Comments on: Meet Rick Berman, A.K.A. "Dr. Evil"

Morley Safer Speaks To A Lobbyist Some People Love To Hate

[laurenlipps]

LOVE this guy. I would need to do more research on him to understand everything he stands for, but I'm glad to know there is someone in Washington is standing up against the "nannies".

[weobit]

How come Morley Safer didn't ask Jacobson about our freedom of choice. The left in this country is so obsessed with our freedom to kill an unborn child yet not our freedom to eat a hamburger and fries? I guessed I'm just one of those misquided,confused and regular Amercians who think that what Mr. Berman is doing is great!And the last time I looked Mr. Safer this is America and it's ok to make as much money as one possibly can. Or is it? What's next?

[marieellen1]

GOOD FOR RICK BERMAN! THERE ARE A LOT OF US THAT THINK THE SAME WAY, BUT HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO GET OUR VOICE HEARD
IF YOU REALLY WORRY ABOUT OBESITY TRY TAKING THE XBOX AND OTHER TV GAMES AWAY FROM THE KIDS , MAKE THEM GO OUT SIDE AND MAKE A FORT OR GO HIKING,OR ANYTHING, IT'S BETTER THEN SITTING IN THE HOUSE. KIDS USE TO FIND THINGS TO DO. YOU COULD NOT KEEP THEM INSIDE. NOW YOU CANNOT GET THEM TO GO OUT SIDE. THEY DON'T HAVE TO GET OFF THERE BUTTS TO DO MUCH OF ANYTHING.WE HAD A LOT LESS OBESE CHILDREN AND THEY ATE SWEETS AND FATS JUST LIKE THEY DO TODAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE REMOTE OR FINGER TIP GAMES AND COMPUTERS. I RAISED seven KIDS AND NOT ONE WAS OBESE
AS FAR AS SMOKING, PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE WHAT THEY DO. THE SECOND HAND SOME IS JUST ANOTHER FARCE TO SCARE THE PEOPLE.. I AM TIRED OF THE SO CALLED %u201CSCIENTIFIC PROOF%u201D

[gasmoker]

HIP HIP HOORAY FOR MR BERMAN!! WAS HOPIN THERE WAS SOMEONE ON OUR SIDE!! AS A SMOKER SO TIRED OF BEIN PUNISHED FOR WHAT I ENJOY!! WORK FOR THIS MAN AN HIS IDEAS IN HEARTBEAT!! TY 60 MINUTES FOR FINALLY SHOWIN THE OTHERSIDE OF ALL THESE SO CALLED DO-GOODERS!! DON'T WE LIVE IN A AMERICA WHERE WE OUR SUPPOSE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF FREEDOM OF CHOICE?

[rdepetro]

I don't smoke, I'm not obese, I'm american.
I want the right to eat what I want, clog my arteries and smoke (if I am foolish enough) until I can't breath - and I want it regulated by me, a voting american citizen.

[be.barton]

Thank G-d for Rick Berman. A breath of sanity, truly. If cigarette smoking is killing us (and I do believe it is), why is the federal government subsidizing tobacco farmers? I'm all for good labeling, accurate information, and more research, but I am NOT for this nit-picking nose in my beeswax.

[vanightwolf]

Second City TV in 1969 made of a sci-fi film called THE MONITORS, about men from outer space who take over Earth in order to save humanity. And of course, various similar films and stories deal with the same theme: everybody is an "expert" on you. As grateful as I am for smoking bans, Berman has a point: you shouldn't regulate EVERYTHING. Americans as a people have a chronic fear of personal responsibility, but that doesn't give other people the right to mandate, only to suggest. I sometimes wonder if a lot of these "nannies" do what they do simply because, like myself, they are unable to find someone to love and start a family with? It makes sense.

[sanny4]

As an American living in Asmara, Eritrea, watching this man made me proud to be an American. Hurray for free choice!

[sanny4]

As an American living in Asmara, Eritrea, watching this man made me proud to be an American. Hurray for free choice!

[justsomelady]

Union officers make hefty salaries doing what they do even without the expenses, that's a fact. So who exactly do you suppose is paying for all the added expenses: travel, the meals and 'the like?' A donation maybe? A grant? Santa Clause?

[hardworkeria]

These posts are funny. Berman's staff must be hard at work putting out their lies in these postings.

He makes millions and millions of dollars on lies. Must be a great life to lie for a living.

I remember reading Union Facts and was saying what "pinko commies" these unions are. Union officers wasting those union funds and big salaries.

Then when some pointed out it was Berman's website, I knew that I had to research this stuff because Berman lies, plain and simple.

Turns out the supposed salaries reported on his Union Facts website doesn't separate travel, meals, and the like. So all those salaries are bloated.

Berman lies people. He can not be trusted.

