Guest guest Posted January 21, 2003 Report Share Posted January 21, 2003 >From another list - I thought that, having started this hare running, I should at least follow through with offering carrots as they come available ;=) best, pat > Scientist roasts McDonald's lawsuit deal > January 14, 2003 > BY SANDRA GUY Business Reporter Advertisement > > http://www.suntimes.com/output/business/cst-fin-mac14.html > > A scientist called the " Einstein of the vegetarian world " urged a > Cook County judge Monday to reject McDonald's Corp.'s proposed list > of 26 groups scheduled to share in a $10 million settlement by the > fast-food chain. > > " It will set back vegetarianism as a class for 10 to 20 years " > because the groups McDonald's favors are hostile to the values the > settlement was intended to honor, said T. Colin Campbell, a Cornell > University professor and leader of a 1982 study in China that found a > close correlation between meat consumption and the incidence of > cancer and heart disease. > > Attorneys for McDonald's, which agreed to the settlement after > apologizing for misrepresenting animal-fat content in its french > fries, tried to paint Campbell and others who oppose the list as > ax-grinders who want the money for their own agendas. > > " We are not being besieged by thousands of angry vegetarians, " said > Cory S. Fein, a Houston attorney who was in charge of investigating > complaints about the groups scheduled to share in $6 million of the > settlement. > > McDonald's is supposed to distribute $6 million to vegetarian > organizations, $2 million to Hindu or Sikh groups and the remaining > money to better feed children and to promote understanding of Jewish > kosher practices. In 1990, the Oak Brook-based fast-food giant said > its restaurants would use vegetable oil, and not beef fat, to cook > its fries and hash browns. > > " We didn't turn a deaf ear to objections, " Fein said, characterizing > the tiff as a philosophical fight among vegetarian groups. > > A key element in the case is that six of the seven original > plaintiffs disagree with the list of groups. They claim university > projects and scholarships on the list do nothing to help vegetarians > and others learn more about expanding their food choices, and that > the Muslim community is being shortchanged by getting $550,000 rather > than $1 million in the settlement. > > " McDonald's has failed to demonstrate the fundamental requirement > that this settlement is agreed to by all parties, " said Gregory N. > Kazarian, the Chicago attorney for the objectors. " Absent that, we > all need to go back to the drawing board. " > > Cook County Circuit Court Judge Richard Siebel continued the case > until Jan. 27. > > While listening to the arguments, he was noticeably irritated by > Harish Bharti, the Seattle attorney who filed the original lawsuit on > May 1, 2001, and who has objected to the selection process as > " rigged " in favor of groups that oppose vegetarianism, Hindu > religious values and animal-rights activists. > > " You may not be satisfied, but that tells me we might have a > reasonable settlement, " Siebel said, noting that " that is the nature > of a settlement. " > > Peter Hecker, a San Francisco attorney who represents McDonald's, > said he had to urge Bharti to stick with the negotiations even though > Hecker believed Bharti's idea of giving small amounts of money to > many more groups was unworkable. > > Siebel agreed to let Bharti file an affidavit detailing his > allegations that attorneys for the two sides had colluded. > > Also testifying against the list of recipients were Amy Breyer, an > attorney representing the Vegetarian Legal Action Network; Mark > Epstein of Chicago, president of the National Health Association, and > Jeffrey A. Nelson, operator of VegSource.com, a Web hosting service > for vegetarian groups. > > --- PAT (In London, Ontario) Email List: townhounds- (townhounds/) Personal Email: SANTBROWN Personal Webpage: http://www.angelfire.com/art/pendragon/ ---------- * " Until he extends the circle of compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace. " - Albert Schweitzer * " Don't be afraid. Just start the tape. " - Anne Rice * " I don't do pawprints. " -- Snoopy ---------- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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