Reposted from Voters Legislative Transparency Project (VLTP.net)
ALEC Finds New Friends
Republican Study Committee (RSC) and Heritage Foundation - New Partners...
Seems ALEC is searching for legislative support through a new partnership as dozens of members - legislative and corporate - abandon membership in the organization. In the article about this they provide the RSC is meeting with ALEC at the Heritage Foundation next week:
"Frankly, this gathering is long overdue," Paul Teller, the executive director of the RSC said in a statement.
"As Washington encroaches more and more into state and local spheres, it's important that conservative legislators at the federal and state levels collaborate on policies to stop and roll back the ever-expanding federal government."
"Recent legislative proposals on Capitol Hill have focused on rolling back federal involvement in states, such as efforts to replace Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program with block grants and to allow states to opt out of the federal highway and mass transit programs. Those positions are very much in line with ALEC's efforts to empower states...Kaitlyn Buss, a spokeswoman for ALEC, said in an email that there is "no formal partnership with ALEC and any organizations."
"Obviously federalism is one of ALEC's foundational principles, and so facilitating a conversation about federalism is very much in line with our work," Buss added.
I would suggest to the RSC that they fully research ALEC and understand the extent of the group's efforts to "Roll Back" the federal government before ecstatically climbing into bed with them...but of course, since the RSC, ALEC and the Heritage Foundation were all founded by Conservative activist, Paul Weyrich, they're already well acquainted.
This is why it is important for us to understand just how far ALEC will go to influence state sovereignty by attempting to lessen the controls exerted upon individual states through federal governmental controls and oversight. In the past the Heritage and members of the RSC have quietly lent their assistance to ALEC in their pursuits - now it appears they are preparing to remove the curtain obscuring their ongoing relationship. I think this removes any further claim of ALEC being truly "bi-partisan" in their operation and legislative pursuits.
Before we consider what the impact of a joint RSC/ALEC partnership against federal controls would have upon the U.S., we should first look at current ALEC activities along these lines involving memberships held by foreign representatives. Together ALEC's state lawmakers work hand in hand with several influential foreign elected officials to establish US state and foreign policies and pass laws suggested by those representing foreign powers...and the claim ALEC makes that their activities are similar to those of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL)....not by a long shot.
Concerns about foreign money and influence finding their way into our electoral process because of the Citizen's United SCOTUS decision - are now bolstered by the discovery that foreign nations are already taking part in establishing U.S. policies related to voting and foreign matters - through ALEC.
For months now I've read many articles written by ALEC members, ALEC supporters, ALEC itself and have also seen the quotes attributed to all of the above - claiming that ALEC is simply an organization that operates in similar manner to the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL). The ALEC/Koch cabal has gone out of their way to lessen ALEC's truly GOP partisan reputation by claiming the left has the NCSL, funded by Soros' money and thus is a Democratic partisan organization. Here are links to just a few of these comparison articles:
http://www.carolinajournal.com/...
http://www.semissourian.com/...
http://www.carolinajournal.com/...
http://mnpoliticalroundtable.com/...
http://miscellanyblue.com/...
http://www.redstate.com/...
The RedState article compares ALEC to a number of "similar" organizations:
"Both organizations communicate with federal lawmakers and the federal bureaucracy to identify how federal policies impact states, how policies can be implemented more effectively, where states can do a better job of achieving certain objectives and where taxpayer dollars can be applied most fairly and effectively in meeting identified societal needs. In addition to ALEC and NCSL, a wide range of other groups fulfill similar missions, such as the Council of State Governments (CSG), the State Legislative Leaders’ Foundation (SLLF), the National Governors’ Association (NGA) and others."
This advises ALEC communicates with federal lawmakers and the "federal bureaucracy" but leaves out one critical fact; the ALEC communications to our government includes the involvement and input of
foreign government officials helping to write those communication subjects as will be shown below.
Claims of "the NCSL also writes model legislation"...."the NCSL is also funded with corporate contributions"...."the NCSL is a a partisan liberal organization"..."the NCSL receives public funding..." etc. are rampant, emanating from ALEC, Heartland Institute, Heritage Foundation, the Wall Street Journal and of course, Breitbart's blog.
