Annapolis Capital Punishment

As the swine flu reaches epidemic proportions, Maryland's fat-cat lobbyist Bruce Bereano writes a letter to The Capital because he is upset that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and other organizations actually try to manipulate public opinion. Perhaps he thinks such saintly work should only be the domain of lobbyists such as himself.

Green Goblin, The Joker, Penguin, Lex Luthor and all you comic book villains don't hold a boardroom florescent to Bruce Bereano, a household name around the state capital, within corporate boardrooms, in fancy restaurants around town, in legal and political circles and perhaps even in some other institutions as well. He's been known as one of, if not the highest paid lobbyist in Maryland and his recent letter in The Capital is so full of irony, so egregiously mind-boggling and eye-rolling and so full of, of, of, well...of bold sugar.... that I could not ignore it. Here are some excerpts in which he refers to CBF:

"The organization, like other organizations, has an agenda and, despite the facts, has to keep it going."

Uh yeah, it has an agenda and Bereano and his deep pocket clients do not? Bereano is highly paid to promote their agendas, by choosing to use or not use certain "facts". Do you prefer the agenda of tobacco or that of cleaning up the Bay?

Bereano concludes his letter by saying, "I am just tired of all the hypocrisy and spin jobs going on in the public area (sci) hoping the general public will buy it. I don't"

Such bravura. Such hubris. Might some call it something else?

This fat cat reportedly earns hundreds of thousands of dollars a year pushing corporate agendas, which is his and their right, but if you know of Bereano's interesting history and his engagement with the law and the justice system, you know of what I speak. He makes me sick when he appears before a deliberative body explaining his client's views. He is the classic apparatchik greasing the wheels of our government on behalf of his high paying clients. And he talks about spin jobs? Let he who is without sin cast the first stone, Bruce.

Funny aside--Bereano and I were on the same side when we testified against the city bill mandating a public sign in every store carrying products with Bisphenyl A, though for different reasons. I did it as a citizen. Bereano did it because he got paid. Hey-I could have done it for his clients at half the price.

Others have written about Bereano and his interesting background, which you may learn more about by visiting:

www.bayweekly.com/year05/issuexiii5/leadxiii5.html

bruce+bereano

bereano021999.htm

local/politics

bereano

www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=2886

Just search "Bereano" for yourself. While newspapers go the way of the dinosaur, reporters lose jobs right and left, and while bloggers struggle to make ends meet bringing some truth to light, Bereano lines his pockets influencing policy and opinion on behalf of the power elite. Then he has the unmitigated gall to write a letter about others who do the same for beneficial public goals, not only for much less money but often through volunteer efforts. Excuse me while I run to the.......toilet................................uggghh........ahhhhhh...............ackkkkkaaacckkkkkacckkkk......uh, okay, I'm better now. Thanks.

Bereano says he is tired of hypocrisy and spin jobs, but I am tired of Bereano's hypocrisy and spin jobs. I don't buy it. Besides, most of us could not even afford an hour of his valuable time as a "professional" hustling in the aisles of power. That's kind of like the professionals who hustle on the streets at night. They both laugh all the way to the bank.

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