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WARNING: This site deals only with the corporate corruption of science, and makes no inference about the motives or activities of individuals involved.
    There are many reasons why individuals become embroiled in corporate corruption activities - from political zealotry to over-enthusiastic activism; from gullibility to greed.
    Please read the OVERVIEW carefully, and make up your own mind.

OPINION ONLY

Senator John Caufield (D-Essex) of New Jersey is also the Fire Safety Director of the city of Newark. He was actively lobbied by Peter Sparber from the Tobacco Institute and the tobacco industry's specialist fire-department lobbyist, Phillip Schaenman (of TriData).

The industry's message in the 1980s was that a fire-safe (self-extinguishable) cigarette was not a possibility, and that the emphasis on fire-safety as far as cigarettes were concerned, should be to ignore the cigarettes themselves, and concentrate on
  • the promotion of smoke-detectors
  • on educating the public about the need for fire safety
  • on furnishings that wouldn't burn.

They were also strongly against the tendency of the various states to raise state excise taxes on cigarettes in order to fund fire-prevention programs or to pay the salaries of fire men. To help the various fire-departments, the Tobacco Institute produced and printed promotional/educational material for them, and they earned further good-will by providing some with generous grants.

Senator John Caufield, not unreasonably, was roughly aligned with the tobacco industry's position on the long-term prospects of companies creaing fire-safe cigarettes, and he supported the Tobacco Institute in their grants and donations program since it benefitted his department. He was also one of only a few Democrats who voted in the Albany Senate to oppose a hike in cigarette taxes.

1983 Mar: The TI is briefing John Caufield, New Jersey's State Commissioner (Fire) in Newark on Fire-Safe Cigarettes and the TI fire program.

1983 Nov 18: The Tobacco Institute's NJ PR company reports to Richard Scanlan at the New York (albany) office of the Tobacco Institute that they have "tracked down a report of a meeting on cigarette excise taxes." The State is considering a revenue-raising "three cent tax increase and to give the money to the cities."

Senator John Caufield, Fire Safety Director of the city of Newark, represented Mayor Gibson at the meeting. There have been reports that Newark will have to lay off something like 100 police and firemen to balance its 1984 budget, and that Paterson will have to lay off 50 policemen.

1983 Dec 23: Philip Schaenman of TriData writes to John Rupp at Covington & Burling (lawyers) and Peter Sparber at the Tobacco Institute re his lobbying efforts in Newark and Nassau County, New Jersey.

On December 16, Pete Sparber and I met with Director John Caufield, Chief Stanley Kossup, and Deputy Chief (Research and Statistics) Valent of the Newark Fire Department.

    Caufield is also a state senator, the fire authority in the Senate, and Deputy Chairman (?) on its finance committee (important for the excise issue).

    Chief Kossup made our job easier by pointing out to Director Caufield the arguments against self-extinguishing. Caufield seemed convinced, along with Kossup, that with any practical cigarette that stays lit for a few minutes you would still have many fires from carelessness. They believe in detectors and public education and fire resistant materials.

    Caufield was particularly impressed with the TI grant program to cities. He thought it hit exactly the right leverage point and said that the $5000 or so grant of public education materials might be more effective than a $500,000 grant he was also involved with in which a bureaucracy of staff had to be formed.

    Newark is likely to apply for a TI grant.

1984 Aug 7: Lobbyist report to Tobacco Institute on Self-extinguishing cigarette legislation in New Jersey.

Committee Chairman Joe Bocchini (D-Mercer) would release the bill and it would pass the Assembly either by machine vote or voice vote. In this context, there are two facts you should know about him. He's a legislator/member of the Fire Safety Commission, the primary governmental body responsible for all areas of fire safety.

    This is the group with which Pete Sparber [TI lobbyist] has been working through his contact with its chairman, Senator John Caufield.

1985 Feb 1: Philip Schaenman of TriData sends him the Tobacco Institute commissioned "International Concepts in Fire Protection."
    [TriData and Schaenman are long-term contractors to the Tobacco Institute — this document wasn't done on a 'grant', but commissioned by the tobacco industry for political propaganda]

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