ALEC has been desperate in their attempts to convince anyone willing to listen that they are comparable - in all respects - to the NCSL and other nonprofits, thereby deflecting criticism away from the wholly partisan make-up of ALEC....and activities such as bill drafting, model legislation, and disseminating research and analysis for the use of legislators across the country and testifying in support of those initiatives. They argue these are standard activities for many nonprofit organizations of the right and left, allowing ALEC to in effect claim they're doing no different than other nonprofits. This is nothing more than ideological propaganda.
One major difference ALEC has attempted to bury deeply and not disclose is the involvement of foreign nationals holding elected offices in their governments who also hold full ALEC membership(s) – including the right to a vote. These individuals help develop US policies, write ALEC resolutions and proposed model bills to be implemented in the United States - and internationally. They cast votes alongside corporate reps and lobbyists and conservative state lawmakers on US state and federal model legislation, formulate resolutions sent out to the President, Congressional members and foreign governments. These foreign officials then return to their government posts and lobby on behalf of the same initiatives they helped develop for the US - initiatives being lobbied for by ALEC to their governments using the same resolutions, models or policy demands.
Jon Kuhl, the NCSL’s Public Affairs and Media Manager out of DC, informed that his organization’s membership:
"does include the National Assembly of Québec in Canada, but they do not vote or take part in the formulation of proposed U.S. policies supported by the NCSL. Additionally, the NCSL does not write "model legislation.”
At last count, ALEC documents list at least nine governments represented by seventeen publicly elected foreign officials sitting on ALEC's International Relations task force - with full membership and voting rights.
While ALEC would have us all believe these individuals are simply "delegates" or "representatives" from across the pond who share their conservative ideology and sometimes attend and speak on behalf of their respective governments at ALEC's three annual meetings, seminars and "academies" (20 to 30 per year)...these foreigners are in fact ALEC members in good standing who participate in critical and important US policy development advanced under ALEC's conservative agenda.
Many have claimed for varied reasons that there is no real comparison between ALEC and the NCSL. However in each of these claims, none has discovered or mentioned the involvement of foreigners actually taking part in developing, crafting and disseminating model legislation or state and federal policies (including national foreign policy).
Those making comparisons between the NCSL and ALEC do not take into account ALEC's "Federal Relations Working Group" has been made a sub-committee of their International Relations Task Force (IRTF). None have mentioned that the IRTF is responsible for ALEC's federal relations model bill development involving; US state sovereignty or that they vote to adopt such models and then pass those models along to each state as proposed legislation. Because of this factor - foreign participation in developing US laws and policies - there can be no real comparison between the NCSL and ALEC...not now, not in the past and not for the foreseeable future.
Until now most believed ALEC's IRTF was simply a part of the organization without actual membership ability for foreign participants; that these publicly elected officials from foreign nations had no input or took no part in developing model legislation. However the ALEC bylaws were not properly scrutinized and researched.
ALEC's bylaws, Section 3.03 - Membership provides:
Section 3.03 Qualifications for Membership.
"Full Membership shall be open to persons dedicated to the preservation of individual liberty, basic American values and institutions, productive free enterprise, and limited representative government, who support the purposes of ALEC, and who serve, or formerly served as members of a state or territorial legislature, the United States congress, or similar bodies outside the United States of America.
On June 30th, 2011 ALEC's Director of the International Relations Task Force, and the Federal Relations Working Group (Karla Jones) sent out a memo with attachments.
Jones provided members with the full IRTF task force membership list, proposed model legislation, resolutions and other materials ALEC had discussed at a 2010 conference in San Diego. She included actual copies of proposed state legislation and federal resolutions prepared for upcoming votes and/or adoption at the New Orleans conference in August 2011.
