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GUEST: Carmen Balber, Consumer Advocate at the Foundation for Taxpayer and Consumer Rights

Intel, the computer chip maker recently pulled an advertisement that, to most people, appears obviously racist. The ad was for a new generation of micro-processors and showed six black sprinters crouched in the start position in front of a white man wearing office attire. The caption read “Multiply computer performance and maximize the power of your employees.” Intel apologized twice for the ad, calling it “culturally insensitive and insulting.” The timing of the ad scandal is interesting. The Santa Monica based Foundation for Tax Payer and Consumer Rights has pointed out that Intel happens to be at the forefront of sponsoring a ballot measure in California next June that would eliminate class action law suits over civil rights issues. Intel is part of a business group calling itself the Civil Justice Association of California, which would like to see California’s class action laws be more like the federal Class Action Fairness Act which was signed into law by President Bush in 2005.

Click here to send a letter to Intel complaining about the ad, and asking them to pull support for the ballot measure: www.consumerwatchdog.org/corporate/faxintel/

For more information, visit www.consumerwatchdog.org.

View “Man-on-the-street” interviews in response to the Intel ad: