Ryan C. Amacher

Ryan C. Amacher is, according to GuideStar, a (former?) member of the Board at the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI). He was the president of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), but in 1995 he "resigned amidst several UTA academic, athlethic and minority underrepresentation allegations." He is still Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at UTA.

Mr. Amacher wrote together with Roger Meiners, another professor at UTA and a director of IPI, the book "Faulty Towers, Tenure and the Structure of Higher Education" published in March 2004 by The Independent Institute (ISBN 0-945999-89-5) 

Mr. Amacher & the Tobacco Institute
Ryan Amacher was already in 1985 involved in writing pro-tobacco op-ed's for the tobacco industry. He wrote the article 'Excise taxes must be understood' published on March 6, 1985 in Greenville News (Greenville, SC)

One month later he was writing a revised version as can be seen in the 'April Monthly Billing' of 'Ogilvy & Mather' in Washington sent on May 14, 1985 to Susan Stuntz, Director of Issues Management at the Tobacco Institute. "'&bull; Drafted and revised article on tax reform and excises for submission to American Legion Magazine . Ryan C. Amacher, Ph.D., from Clemson University signed the piece.'"

The above article was published in the September 1985 edition of the American Legion Magazine.

Several revisions of a 1986 manuscript written by Robert D. Tollison and Richard E. Wagner (also an economist) can be found in the archives of the Tobacco Institute (TI) with the remark at the end of the preface that it was produced under a grant from TI. Finally, in March 1988, the book 'Smoking and the State' was published and the Tobacco Institute organized promotion of that book. Jim Savarese of 'James Savarese and Associates' sent on March 31, 1988 a list to Jeff Ross, Public Smoking Issue Manager at TI, with names of economists spread out over 17 states who might be willing to write a book review and the paper in which this review should be published.

For South Carolina the name 'Matt Lindsay' is by pen changed into Ryan C. Amacher. A June, 1988 Tobacco Institute report stated,

"Promotion of the Tollison and Wagner book, Smoking and the State, continues. An executive summary of the book is near completion. Several members of the economists' network have completed critiques, which are in the process of being cleared for publication . Tollison and Wagner have received media training and are prepared to begin a series of media tours to promote the book and discuss the social cost issue. (emphasis added)"

Ryan Amacher may have been part of that "economists network" because he wrote a review of that book in an article called 'Economists Explore the Dangerous Aspects of Government Protection' which was published on August 14, 1988 in The State (Columbia SC) and which was reprinted in the Tobacco Observer in November 1988. (see also Committee on Taxation and Economic Growth)

In a December 1988 report of TI, another op-ed by Ryan Amacher was mentioned:

"Op-eds by prominent economists on the impact of smoking bans on airline traffic and profitibility were published in December. Ryan C. Amacher, Dean of the College of Commerce and Industry at Clemson University, authored 'Eliminating choice failed marketplace test,' which appeared December 12 in the Greenville, South Carolina News.'''"

On June 2, 1989 the article 'Full-time busybodies seek advertising controls' written by Ryan Amacher was published in the Greenville News (Greenville, SC). In this article Amacher states that it is wrong to put restrictions on tobacco advertisements. This op-ed is mentioned in the 'July Status Report' of James Savarese and Associates, sent to Susan Stuntz. The letter of 'James Savarese and Associates' has the same address in Washington as the 'April Monthly Billing' of 'Ogilvy & Mather' sent to Susan Stuntz in 1985. Both organizations are linked to the 'Committee on Taxation and Economic Growth' of which Mr. Amacher was a member. 

In TI's "Public Affairs Management Plan Progress Report February 1990" they proudly wrote:

"The 1990 op-ed program involving consulting economists' articles on the excise tax and 'user fee' question moved forward last month. We reviewed additional draft articles and returned them to the authors to seek placement. Meanwhile, the previously cleared op-eds continue to appear in print. Recently published articles include those by J.R. Clark (with placements in five different Tennessee newspapers); Ryan Amacher (the Anderson Independent-Mail ); William Hunter (the Milwaukee Journal ); and John David (the Charleston Gazette )."

The Anderson Independent-Mail published a second anti-excise tax article by Mr. Amacher in June 1990.

Related Links

 * "Amacher, Dr. Ryan C.", University of Texas at Arlington

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