The Kerry/Edwards ticket is being blasted as extremely anti-business by republicans and business owners nationwide. Even the US Chamber of Commerce announced that they may repeal their standing order to stay out of politics in order to help republicans keep the two out of office. John Edwards was a trial lawyer who his career pursuing malpractice and other consumer protection litigation. As a senator, he’s called for greater corporate responsibility and championed consumer rights. Republicans call him an ‘ambulance chaser’ responsible for higher court settlements and malpractice insurance costs. John Kerry’s long history of activism includes a multitude of legislation for the protection and preservation of the environment. Big business seems to think this sort of legislation stifles productivity and growth while increasing the costs of compliance.

If the well being of consumers and this planet’s ecology are not good for business, exactly what is? What does it say for how much pride you take in your work if you are unwilling to stand behind the implied warranty of its quality? If GE had not produced quality products from each of their business units for the last 60 years they would not be the second largest conglomerate on the planet. If doctors in fact cared about their oath to do no harm, they would not shy from the spectre of malpractice.

Apple Computers has maintained very high consumer approval ratings for decades. They focus not only on satisfying needs and wants but on the well being of their customers. No one ever heard about how the Melissa, Nimda, and I Love You viruses didn’t bring down Macintoshes across America. Speaking of malpractice why didn’t anyone ever sue Microsoft for the damages caused by these security failings?

On February 18 2004, over 60 leading scientists – Nobel laureates, leading medical experts, former federal agency directors, and university presidents – signed a statement [link] voicing their concern over the misuse of science by the Bush administration. His administration has severely misrepresented scientific findings in order to avoid legislation over vehicle and power plant emissions. President Bush has not added a single species to the endangered species list unless forced to do so by federal courts. Indeed he has been the worst adversary to face the conservatory effort since Nixon signed the act into law in 1973. He has also been openly aggressive his defiance, for example in his attempt to classify salmon hatcheries as extensions of natural rivers in order to remove Coho salmon from the endangered species list.

It is cheap to pollute. It is cheap to build unsafe products. But it is shortsighted to think that the money saved up front by dodging corporate responsibility will pay off in the long run. Sure, it may pad the pockets of every Kenneth Lay and Martha Stewart out there but look at Firestone - years of corner cutting killed hundreds of consumers and all but bankrupted the company. Oh yeah, and when it comes to environmental protection, don’t forget that no environment = no customers.