Someone once said, "When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a Flag and carrying a cross..." Well, it's here folks...it's among us in the form of ALEC, funded by the Kochs and other corporate elite:
It seems that of late ALEC and their initiatives are in the news more and more. Others have begun calling out their state lawmakers and taking note of the numerous ALEC initiatives under consideration in a huge number of states.
First off - I have started a petition at Change.Org. This petition is important as when signed it sends a prepared letter to the Governor and the state Senators and Representatives of the districts where the signatory resides. Here is the link to the Petition: http://www.change.org/.... Here is a copy of what you would be signing and the letter that will go out to your Rep's and Governor:
OVERVIEW
They meet in secret. They write our laws. They want us silent. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a conservative organization designed to bring together state legislators and corporate representatives to craft corporate friendly legislation later introduced in state chambers by this Shadow Government. We feel that the least the public is owed in a democracy is transparency. That's why we are shining a light on ALEC, on its legislative members, its corporate sponsors, and its anti-social agenda.
PETITION LETTER
Expose and Abolish the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)
Greetings,
Today many of the legislative efforts taking place within our state Assemblies are written by corporate lobbyists or attorneys. These proposed state laws have been vetted and tweaked within the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) - http://www.alec.org/....
ALEC is a 501 (c)(3) exempt non-profit that describes their organization as bipartisan. However, ALEC is composed of all Conservatives - predominantly Republicans with a sprinkling of a handful of Conservative Democrats.They claim their purpose is: "Teaching" or "Training" state Legislators about creating and proposing legislation at the state level.
ALEC boasts that their membership includes fully 1/3 of all state Legislators in the United States. Their Alumni include; Newt Gingrich, House Speaker, John Boehner, House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, Governor's Kasich of Ohio, Walker of Wisconsin and former Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin.
Corporate ALEC members represent companies such as: Monsanto, GlaxoSmithKline, PhaRMA, Johnson and Johnson, Kraft Foods, Pfizer, AT&T, Peabody Energy, Koch Industries, Coca-Cola, Exxon Mobil and the American Bail Coalition.
Today proposed state legislation regarding: collective bargaining, school vouchers, Voter ID, Repealing Healthcare, Abortions, Illegal immigration and several other initiatives, are Bills that were written by those corporate members of ALEC, presented to our Legislative members and carried back here to our states by them and presented as proposed laws. Historically, 20% of ALEC proposed "Model Legislation" is passed and becomes law in the states presented.
We ask that if you are not a member of ALEC that you challenge all legislation proposed by fellow legislators who are ALEC members. We ask that you demand to know if any legislation - or parts therein - proposed by ALEC members is based upon that organization's Model Legislation Acts or Initiatives. If such proposed legislation is found to be that written by ALEC, we ask that you demand that fact be made a part of the legislative record of the Bill(s).
If you are a member of ALEC, we ask that you GET OUT OF ALEC NOW! Democracy is to be transparent with laws governing the people of Indiana be written by our Representatives here in our state and that such legislation not be the handiwork of corporations, submitted to our Assembly by those seeking profits or exploitation of our taxes or our freedoms.
Join us in Exposing ALEC at: http://www.dailykos.com/... and help us put transparency back into Indiana's legislative processes and procedures,
[Your name]
_________
It is important that we call out ALEC and their involvement in our legislative processes - and that we do it NOW. Already they have a stranglehold on Wisconsin, Ohio, Michigan and several other states with legislation pushed by their members already reaching the desks of Governors to sign into law. These Corporate written Bills include: Voter ID legislation, collective bargaining, school vouchers, privatization of; prisons, education, utilities and energy sources. All of these efforts are in pursuit of profits by ALEC on behalf of their corporate members - who then use some of those profits to pay off lawmakers through "campaign contributions" as they move on to subsequent corporate goals.
Here are some of the stories about ALEC in the news over the past week:
State to privatize ADOC health care. With little warning, ALEC's favorite Governor, Jan Brewer of Arizona signed into law a provision to privatize all of Arizona's inmate healthcare. In the face of numerous stories, reports and studies detailing that outsourcing prison healthcare does not provide a savings - and in fact can be the cause of related negligence litigation brought by the inmates and their families - Brewer signed this legislation. This will of course bring a huge windfall to whichever private healthcare corporation chosen. My money is on either PHS or Wexford, which often times go hand in hand with state run prisons operated byGeo Group and CCA. As we learned in the SB 1070 ongoing battle, CCA is one of Brewer and AZ. Senator Pearce's favorite corporate funders.
Program's goal: Get mentors for Kansas inmates". On the surface this would appear to be a genuinely good program put in place to assist those exiting prison. Many church groups and others involved...however it is a partnership between Out4Life in Kansas and Prison Fellowship Ministries (PFM). PFM is operated by Charles Colson of Watergate infamy and headed up by Pat Nolan - both ex-cons. Now one might think that prison re-entry programs were ready-made for such former convicted felons to operate, however what few realize is that PFM advertises itself as the largest prison re-entry program in the country...and is a member of ALEC and until this year Nolan sat upon ALEC's Private Enterprises Board. Again, all of ALEC's corporate members are seeking money - and lots of it! PFM has made a lot of money off of the ALEC initiatives that incarcerated more than 2 million of us since 1980. Now that the states are all realizing that the costs of incarceration are bankrupting them and have begun finding ways to cure recidivism, PFM and ALEC want to offer "solutions" developed by them to "assist" states in this. Of course, more tax dollars will find their way into both ALEC and PFM coffers under their initiatives.