[justsomelady]

Jacobson at best is a quack, at worst he's a liar and a crook. How many times so far as the CSPI been caught exaggerating claims and tinkering with numbers to harvest fear in the public? The money wasted on this organization could be better served in researching cures for cancer, AIDS, Parkinsons, pediatric diabetes and many other REAL issues. It only hurts us when this organization is given free reign to klaxon hysteria with inflated claims and misinformation. This organization relies on the ignorance of the hankie clutchers of the world who won't bother to check the facts and think for themselves.

[beachtan]

OMG I love this guy! He is fighting for the small business and some larger businesses for our rights. I own a tanning salon in Aurora CO,. We had Miss. Maryland try to come in and regulate tanning because SHE decided she would tan 5 days a week for 2 straight years to try to become Miss America (which even the dumbest of dumb know you do not do that much) needless to say she lost along with she ended up with melenoma which is truly unfortunate. She needs to teach people her own idiotic decision for people to learn from not attempt to be the law... She wanted our kids to have to go to a Dr. to write a prescription for them to tan. I'm sorry but under the age of eighteen aren't we parents suppose to make these choices? STAY OUT OF OUR BUSINESS PEOPLE.
Well thank goodness our NANNY STATE decided against her. And thank you for fighting for what is right AKA: Dr. Evil keep up the great work...

[mscottcolo]

For the poster who recommends healthy people go to the trouble of getting new insurance, I have a better idea. All the people who "don't want no nanny state telling me what to do!" should simply waive their own access to health care. Walk the walk, and please save the rest of us the expense and administrative burden.

[bennhyn]

Maybe he should run for President, although we do need some regulation, common sense and judgement are the rule, not politics. You can't breathe without offending someone, it's gotten ridiculous. It's not always someone else's fault, when you screw up.

[asorden]

Rick Berman you are so right. America has turned into a governed state. The government controls everything we do, when we do it, how we do it, and why we do it. America has turned into a world of whinning cry babies who complain about everything. We can't do anything without the government stating it's opinion. We need to regain control of our country. If I want to eat greasy french fries, I should be able to eat them because it's my mouth, my heart, my money, and my body therefore the government should not tell me what to eat. America better get a hold of itself quick before we turn into Cuba.

[pandit2]

In answer to the poster with a hole in his lake. Good for you sir. You did the right thing. Which Government regulation was it you were following? Did you fill out a report? Did you spend some tax dollars? Should we fund a natonal study of fishing hole accidents?

My answer is no. Some do-gooders are perfectly capable of saving a man's life without any help, without any push, and without any gun at their back. And some fishermen are perfectly capable of watching for melting ice. In fact most are.

Just think what pet food manuacturing, insurance companies, restaurants, and all the rest of us couldn't say, "sorry about your cat, but I followed the government guidelines." Now that's cold.

[pandit2]

One of the posters - a chef in a resataurant - said they were forced by the nanny state to serve decent food, on clean plates, etc. No sir you are forced by the market. Recently we had a birthday celebration in a mongolian grill style restaurant. We will never go back. Others in the restaurant semmed to be willing to put up with the filth. They should be allowed to.
Another commented on the pet food tragedy. My guess is that the food was inspected.
Bottom line, there is nothing that the government does that people can't do on their own to gain market advantage.
But more to the point, it is immoral to tell a man or woman what he can or cannot do with his property at the point of a gun. Pursuasion, yes. Gun, no.

In answer to the poster who asked why the person who needs heavy health care because of what he ate should be subsidized by those who eat more healthfully -- please feel free to withdraw from whatever health plan you belong to that is voluntary (nothing we can do 'bout those involuntary ones). The insurance business uses actuarial tables based on the health of all its customers to determine rates, which everyone pays: "bad" eaters as well as "good" Drop out and self-insure and those rates will go up for those that are left, whoever they are.

Now, everyone, go to your favorite search engine and type in "free-market economics."

[pxlfxr]

The anti-smoking advocates are only now starting to realize the larger reality they have as a voice been purchased to be used as a media tool. Purchased as the founders of Green peace and MADD will tell you along with a number of woman%u2019s rights groups and pretty well any large lobby you can recall emboldened in the media demanding legislative change over the last number of decades, Industry investments allow industry to control not only the final; say but every thing which is implied along the way. The pubic attention is narrowly focused, where it is directed has always afforded protection for those industrialists who live in fear should that focus ever shift.

The public is enthralled with the promotion of intolerance allowing them to let their hair down, with someone it is acceptable to hate, after being shackled for so long with media inspired political corrections limiting even their thoughts. We fail to realize smokers or the obese are not the targets of the big guns. It is and has always been society as a whole who are the disease being treated as the germs of the public health population view.

[mrchester1]

as a chef in the restaurant business, we are highly regulated by the local county and state health depts. they force us to serve untainted foods, on clean dishes, and to wash and sanatize our hands after each use of the restroom. if ever i spot mr. berman in my restaurant, i'll personally ensure his meal to be unregulated by our "nanny" health departments. and after his illness has subsided, i think he'll view the world a little differently.