Our Daily Kos group, "Abolish ALEC" (ALTP) has been working for over a year to establish a second sourcing of the documents sent out by Karla Jones last June. Thanks to the diligence and hard work of Common Cause, journalist Beau Hodai and the pursuit of FOIA's by both, we now have that second source confirming independently the existence of these documents and their original source.
An IRS complaint filed by Common Cause included exhibits that supported their allegations of violation of the IRS exemption Code provisions by ALEC. One of those exhibits listed as "exhibit 4" includes documents sent out to task force members in preparation for the New Orleans meeting. Included were the documents sent out by Karla Jones to the joint IRTF and federal working group. These were identical to those we had downloaded from ALEC's site last year - and we had our corroboration through a secondary source.
Here is a listing of the names and titles of ALEC's foreign government officials (and the countries they represent) holding full ALEC membership and seats upon the IRTF, taken directly from ALEC's IRTF membership list distributed by Director Jones:
Committee Roster 2 Column-sort by Name Thursday, June 30, 2011
American Legislative Exchange Council Page 1
International Relations Task Force
As of 6/30/2011
Richard Ashworth
Member
MEP
5 Hazelgrove Road
West Sussex RH16 3PH
Cory Bernardi
Member
Senator
Australian Senate
Level 13
100 King William Street
Adelaide, S.A. 5000
Adam Bielan
Member
Member
European Parliament
UL CHODUIE WI CZA 2/7
Warsaw, Poland 02-593
Martin Callanan
Member
Member of the European Conservatives & Reformists Group
European Parliament
105 Kells Lane
Gateshead, UK NE95XY
Philip Claeys
Member
Member
European Parliament
Kruiskruidlaan 11
Belgium 3090
Niranjan Deva
Member
Member
European Parliament
Bat. Altiero Spinneli 14E130
60 Rue Wiertz/Wiertzstaat 60
Belgium B-1047
Christopher Fjellner
Member
Member
European Parliament
14 Rue Wiertz
ASP 13E116
Brussels, Belgium B-1047
Liam Fox
Member
Member British Parliament
House of Commons
London SW1A 0AA
UNITED KINGDOM
Daniel Hannan, MEP
Member
European Parliament
European Parliament
60 Rue Wiertz
Brussels 1047
BELGIUM
Chris Heaton-Harris
Member
Member
European Parliament
1.40E+158
60 Rue Wiertz
Brux, Belgium B-1047
Roger Helmer
Member
Member
European Parliament
ASP 14E 242
60 Rue Wiertz
Brussels, Belgium B-1047
Ayesha Javed
Member
Assemblywoman
Punjab Provincial Assembly
Provincial Assembly of the Punjab
The Mall Road
Lahore, Punjab 54000
Syed Kamall
Member
Member
European Parliament
60 Rue Wiertz (14 E116
Brussels, Belgium B-1047
Michal Kaminski
Member
Chairman of the European Conservatives & Reformists
Group
European Parliament
ASP BE130, European Parliament
Rue Wiertz
Brussels, Belgium B-1047
Mirostaw Piotrowski
Member
Member
European Parliament
UL Zaua 39
Lublin, PO Box 20-601
Poland
Ivo Strejcek
Member
Member of European Parliment
Vintrnt 105212
Zdar Nad Sazavon
Czech Republic 59101
Konrad Szymanski
Member
Member
European Parliament
Joliot-Curie
26 M.6
Warsaw, Poland 02-646
Seven countries represented upon ALEC's IRTF:
United Kingdom
Poland
Australia
Belgium
Brussels
Punjab (Province of Pakistan)
Czech Republic
Private Sector (corporate) members:
Andrew Kovalcin
Private Sector Member (M1)
U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform
Gina Vetere
Private Sector Member (M2)
Sr. Director, Intellectual Property Promotion
Global Intellectual Property Center/ Chamber of Commerce
Bernard F. McKay
Private Sector Member (M1)
Vice President of Corporate Affairs
Intuit Inc.
Jim Ruda
Private Sector Member (M2)
Senior Policy Advisor
Intuit Inc.
Kristin Parde
Private Sector Member (M2)
Senior Policy Director
PhRMA
David Powers
Private Sector Chair
Vice President, State Government Relations
Reynolds American Inc.
