Maine
Related: About this forumtime to act
Liars it nonpartisan as claimed?
ALEC describes itself as a non-partisan, non-profit organization. The facts show that it currently has one Democrat out of 104 legislators in leadership positions. ALEC members, speakers, alumni, and award winners are a whos who of the extreme right. ALEC has given awards to: Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, George H.W. Bush, Charles and David Koch, Richard de Vos, Tommy Thompson, Gov. John Kasich, Gov. Rick Perry, Congressman Mark Foley (intern sex scandal), and Congressman Billy Tauzin. ALEC alumni include: Speaker of the House John Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Congressman Joe Wilson, (who called President Obama a liar during the State of the Union address), former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, former House Speaker Tom DeLay, Andrew Card, Donald Rumsfeld (1985 Chair of ALECs Business Policy Board), Governor Scott Walker, Governor Jan Brewer, and more. Featured speakers have included: Milton Friedman, Newt Gingrich, Dick Cheney, Dan Quayle, George Allen, Jessie Helms, Pete Coors, Governor Mitch Daniels and more.
What goes on behind closed doors?
The organization boasts 2,000 legislative members and 300 or more corporate members. The unelected corporate representatives (often registered lobbyists) sit as equals with elected representatives on nine task forces where they have a voice and a vote on model legislation. Corporations on ALEC task forces VOTE on the "model" bills and resolutions, and sit as equals with legislators voting on the ALEC task forces and various working groups. Corporate and legislative governing boards also meet jointly each year. (ALEC says only the legislators have a final say on all model bills. ALEC has previously said that "The policies are debated and voted on by all members. Public and private members vote separately on policy. It is important to note that laws are not passed, debated or adopted during this process and therefor no lobbying takes place. That process is done at the state legislature." The long-term representation of Koch Industries on the governing board means that Koch has had influence over an untold number of ALEC bills. Due to the questionable nature of this partnership with corporations, legislators rarely discuss the origins of the model legislation they bring home. Though thousands of ALEC-approved model bills have been publicly introduced across the country, ALECs role facilitating the language in the bills and the corporate vote for them is not well known.
IS THIS WHY CONGRESS CAN;T PASS THE PUBLIC WORKS BILL -IS THIS WHY EVERY EFFORT BY THE LEFT HAS BEEN STOPPED BY EITHER THE HOUSE LED BY BOEHNER OR THE SENATE MINROTY LEADER MCCONNELL ! ITS TIME EVEN THE MOST EXTREMIST RIGHT WINGER REALIZES HIS PARTY HAS SOLD OUT TO BIG BUSINESS!
LETS EXPOSE "ALEC" AND IT'S FELLOW COMPANIONS THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION AND ETC. FREE LOADING TAX EVADING ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE SUPPORTED BY
OVER 300 OF THE TOP EARNING CORPORATIONS IN THE NATION!
Kip Humphrey
(4,753 posts)rights. Time to call them out, air their sleazy involvement and bring economic pressure to bear against their bottom lines and reputations via protests, strikes, and boycotts.