Sometimes when I am doing my research on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) I run into stuff that may not make a whole story; may make a whole story but requires more research than I have time for (I can only do this nights and weekends); or is just an interesting tidbit that really should be shared.
Just bits and pieces about ALEC.
Each of them has a separate file on my computer and today I wanted to clean them off the desktop – but thought I would share them with you before I did.
Dennis Hollingsworth – California (past legislator)
From the California Ethics pages
Below are links to reported contributions solicited by members of the Assembly, Senate and statewide elected officers. These payments are not considered campaign contributions or gifts, but are payments made at the "behest" of elected officials to be used for legislative, governmental or charitable purposes. While state law limits the amount of campaign contributions and gifts, there are no limits on these so-called "behested" payments.
Hollingsworth must have wanted to win the ALEC Legislator of the Year Award in 2006 because here’s the monies he reported that he raised FOR ALEC.
UPS $25,000
Altria %35,000
ACC Capital Holdings $50,000
Anheuser Busch $15,000
Bayer Corporation $25,000
BP $40,000
Burlington Northern & Santa Fe Railway Company $10,000
Chevron $50,000
Occidental Petroleum $25,000
Sprint/Nextel $5,000
Sempra Energy $15,000
Intuit $5,000
Flannigan Law Firm $5,000
AT&T $15,000
A Total of $320,000 that he begged for ALEC, when he should have been doing the work of his constituents.
Just one example of legislator time YOU are paying for that helps fund ALEC across the United States. How much time is your ALEC legislator spending on raising money for ALEc and on developing new corporate members for ALEC? How much time is your ALEC legislator NOT SPENDING on what is important to you?
Newt Gingrich
ALEC Alumni
Was one of the people who worked on the ALEC's
1983-84 Source Book of American State Legislation
Keynote Speaker ALEC's 1994 National Orientation Conference.
Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2007 34th Annual Meeting
Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2008 States & Nation Policy Summit,
Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2009 States & Nation Policy Summit,
Keynote speaker ALEC’s 2009 36th Annual Meeting
Winner of the 1995 Thomas Jefferson Freedom Award
Quoted in the legacy membership brochure (a $5,000 legislator membership)
“The remarkable achievements of ALEC’s members... deserve much applause and recognition. Since 1973, ALEC members have been key leaders in state government, responsible for pioneering legislation inspired by the legacy of our honored Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson. For a quarter of a century, through advancing Jefferson’s ideas, you have been stalwart in your effort to revitalize the original American dream as intended by our Founders. ALEC members have helped reinforce my continuing optimism for the future of our great nation. ~ Newt Gingrich
Erik Paulsen – Minnesota
When reviewing the PAC money that Paulsen has received over the past couple of years I found the following items:
Companies that sponsored the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting donated to Erik Paulsen
$124,497
Additional companies - ones listed on the ALEC Exposed webpage donated to Erik Paulsen an additional
$170,000
Trade associations that are listed on the ALEC Exposed webpage donated to Erik Paulsen an additional
$153,613
And lastly – members that were listed in 1993 that aren’t on any of the other lists above donated
$30,500
A total of $478,610 from ALEC related PAC’s to Erik Paulsen.
And that’s from KNOWN ALEC affiliated companies and associations – If ALEC didn’t hide their memberships I could give you a much larger, more accurate total of ALEC PAC money – cause I know there are more – but I don’t have proof.
ALEC on Civil Rights
This piece of “model legislation” I found to be particulary interesting (my emphasis);
Civil Rights Act
The Civil Rights Act prohibits any state entity from discriminating or giving preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. As a result, all set-aside contracts and affirmative action programs targeted at such individuals or groups would be void.
Legislation for Corporate Profits?? (Again)
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, about 146,000 ignition interlock devices are in use nationwide.
An ignition interlock device will cost around $75 per month and a couple hundred dollars to be installed. Some states have programs that will subsidize the monthly cost if the offender can prove that they do not have the financial means to pay the monthly charges.
146,000 x ($75x12) = $ 131,400,000.00 PER YEAR
ALEC
Ignition Interlock Device Act
Summary
This bill provides for ignition interlock penalties for repeat drunk drivers and those
who are found to have driven with a .15 blood alcohol content (BAC) or higher.
Adopted by the Criminal Justice Task Force on July 31, 2008.
Approved by the ALEC Board of Directors on September 11, 2008.