Here is a list of the topics, sponsors, issues, resolutions and model bills they were to discuss and vote upon in New Orleans last August (while we were protesting outside and journalists were being ejected from the hotel by ALEC security):
“ALEC Resolution to Counter Rogue Internet Sites”
Mr. Andrew Kovalcin (Global Intellectual Property Center)
“Hard Science Resolution”
Ms. Brandie Davis (Philip Morris International)
Presentation on EU Advocacy in the United States
The Honorable Roger Helmer (Member, European Parliament)
“Resolution against EU Funding of NGOs”
The Honorable Roger Helmer (Member, European Parliament)
Oil Sands and Energy Security
TBD
“Trade Agreement Carve Outs”
Ms. Brandie Davis (Philip Morris International)
Presentation on EU-US Relations
The Honorable Martin Callanan (Member, European Parliament)
Federal Relations Working Group
Where’s the Line? How States Protect the Constitution.
Representative Ken Ivory (UT) and Dr. Robert Natelson (Independence Institute – Denver, CO)
“Resolution on the Federal Law Evaluation and Response Act”
Representative Christopher Herrod (UT)
A Three Step Plan for Restoring State Sovereignty
Mr. Nick Dranias (Goldwater Institute – Phoenix, AZ)
“Constitutional Defense Council Legislation”
Mr. Nick Dranias (Goldwater Institute – Phoenix, AZ)
“Model State Sovereignty Civil Rights Law”
Mr. Nick Dranias (Goldwater Institute – Phoenix, AZ)
“Sovereign State Interstate Compact”
Mr. Nick Dranias (Goldwater Institute – Phoenix, AZ)
Resolutions proposed for adoption:
Support of Federal Efforts to Address Rogue Internet Sites that Sell
Counterfeit Products and Facilitate Digital Theft
ALEC Hard Science Resolution
Resolution against EU Funding of NGOs
Resolution Upholding Longstanding Policy Maintaining Agriculture
Commodities and Product Comprehensiveness of US Trade Agreements
Proposed Legislation:
Federal Law Evaluation and Response Act
Constitutional Defense Council Legislation
Model State Sovereignty Civil Rights Law
Sovereign State Interstate Compact
All of the foregoing model bills, resolutions, etc. can be read in their entirety at the Common Cause site located here.
The importance of these foreign officials involvement in ALEC's pursuits here in the US cannot be over-emphasized. An example of this is the discovery that the former United Kingdom’s Minister of Defense, Liam Fox is/was in fact an ALEC member! Would there be shouts of political corruption or foreign interference from both the US and any other foreign government involved if our Sec of Defense was found to be a secret member of a partisan foreign organization helping establish policies in that foreign country?
Many will remember the controversy surrounding the discovery that ALEC's UK alter-ego, the Atlantic Bridge Charity was being operated out of Fox's UK Minister of Defense's government office. At the time this was being reported and the Atlantic Bridge Charity was being officially disbanded, Fox's close "mate" and representative, Adam Werrity was described as an ALEC member (and in fact that claim has continued to be made)...but it was undisclosed that Fox himself was a member of ALEC. It was then that links between ALEC and the AB Charity, Fox, Werrity and the Charles G. Koch Foundation were made:
""Fox's organisation, which was wound up last year following a critical Charity Commission report into its activities, formed a partnership with an organisation called the American Legislative Exchange Council. The powerful lobbying organisation, which receives funding from pharmaceutical, weapons and oil interests among others, is heavily funded by the Koch Charitable Foundation whose founder, Charles G Koch, is one of the most generous donors to the Tea Party movement in the US. In recent years, the Tea Party has become a potent populist force in American politics, associated with controversial stances on global warming."