"Georgia Farmers Turn to Probationers to Pick Crops". Ah yes, another case of implementing strict and discriminatory immigration legislation...then turning to ex-cons or probationers as a workforce to replace those run off by the law. Article is self explanatory - but the key here is that ALEC proposed SB 1070 styled legislation was just passed in Georgia. Anyone surprised by this - or by Georgia turning to prisoner or former prisoners as a cheap form of labor - hasn't been keeping up with this immigration initiative by ALEC since 2009.
"Privatization At The Heart Of Divisive Battles In Wisconsin". This articles discusses ALEC's model legislative efforts involving privatization - and Walker's propensity for trying to sell anything the taxpayers of Wisconsin paid for with their hard earned money.
"Corporate Crime Needs More Attention" from a public beware site. Doesn't mention ALEC specifically...but the shoe certainly fits!
"Commentary and Opinion Articles by ALEC Policy Experts Published since January, 2008". This is for those wanting to know ALEC's position on most anything involving us and our tax money. A MUST READ to stay informed.
"New model legislation that was recently introduced at the 2011 Spring Task Force Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, and approved by the ALEC Board of Directors". This link informs us what ALEC and their members were discussing in Cincinnati on April 29th while we were protesting outside. Some of the stuff is routine Conservative BS, but some is rather enlightening...such as the part about States "lobby" for taxpayer interests and should not be allowed to use public dollars for such lobbying...I guess only paid private lobbyists are suggested and supported by ALEC, huh?
"ALEC Publicopoly - The New Old Game In Town"
Describes this new "Initiative" from ALEC. Ah yes, they have implemented this new program to inform us how to take advantage of our state taxpayers by privatizing one or more of seven specific services or categories. Informative article and unfortunately shows us the future of privatization - if ALEC and their corporations have their way.
"Next job creator in Wisconsin? Bail bondsmen". More bad news for Wisconsinites...brought to them by ALEC and another of their favorite members, American Bail Coalition (ABC). LOL In this article we find that the President of ABC - and ALEC member and Task Force Chairman, Dennis Bartlett, ALEC Spokesman Hough both emphatically deny that ALEC model legislation had anything to do with this legislation pushed through by Conservative Republicans led by ALEC legislative members...of course that's hard as hell to believe, when ALEC has an entire section of their Model Legislation pertaining to Bail and Bond issues - all favorable to Bartlett's organization and his members. Course it doesn't hurt to have an ALEC alum sitting in the Governor's chair in the person of Scott Walker, when you want to turn ALEC legislation into state law.
"The Huge Revolving Door" - only this time it isn't the inmates they're talking about...no it's the hiring of former high-ranking state and federal individuals by CCA, Geo and other private corporations doing business with state and federal governments. In this case after Harley Lappin, the former head of the federal Bureau of Prisons and Federal Prison Industries received a DUI conviction, he resigned and immediately signed on with CCA - a former customer of his, just coincidentally. Strong ties here and Lappin brings high level connections and possibly favors with him to CCA.
"THIS IS CLASS WAR--PART 2: Billionaires' front groups attack workers, public schools, and young voters". An informative and full expose on ALEC and some of their members, corporations, initiatives and states following the directions of them. It also is where I found the "Cartoon of the week" about what is happening in America today. Whoever coined the phrase "a picture is worth a thousand words" had this particular cartoon in mind:
From "Hightower Lowdown", (C) Duffyink.com.
"Partisan ploy' targets state workers' share of health benefits". ALEC's conservative agenda and initiatives have found their way to Oregon now...on healthcare and worker benefits.
"Legislative Momentum Stalls for 'Parent Trigger' Proposals" describes the efforts by Koch funded and supported Heartland Institute and ALEC's "Parent Trigger" Model Legislative efforts in many states. Another way of attacking teachers and taxpayer supported education funding.
"NATIONAL PRISON INDUSTRY DIVESTMENT CAMPAIGN". This campaign is attempting to convince investors to pull their money out of CCA and Geo Group. It is a grassroots campaign aimed at the two top Corporations involved in private prison and prison industry operations in the U.S. - both ALEC members.
"ALEC State Legislators Push Back EPA’s Onslaught of Regulations". This article applauds ALEC's efforts of "pushing back" against EPA regulations! Obviously another little known supporter of ALEC and the Conservatives is "Emailwire.com" I think we have to add them to the list of pro-ALEC support sites.
"Debt Relief Amendment Falters Amid Heated Debate" in LA. last week. This is another one of ALEC's "Initiatives" similar to Repeal the 10th Amendment efforts. In this Debt relief proposal, ALEC is attempting to get the state to pass legislation to require a 2/3 majority of states in order for the federal government to increase the federal debt ceiling. Sound familiar? This is the argument being put forth by Conservative Republicans in D.C. led by the Teabaggers! They have been unable to find a way to force the feds to not raise the debt ceiling - one of the TB's demands - so through ALEC led Model Legislation they have come up with a way to attempt to force the feds to comply with their wishes through state legislation. Problem is I believe this would violate the "Supremacy Clause" of the U.S. Constitution (Article 6, Clause 2).
"Private prison industry increases campaign cash in Florida". While this only address donations to lawmakers in Florida, you can bet these private prison corporations are dumping money into privatization efforts in your state as well!
Finally - but of utmost importance - please help us continue our efforts of exposing ALEC. The ANTI-ALEC Rally and protest scheduled to take place in New Orleans the first week in August needs volunteers and donations to make this the largest and most effective National protest against this shadow government organization.
Please visit: http://protestalec.org/ for more information, to volunteer or participate. If you can't attend and want to help, please click on the donate button on the right and contribute through PayPal. Every dollar helps us put the word out and keep it there until we can defeat this seditious organization and restore transparency to our state and federal governments.
Thanks for helping us out...just sayin'...
