In rare 60 minutes interview Bill Koch, one of the two Koch brothers who own a combined 84% of Koch Industries, enthusiastically notes that their company's mantra is "profits above everything." (source). And they've proved their devotion to the idea. Koch Industries lives up to their mission by placing their profits before our communities, our environment and our democracy.
Since 1997, the brothers have spent $61.4 million fueling climate change denialism (source). They have given a total of $196 million to dozens of organizations advocating market fundamentalism (source). But they only oppose government largesse when it doesn't benefit their business. The U.S. handed out $72 billion in corporate welfare to the oil industry from 2002 to 2008, but when legislation was introduced to cut the subsidies, the Koch "libertarian" lobbying machine went silent and the subsidies continue to this day (source).
Their disregard for everything except their profits extends beyond U.S. borders. Koch Indsutries took "elaborate steps" to "flout" U.S. trade restrictions on Iran, in order to help build the largest methanol field on earth, which is owned by Zagros Petrochemical, an Iranian state-owned chemical company (source). And that's certainly not he first time they've done business with dictators -- In fact, company's founder Fred Koch made his fortune by constructing 15 oil refineries for the Soviet Union at the height of Joseph Stalin's purges (source).
Right now, they are busy lobbying for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, in which their petroleum subsidiary has a "substantial interest." (source) Koch Industries is the 10th largest polluter in the United States (source), and has been found to be responsible for over 300 oil spills (source).
Koch Industries, with 100 billion dollars in annual revenue, is the second largest private company in the U.S. (source). Last year they warned the 45,000+ Georgia-Pacific employees of "consequences" if the Koch candidates didn't win in the 2012 elections (source). This campaign will continue until Koch Industries commits to quit funding oil industry front groups.
Since 1997, the brothers have spent $61.4 million fueling climate change denialism (source). They have given a total of $196 million to dozens of organizations advocating market fundamentalism (source). But they only oppose government largesse when it doesn't benefit their business. The U.S. handed out $72 billion in corporate welfare to the oil industry from 2002 to 2008, but when legislation was introduced to cut the subsidies, the Koch "libertarian" lobbying machine went silent and the subsidies continue to this day (source).
Their disregard for everything except their profits extends beyond U.S. borders. Koch Indsutries took "elaborate steps" to "flout" U.S. trade restrictions on Iran, in order to help build the largest methanol field on earth, which is owned by Zagros Petrochemical, an Iranian state-owned chemical company (source). And that's certainly not he first time they've done business with dictators -- In fact, company's founder Fred Koch made his fortune by constructing 15 oil refineries for the Soviet Union at the height of Joseph Stalin's purges (source).
Right now, they are busy lobbying for the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, in which their petroleum subsidiary has a "substantial interest." (source) Koch Industries is the 10th largest polluter in the United States (source), and has been found to be responsible for over 300 oil spills (source).
Koch Industries, with 100 billion dollars in annual revenue, is the second largest private company in the U.S. (source). Last year they warned the 45,000+ Georgia-Pacific employees of "consequences" if the Koch candidates didn't win in the 2012 elections (source). This campaign will continue until Koch Industries commits to quit funding oil industry front groups.