In October of last year,
Think Progress published a short article on the AB Charity/ALEC connection and scandal:
"In 2003, Fox and Werritty officially partnered with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to form the Atlantic Bridge nonprofit. The relationship flourished; ALEC supplied staff to the Atlantic Bridge, and Fox and his associates frequently spoke at ALEC events, which are comprised of meetings between American politicians and business lobbyists. But with the implosion of the Atlantic Bridge, which has already ensnared lobbyists for Pfizer and several defense firms, the controversy has brought ALEC into the limelight.
But unfortunately TP missed the fact that Fox was in fact more than simply a speaker at ALEC events, serving as a full member with voting rights.
The AB Charity scandal broke when the CEO of Porton Group met with Liam Fox to discuss a problem with the sale of critical healthcare technology to 3M. 3M failed to pay as required in the sale agreement between the UK’s MoD and Boulter's Porton Group which financed the project.
Boulter urged Fox and the MoD to become involved as the technology sold to 3M was developed under a joint UK MoD and Porton Group project. Instead of helping, Fox hemmed and hawed, refusing to assist the investor - then later attempted to deny the meeting with Boulter took place:
'Werritty told British businessman Harvey Boulter that if asked, he must say a meeting to discuss defence and healthcare technology attended by just Fox, Werritty and three businessmen in Dubai's five-star Shangri-La hotel in June never took place, Boulter has told the Guardian. Werritty has not responded to a request for comment.
"Fox apologised at the weekend for failing to bring MoD officials to meetings attended by Werritty such as the one on 17 June, at which Boulter briefed Fox about a legal dispute with the US conglomerate 3M over technology jointly developed by the Ministry of Defence's innovation unit to speed up the cost-effective detection of the superbug MRSA. The technology had been sold to 3M but the US firm had cancelled the project after it failed clinical trials in the US."
I can only guess what the reaction would have been in both the US and UK if at that time it was discovered Britain's Minister of Defense was also serving as a member of ALEC and sitting upon a task force that works to establish potential US foreign and domestic policy.
Since 3M is/was listed as a "Funding Source" of ALEC going back as far as 1999 is it possible that Fox's hesitancy to assist his own MoD and Boulter in their pursuit of 3M for non-payment was due to his loyalty to ALEC and their corporate sponsorship from 3M? That's possible, but we can find no contemporary factual documentation to that effect.
However we have documented evidence that these foreign officials are loyal to ALEC and their conservative agenda, by introducing and supporting ALEC initiatives back in their home countries. ALEC's Australian member, Senator Cory Bernardi last year distinguished himself by advocating a prime ALEC initiative; climate change denying, anti-climate-action proposal to the Australian Senate. In this article written by another Aussie Senator, she says:
"...I note with interest that on 2 June this year the American Legislative Exchange Council wrote to the Department of Health and Ageing opposing plain packaging and making a strong case, on behalf of big tobacco, against plain packaging. Among the people they copied it to was none other Senator Bernardi, their Australian representative. You have to wonder about the extent to which Senator Bernardi has adopted their agenda and, indeed, the agenda of another US right-wing radical organisation, none other than the Heartland Institute. We recall that Senator Fielding went across to the US at the expense of the Heartland Institute and came back and told us that global warming was not real and was to do with solar flares et cetera."
ALEC member and MEP Roger Helmer also
spoke in denial of climate change in the UK.
Last year when the European Parliament was to vote on a proposal to increase the EU's emissions target from 20% to 30%, Helmer and fellow MEP and ALEC member, Calanan, said they were emphatically voting "No":
"Before the vote, those diligent folk at the Guardian — Fiona Harvey this time, not Leo Hickman — were on the e-mail to Tory MEPs asking how we were going to vote. In fact we MEPs have always taken a pragmatic view of these issues. Our current delegation leader Martin Callanan, a very sound man, sits on the environment committee, and as rapporteur was instrumental in getting a settlement on vehicle emissions which was tolerable to Rolls, Bentley, Jaguar and Land Rover.
"My view is that I oppose all emissions restrictions. Martin’s much more measured approach is that we are happy to support the 30% figure, just so long as the rest of the world gives the same commitment. Until then, we vote NO."
