Raw Story, March 3, 2006
- ExxonSecrets: FACTSHEET: National Center for Public Policy Research, NCPPR ExxonSecrets.org, 2006. Cites other sources.
[edit] External links
- Official site
- National Center blog
- Project 21 Official site
