June 4, 2002
CSPI And Brownell: Two Twinkies In One Package
"If children have healthy foods available, they'll eat healthy foods. If they have unhealthy foods available, they'll eat those… Animals will do the same thing when put in a cage."
That was Kelly Brownell, mullah of the "Twinkie tax," in testimony before the U.S. Senate in late May. It's the latest silly rhetoric from one of the grand poobahs of the anti-consumer movement. Some of Brownell's greatest hits:
So who is Kelly Brownell? He's one of the mainstays of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the infamous activist group that wants "taxes on snack foods and soft drinks," dubbed fettuccini Alfredo a "heart attack on a plate," and has trashed Chinese food, popcorn, pizza, and many other popular dishes. CSPI's members are no blushing flowers when it comes to telling you what to eat (and, more often, what not to eat). [For more on CSPI, visit CSPIscam.com.]
While some CSPI members say Brownell is not a part of their organization, Brownell is to CSPI as Peter Parker is to Spiderman:
CSPI and Brownell want nothing less than what some anti-consumer activists call "a retooling of our environment" that limits choices. That means taxes, marketing restrictions, zoning restrictions, advertising bans, and more.