ALEC lobbied the UK government via unsolicited letters sent to Dr. Vince Cable, Secretary of State for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and MP Mark Prisk, Minister of State for Business and Enterprise on the issue of plain tobacco packaging in December of last year. These letters were sent by Karla Jones, ALEC's Director of the IRTF. In a FOIA response from the UK's BIS, they describe these letters thus:
"The letters set out the view of ALEC on possible changes the EU Tobacco Products Directive which the European Commission has consulted publicly on."
When (and they will) ALEC attempts to claim that these foreign national members have no actual input, vote or ability to draft and present model legislation earmarked to influence US foreign policy, they are lying. In 2010 ALEC member Ayesha Javed of Pakistan submitted proposed legislation involving US Tariffs on Textiles as reported in an ALEC distributed email by Rep. Richard Rosen, that contained all of ALEC's "New Model Legislation" (Note that ALEC has scrubbed the link provided):
Resolution Calling for the Establishment of Reconstruction Opportunity http://ALEC.informz.net/... Zones in Pakistan and the Elimination of US Tariffs on Pakistani Textiles Sponsored by: Ayesha Javed, Punjab Provincial Assembly, Pakistan
"Time and time again, increased trade and the economic growth this trade brings have proven much more successful than foreign aid in helping a country to achieve long-term stability. Further, stability in Pakistan is directly linked to achieving US objectives in Afghanistan. Therefore this resolution supports the tenets of the Afghanistan and Pakistan Reconstruction Opportunity Zones Act of 2009 as it is currently stated in US Senate Resolution 496. Additionally, this resolution calls on the US Government to consider reducing tariffs on Pakistan's textiles which run about 10% and are about four times the average US tariff rate on imports from other countries."
In this same email the IRTF had several additional 2010 "resolutions" for the full membership to consider; a
Resolution Urging Congress to Pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, Resolution Urging Congress to Pass a Ban on Plain Packaging, sponsored by Private Sector IRTF member, Brandie Davis of Philip Morris International,
Resolution Calling for Efforts to Reduce Counterfeit Pharmaceuticals, Resolution in Support of Deepening U.S-Georgia Trade Relations. The IRTF Federal Relations Working Group subcommittee added several additional resolutions for consideration; a
Madison Amendment,
"Without making any change to the structure of the Constitution of the United States of America, the Madison Amendment guarantees that states have the power to limit the scope of an Article V Convention to just a single amendment. The Madison Amendment eliminates the risk of an inadvertent "runaway" Constitutional conventionand ensures that states have, as the Constitution's authors intended, the same power as Congress to propose a single Amendment to the Constitution.
a
Constitutional Convention Amendment
"This resolution urges the Congress of the United States to call a Constitutional Convention pursuant to Article V of the US Constitution to propose a constitutional amendment permitting repeal of any federal law or regulationby a vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures. The delegates to such a convention should be selected according to procedures established by the legislatures of several states."
and a
Resolution Reaffirming Tenth Amendment Rights.
As many articles and groups have been saying for months and months, ALEC's activities involves a network of partisan conservative politics which are advanced, funded and controlled by a cabal consisting of: organizations; institutes; legislators; corporations, and; affiliates working under a coordinated and specifically directed conservative agenda. Their efforts which were previously thought of as national in nature are in fact disseminated globally - with nearly 90% of their funding coming from globally operated, multinational corporations.
The same initiatives pursued here with such alacrity by this cabal through lawmakers belonging to ALEC - has now been found to be similarly pursued internationally by foreign governmental representatives through the same 501(c)(3) tax exempt "charitable organization." Koch provides funding and ALEC provides a legislative platform for advancing the agenda through crafting and passage of legislation globally.
ALEC continues to insist they are an "educational" corporation operating as a charity, that they are completely non-partisan and claim they do 0% lobbying. However, as the foregoing clearly shows - they're activities are more along the lines of 100% lobbying and the only education provided is to educate members on how to advance a pro-corporate agenda. But what we've shown above, goes far beyond lobbying questions, or tax issues...with the hidden involvement of the head of a foreign Defense Agency secretly holding membership in, and discussion on US state and federal policies and laws, the situation is more serious than comparatively simple lobbying violations.
