Re: criticism of exxon-mobil proposed merger

["Henry McFarland" <hmcfarland@hotmail.com>]

Wouldn't government action opposing a merger on the grounds that it 
would make the firms involved a more effective advocate of a policy 
position violate the first amendment? Suppose that Greenpeace and the 
Sierra Club decided that they could more effectively advocate strict 
environmental policies as one entity than as two. Exxon and Mobil might 
claim that the merger of those groups would lead to increased leverage 
over policy, which would be bad for economic efficiency and growth. 
Still, it would seem that the groups would have a first amendment right 
to merger. The fear that the combined Exxon and Mobil might have greater 
policy influence might or might not be correct. But if it is, these 
firms have a right to advocate the policies that they support, and a 
right to combine to advocate those positions, if they so choose.

>From antitrust@essential.org Tue Dec 01 11:23:23 1998
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>From: Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>
>To: Multiple recipients of list ANTITRUST <antitrust@essential.org>
>Subject: criticism of exxon-mobil proposed merger
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>For immediate release,		For more information, contact
>December 1, 1998		James Love or Robert Weissman,
>				202-387-8030
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>CONSUMER GROUPS CRITICIZE EXXON-MOBIL MERGER PROPOSAL
>

>A combined Exxon-Mobil would be the largest industrial corporation in 
the United States. A combined "Exx-bil" will be able to exert enormous
>leverage over policymaking in Congress and the executive branch in a
>myriad of areas, including the crucial issue of global warming. A more 
deconcentrated industry is relatively less able to exert such power, and
>more prone to internal division and conflict.


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