October, 25 2012, 03:25pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Email:,info(at)fwwatch(dot)org,Seth Gladstone -,sgladstone@fwwatch.org
To Counteract Deceptive Ads by Prop 37 Foes, Health and Consumer Advocates Use Humor, Celebrities to Get Out the Vote
WASHINGTON
A Series of Online and TV Ads Released This Week in Support of Prop 37 to Make GE Food Labeling Mandatory in California
Los Angeles - With less than two weeks to go until Election Day, the David vs. Goliath battle over Proposition 37, the initiative to require labeling of genetically engineered (GE) food, or GMOs, is in a dead heat, according to polls. To combat the vast amounts of deceptive advertising funded by the giant chemical and food corporations opposed to Prop 37 that is blanketing California airwaves, consumer and health advocates and grassroots activists have created a wave of viral Internet videos and social media activity.
This week, one of those videos, the "Right to Know" public service announcement featuring Danny DeVito, Bill Maher, Dave Matthews and several other celebrities will hit televisions across Los Angeles during popular shows like Good Morning America and Meet the Press. "Right to Know," in addition to three other PSAs, will also reach more than 2.5 million Californians through advertisements across the Internet between now and Nov. 6.
Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water's series of PSAs has received nearly 250,000 online views combined since launching on Oct. 15. The overwhelmingly positive response led to a generous outpouring of individual donations to help expand the videos' reach further.
Two of the four PSAs feature a diverse, all-star cast including Danny DeVito, Bill Maher, Dave Matthews, Jillian Michaels, Emily Deschanel, John Cho, Glenn Howerton, Kaitlin Olson, KaDee Strickland and Kristin Bauer van Straten. The other two PSAs feature children describing the problems with GE foods (GMOs) and encouraging adults to vote yes on Prop 37.
"Since the pesticide and junk food companies opposed to Prop 37 don't have the truth or public opinion on their side, they're spending about $1 million a day on ads attempting to confuse the public into voting against their right to know what's in their food," said Food & Water Watch Pacific Region Director Kristin Lynch. "While we may never be able to match our opponent's spending, we're hoping these popular celebrities and adorable kids will help make this message viral so that every Californian realizes that a yes vote for Prop 37 is a vote towards a healthier, more transparent food supply for everyone."
Proposition 37 is a ballot measure that requires simple, clear labels letting consumers know if foods are genetically engineered. It was written with broad input from food groups, industry, science, legal and health experts and qualified for the November ballot with more than 1 million signatures from California citizens.
"The ability to make an informed choice about what you feed your family is a right no American should be denied," said Jillian Michaels, fitness expert, author and trainer who has appeared on TV's The Doctors, The Biggest Loser and Losing It With Jillian. "I support Prop 37 because regardless of how you feel about the safety of genetically engineered foods we all deserve the right to choose whether or not we want to consume them - and labeling GMOs grants us that right."
The series of PSA videos is part of a larger campaign that Food & Water Watch is waging nationally and Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water is waging throughout California in support of Proposition 37 and mandatory GE labeling. Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water's efforts include grassroots organizing that contributed to the LA City Council unanimously endorsing Yes on 37, 90 billboards throughout Los Angeles County, a $10,000 contribution to the California Right to Know campaign, efforts to attract and coordinate volunteers for phone banking and other campaign activities, and email notifications to its more than 60,000 California supporters.
Versions of the videos and more information about Prop 37 and Food & Water Watch's commitment to mandatory labeling of genetically engineered foods can be found at: www.voteyes37.
Consumer Advocates for Safe Food and Water is the political action committee for Food & Water Watch. Food & Water Watch works to ensure the food, water and fish we consume is safe, accessible and sustainable. So we can all enjoy and trust in what we eat and drink, we help people take charge of where their food comes from, keep clean, affordable, public tap water flowing freely to our homes, protect the environmental quality of oceans, force government to do its job protecting citizens, and educate about the importance of keeping shared resources under public control.
Food & Water Watch mobilizes regular people to build political power to move bold and uncompromised solutions to the most pressing food, water, and climate problems of our time. We work to protect people's health, communities, and democracy from the growing destructive power of the most powerful economic interests.
(202) 683-2500LATEST NEWS
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A grand jury in Arizona on Wednesday charged seven aides to Donald Trump and nearly a dozen Republican officials over a "fake electors" scheme in the state that aimed to keep the former president in power after his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.
Trump, who is currently facing nearly 90 charges across four criminal cases as he runs for another White House term, was described as "unindicted co-conspirator 1" in the 58-page indictment, which was announced by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
"The people of Arizona elected President Biden," Mayes, a Democrat, said Wednesday. "Unwilling to accept this fact, the defendants charged by the state grand jury allegedly schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency. Whatever their reasoning was, the plot to violate the law must be answered for."
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A state grand jury, made up of everyday, regular Arizonans, has handed down felony indictments in the ongoing investigation into the fake elector scheme in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/Nu8GcD4ZqJ
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The Arizona Republicreported Wednesday that "several of the Arizona electors have previously claimed they were merely offering Congress a backup plan, though nothing in the documents they sent to Congress and the National Archives backs up that assertion."
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Red Curve is a domestic limited liability company that offers compliance and FEC reporting services but does not appear to offer any legal services. It is managed by Bradley Crate, who also serves as the treasurer for each of the five Trump-affiliated committees concerned in this complaint, as well as over 200 other federal committees.
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Trump—who is the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee—faces 91 federal and state felony charges related to his role in the January 6 insurrection and his organization's business practices. He is currently on trial in New York for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to cover up sex scandals during the 2016 election cycle. The twice-impeached former president has been open about his use of campaign donations to pay his legal costs.
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Florez noted that "even with the repeal of the Civil War-era ban, the state will still have a ban on abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy that denies people access to critical care. And lawmakers continue to attack Arizonans' ability to access reproductive healthcare. Our right to control our bodies and lives is hanging on by a thread."
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