Is there no formal US foreign policy provisions requiring that the head of a foreign military agency at least report membership and activities conducted through ALEC? Is there no policy in place in the EU or UK requiring their legislative members or the heads of government agencies to report their involvement in a foreign nation's laws, policy development or crafting of legislation proposed to become controlling laws in that country?
When UK and EU members travel to the US with expenses paid by ALEC and meeting here with lobbyists and global corporate representatives, does this constitute a violation of the UK and EU foreign policy or prohibitions against unreported lobbying?
We know that the Atlantic Bridge Charity was used to provide payment of travel and other expenses for ALEC's alumni and influential GOP members to travel to the UK.
"The organization's (AB Charity) advisory council as of 2010 consists of Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Arizona), Rep. John Campbell (R-California), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-Sout Carolina), former Rep. Adam Putnam (R-Florida until 2011), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Connectucut), and Sen James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma). All but Kyl and Lieberman are known ALEC alumni.
And ALEC likewise funded travel and expenses for UK and other foreign officials to travel here to the US to attend their Spring Summits, meetings and events as the below report submitted by MP Helmer shows:
YEAR: 2006
DECLARATION OF MEMBERS’ FINANCIAL INTERESTS PURSUANT TO RULE 9 AND ANNEX I OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT’S RULES OF PROCEDURE CONCERNING TRANSPARENCY AND THE FINANCIAL INTERESTS OF MEMBERS ()
Surname: Helmer
Forename: Roger
I, the undersigned,
Hereby declare:
A) THE FOLLOWING PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:
Nothing to declare
B) THE FOLLOWING PAID FUNCTIONS OR ACTIVITIES
C) THE FOLLOWING FINANCIAL SUPPORT RECEIVED IN CONNECTION WITH MY POLITICAL ACTIVITIES:
Financial: One adult return business flight to California, Conference Pass fees, accomodation, entertainment and dinners at ALEC Conference. Flight to Seattle to
meet American business leaders (Microsoft, Starbucks, Boeing, and the Gates' Foundation), accomodation and dinners.
() granted by
All provided by ALEC American Legislative
Exchange Council, 1129 20th St. NW, Suite 500,
Washington DC20036 www.alec.org
What research has determined is that in addition to all the US activities identified, reported upon and vigorously protested against over the past couple of years, an international ALEC platform exists, operating under everyone's radar. This venue allows "unofficial" pursuits of US legislation and/or policy determinations by those representing conservative factions of foreign governments.
This International Relations and Federal Working Group task force is providing a vehicle for foreign representatives to circumvent our US Department of State in pursuing issues important to their countries. Through ALEC they are able to adopt and put forth "resolutions" beneficial to the UK, Belgium, Pakistan and others - which once adopted are sent to our President and select members of Congress for consideration to change U.S. foreign policies. These ALEC model bills and resolutions are backed by the full ALEC membership, favorably lobbied for by ALEC's corporate members and ALEC's numerous alum's serving in Congress...and once adopted by ALEC, they are sent out to governments across the world as suggested "policy" that should be considered for adoption.
Media Matters reported upon ALEC's IRTF pursuits at their Annual Conference held in Salt Lake City this past July:
"This year ALEC's International Relations Task Force passed two such resolutions opposing cuts to the Pentagon budget and urging the relaxation of regulations around the export of "dual-use" technology. The IR Task Force, co-chaired by Rep. Harold Brubaker (R-NC) and Brandie Davis of Philip Morris International (a 2012 ALEC private sector "Member of the Year") also adopted resolutions opposing a "global UN tax" and UN control of the Internet. Among the model bills to emerge from the IR Task Force is a "Sound Money Act" that would eliminate taxation on gold and silver coins and allow their use as legal tender alongside currency issued by the U.S. Treasury.
The Utah law exempts "
the sale of gold from the state capital gains tax" and the
proposed Missouri legislation exempts gold and silver coins/bullion from state and local sales and use taxes and state individual and corporate income taxes.