Secondhand Smoke
Have you noticed that the “nonsmoking” legislation in your state is being repealed? If you haven’t noticed, get ready because it has happened and is happening in many states.
Well, this is due to one reason - ALEC considers second-hand smoke research - "junk science".
ONE – ALEC educates their members that secondhand smoke science is “junk science". Here’s an excerpt from some of ALEC legislative educational materials.
As mentioned earlier, there has to be a good reason to explain the preponderance of secondhand smoke restrictions and outright bans cropping up in states and municipalities across the country; and there must be a good reason to support business losses and steep fines resulting from these mandates – something that will be discussed shortly. Judging by the data itself, there is not. However, these initiatives are moving forward with full force, and with little standing in the way, thanks to a massive health fraud perpetrated on the general public.
However, these initiatives are moving forward with full force, and with little standing in the way, thanks to a massive health fraud perpetrated on the general public.
Where did they get that? Well from RJ Reynolds who else?
1994 RJ Reynolds Tobacco Company “Secondhand Smoke Plan”
Science is weak, second-hand smoke is anooying, but can be avoided, separation of smokers and non-smokers works, general public favors separation . Show there is a controversy, case is not closed. Show how unreasonable antis have become. Force them to moderate their positions or be held accountable for their extremism . Reveal unreasonableness of lifestyle discrimination, prohibition, extremism
Economic studies Hire an economist to conduct a major study of the economic impact of smoking bans on many sectors, with emphasis on travel, tourism, hospitality, retail
ALEC donors include:
Lorillard Tobacco Company
Philip Morris Management Corporation
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
Smokeless Tobacco Council
Cigar Association of America, Inc.
ALEC PAC Money
Mr. James David (Jim) Matheson (D-Ut) is a small d democrat and based on a review of PAC contributions from ONLY FIVE of the ALEC private Sector board member companies – during the years of 2005 – 2010 Mr Matheson received PAC donations of $390,756 from ALEC related companies : Koch, Pfizer, UPS, AT&T and WalMart.
Allen F Boyd from Florida inhaled $220,620 during the same years from the same five companies: Koch, Pfizer, UPS, AT&T and WalMart.
On the Republican side the ALEC Alumni winners (for the same five years and the same five companies) are: Samuel Graves – Missouri - $218,998; Mike Rogers - Michigan - $185,720; Cathy McMorris Rodgers – Washington - $150,210; Eric Cantor – Virginia - $147,375. Which leads me to believe that they are probably receiving remuneration in some other manner from ALEC affiliated companies.
Stephen Moore on Capital Gains Tax
The other day Stephen Moore was on Thom Hartmann. This was of great interest to me, as Stephen Moore is affiliated with ALEC as an co-author of an ALEC report for the past four years and as a keynote speaker for ALEC meetings and private meetings that ALEC holds.
During the interview with Hartmann – Moore argued that the capital gains tax was a form of double taxation because the corporations have already paid taxes on that money – so the person who realizes the capital gains should not have to pay taxes on that money.
That statement on double taxation that Moore referred to came from an article he wrote in 1995 for the Cato Institute!
Funny how ALEC has had legislation on this for over 20 years which like Moore's argument - has not changed - also from 1995!
1995
Capital Gains Elimination Act
(Volume II: Sourcebook of American State Legislation - Part XIII: Tax and Fiscal Policy)
Summary
Capital gains taxes, the tax on profits from investments, are detrimental to capital investment and economic growth. High capital gains taxes have devastated industries such as banking, housing, and real estate. The result has been reduced employment opportunities for all Americans - particularly the poor. Many economists believe that greater economic activity spurred by lower capital gains taxes will generate enough state tax revenues to pay for the revenue loss caused by the tax cut. This Act repeals all state taxation on capital gains of corporations and individuals.
It is now 2012 and corporations - for the most part - are no longer paying taxes at a rate that they were in 1995. Two reports released by the Citizens for Tax Justice and can be found on their webpage include – one on federal taxes not paid by corporations and one on state taxes not paid by corporations.
Based on the fact that it now 2012 and corporations are no longer paying taxes at the rate that they were in 1995 – Moore’s argument is a fallacy and IMHO – there should be a law that if a corporation does not pay state or federal taxes you have to pay capital gains tax at a rate of 35%.
Desktop is clean (for now) – I can take these partial docs off my desktop and file them somewhere else to make room for more research. More bits and pieces in a bit.