Generation Opportunity Explained

Generation Opportunity
Formation:2010
Vat Id:(for European organizations) -->
Headquarters:Arlington, Virginia
Methods:Activism, policy advocacy
Owners:-->

Generation Opportunity was a center-right political advocacy organization in the United States focused on economic policy and aimed at young adults. It was a sister organization to the Americans for Prosperity-led political network initially funded by the Koch family.[1] The group had campaigned against the Affordable Care Act.

History

Founded in 2010, Generation Opportunity initially focused on a variety of issues including taxes, high gas prices, and broader economic issues.[2] [3] [4] Generation Opportunity then began to look at youth unemployment statistics and the Millennial Jobs Report, which gave unemployment statistics for 18- to 29-year-olds on the first day of each month.[5] In September 2013, Generation Opportunity launched a campaign called "Opt Out of Obamacare".[6] Evan Feinberg headed the organization from 2013 through 2015.[7] In 2016, the organization released its "The State of the Millennial Report", which reviews the challenges and opportunities faced by young people in the United States [8]

Issues

Youth unemployment

On the first Friday of every month, Generation Opportunity used the information released from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to calculate unemployment for Americans aged 18–29.[9] [10] [11] [12] Generation Opportunity advocated for removing barriers to youth employment such as occupational licenses and regulations harmful to the sharing economy.[13] [14] Another strategy for reducing youth unemployment that is advocated by the organization is criminal justice reform, since a criminal sentence often traps generations of Americans into cyclical poverty.[15]

Affordable Care Act

Generation Opportunity opposed the Affordable Care Act and had campaigned against it. Generation Opportunity launched its Opt Out of Obamacare campaign in September 2013.[16] Generation Opportunity conducted a college campus tour to 20 campuses to convince college students to sign a petition to opt out of the Affordable Care Act.[17] The organization stated that its goal was to inform millennials of options outside of the Affordable Care Act, and to raise awareness of the cost of the Act for younger generations.[18]

On September 18, 2013 it released a video advertisement named "Opt Out - The Exam - Creepy Uncle Sam".[19] The video received over 600,000 views within its first 36 hours,[20] 3.5 million views within its first week, and drew a response from President Obama during a speech in Maryland.[21] The video featured "Uncle Sam" intruding between the legs of a female patient during a gynecological exam.[22] A third "Creepy Uncle Sam" video was released on October 25, receiving 300,000 views in 3 days.[23]

Reception

When asked to explain the "Uncle Sam" ad, Feinberg compared his ad to the ad Democrats ran against Congressman Paul Ryan on his proposal to restructure Medicare: "They're not suggesting Paul Ryan is literally pushing granny off a cliff but trying to make a policy point," he said. "We're trying to make a policy point that Obamacare is creepy and invasive. It's obvious satire."[24]

Funding

In 2013, Politico reported that Generation Opportunity had received a $5 million grant from Freedom Partners, a group of about 200 donors that is associated with Charles and David Koch.[25] [26] [27]

See also

Notes and References

  2. Web site: Faraci. Matthew. March 14, 2012. Gas Prices Are Too Damn High. Generation Opportunity. 27 February 2014.
  3. Web site: Generation Opportunity. 27 November 2016.
  4. Web site: Top 3 Things to Know About Young Voters and the 2012 Election - Generation Opportunity . 2014-08-09 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140815085545/http://generationopportunity.org/press/top-3-things-to-know-about-young-voters-and-the-2012-election/ . 2014-08-15 .
  5. Web site: Pasch. David. July 5, 2013. Millennial Jobs Report: Youth Unemployment at 16.1% in June. Generation Opportunity. 24 February 2014.
  6. News: February 4, 2013. Millennial Jobs Report: Youth Unemployment Reaches 13.1 Percent as U.S. Economy Shrinks. GlobeNewswire. 7 March 2014.
  7. News: Schleifer. Theodore. First on CNN: Koch operative leaves group amid tumult. 15 September 2015. CNN. September 1, 2015.
  8. Web site: 2016 STATE OF THE MILLENNIAL REPORT.
  9. Web site: MANJARRES. JAVIER. Youth Unemployment Rate Hits 16.1% . The Shark Tank. 30 October 2013.
  10. News: Kingkade. Tyler. February 6, 2013. Millennial Unemployment In January 2013 Rose Much Faster Than National Rate. Huffington Post. 15 March 2014.
  11. News: Nielsen. Allison. March 7, 2014. Youth Unemployment Rate Still High in February . Sunshine State News. 17 March 2014.
  12. News: Bader. Emily. March 7, 2014. U.S. youth Unemployment Still High. NJ Biz.
  13. Web site: NCGA Committee Delays Occupational Licensing Reforms. www.carolinajournal.com. 7 April 2016 . 2016-04-07.
  14. Web site: Critics Are Wrong about the Sharing Economy and This Is Why. Generation Opportunity. en-US. 2016-04-07.
  15. Web site: Many Young People Are Trapped in a Cycle of Poverty, Crime, and Prison. Generation Opportunity. en-US. 2016-04-07.
  16. News: Moody. September 19, 2013. Chris. Creepy Obamacare ad hits college campuses and your nightmares. Yahoo News. 3 December 2013.
  17. News: Reston. September 20, 2013. Maeve. Obama looks to Hollywood to help promote his healthcare law. Los Angeles Times. 24 January 2014.
  18. News: Goodnough. Abby. September 19, 2013. 'Creepy Uncle Sam' Is Anti-Health Care Law Mascot. The New York Times. 16 March 2014.
  19. Web site: Opt Out - The Exam - Creepy Uncle Sam. Youtube. 21 October 2013.
  20. Web site: Obama looks to Hollywood to help promote his healthcare law. Maeve. Reston. . 21 September 2013 . 27 November 2016.
  21. Web site: Leary. Alex. Opt out of Obamacare is conservative group's message to young people. Tampa Bay Times. 24 October 2013.
  22. News: Pickert. Kate. Sep 19, 2013. Spread Your Legs for Uncle Sam. Time US. 21 October 2013.
  23. Web site: Halloween Horror 2013 - Get The Door, Chad - Creepy Uncle Sam. .
  24. News: Leary. Alex. October 12, 2013. Opt out of Obamacare is conservative group's message to young people. Tampa Bay Times. 24 October 2013.
  25. News: Allen. Mike. September 9, 2013. Exclusive: The Koch Brothers' secret bank. April 10, 2014.
  26. News: Mak. Tim. October 25, 2013. Generation Opportunity to lobby Hill on behalf of Millennials. April 10, 2014.
  27. News: Stolberg. Sheryl. October 5, 2013. A Federal Budget Crisis Months in the Planning. New York Times. 21 October 2013.

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