This "Sound Money Act" has already been implemented in Utah and South Carolina and is pending or pursued in several other "Red" states by ALEC...and this particular legislation designed to allow gold and silver to replace or be used in lieu of legal US Currency, originated in ALEC's IRTF.
Considering that members of the governments of at least seven foreign nations - with the value of their national currency established (at least in part) upon the value of the U.S. dollar - worked writing this ALEC Sound Money Act, let's consider what the impact upon our national currency is expected to be from this ALEC legislation. As explained by the Republic Enterprises, Inc., a supporter of this ALEC model:
"Eight state legislatures are considering legislation to allow gold and silver to be legal tender within their state. Several others are debating resolutions to request an audit or repeal of the Federal Reserve. These proposals are currently working their way through the slow legislative process, but should another economic crisis occur, these acts could be quickly dusted off and enacted.
"If any state were to authorize gold or silver as a legal currency, Austrian Economics tells us the economy of that state would quickly stabilize and prosper. In the larger picture, such an act would contribute to a decline in the value of the dollar and an immediate increase in the demand for gold and silver."
It appears a devalued U.S. dollar would increase the values of foreign currencies...possibly of the very countries involved in advancing this piece of legislation that has now become law in two U.S. states, is being pursued in 8 more and without doubt will be introduced at the federal level at some point by an ALEC Alum.
I'm no economist, by a long shot but this manner of establishing an economic alternative to legal U.S. currency does not sound as if it would benefit Americans. That it was crafted in secret by state lawmakers, their corporate backers and foreign representatives to become law in our states is representative of exactly why ALEC is being pursued by watchdog groups.
A U.S. "law" developed in conjunction with foreign representatives (outside official government channels) at secretive meetings - away from the public and media - that results in establishing state or U.S. policies and legislation such as the Sound Money Act, should be illegal - if it isn't already.
Now we begin to understand the heavy advertising on Fox News, and by Beck, Limbaugh, O'Riley and others urging viewers to "buy gold" from companies affiliated with Beck and the others (at prices equal to or higher than set by the gold standard). One such company just announced they have placed a "vault" in Salt Lake City where owners of gold can store their bullion safely.
The discovery that foreign governmental members are given the opportunity to weigh in on model legislation crafted to become laws in our states, supported by fellow ALEC members serving as US state lawmakers is - or should be - abhorrent to Americans. It should also be a wake-up call to foreign governments that have elected officials secretly holding membership in, (and loyalty to) ALEC and the cabal. These governments should take a long hard look at the havoc ALEC has created here in the US over the past 40 years and realize this is also the fate in store for them if they don't put a stop to the current and ongoing international activities of ALEC accomplished with the help of their publicly elected representatives. As demonstrated herein ALEC is already lobbying many governments to adopt ALEC's "Models" without divulging that some of their nation's lawmakers were involved in drafting these laws and resolutions.
This is the make-up of the organization that now looks to partner with the Republican Study Committee to "roll back the ever-expanding federal government." Such a partnership would place the GOP, ALEC and foreign interests in the same rooms, behind closed doors formulating US policy pursuits - from the single perspective of a global conservative ideology.
Now I hope more of us fully comprehend there is absolutely no real similarity between the NCSL and ALEC...and the course now being charted that would bring the RSC into the fold of this cabal is dangerous and puts not just our government at risk but also threatens the very fabric of our democracy.
Wrapped up in the ALEC flag is the factual understanding that this organization - with their foreign members - are behind the efforts of disenfranchising the poor, minorities, the elderly and students from their ability to vote in November...and now the Republican Study Committee is anxiously wanting to "partner" with them. Why am I not surprised!? If we accept this new "Partnership" between ALEC and the RSC without protesting aggressively, we do so at our own peril...
After all, it isn't just the American democracy that is at risk here...now it threatens all democracies and government authority the world over. The worries and conspiratorial myths about a super-secretive organization such as the Bilderberg Group's controlling our world has now become reality...it's called the American Legislative Exchange Council.