Texsox Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...oryId=130833741 It was last December at the Grand Hyatt in Washington, D.C. Inside, there was a meeting of a secretive group called the American Legislative Exchange Council. Insiders call it ALEC. It's a membership organization of state legislators and powerful corporations and associations, such as the tobacco company Reynolds American Inc., ExxonMobil and the National Rifle Association. Another member is the billion-dollar Corrections Corporation of America — the largest private prison company in the country. It was there that Pearce's idea took shape. "I did a presentation," Pearce said. "I went through the facts. I went through the impacts and they said, 'Yeah.'" Drafting The Bill The 50 or so people in the room included officials of the Corrections Corporation of America, according to two sources who were there. Pearce and the Corrections Corporation of America have been coming to these meetings for years. Both have seats on one of several of ALEC's boards. Follow the money . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 and this . . . ALEC is the conservative, free-market orientated, limited-government group," said Michael Hough, who was staff director of the meeting. Hough works for ALEC, but he's also running for state delegate in Maryland, and if elected says he plans to support a similar bill to Arizona's law. Asked if the private companies usually get to write model bills for the legislators, Hough said, "Yeah, that's the way it's set up. It's a public-private partnership. We believe both sides, businesses and lawmakers should be at the same table, together." Isn't it wonderful that private corporations, who stand to make billions, can write legistlation for us! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvilMonkey Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Tex @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 07:16 AM) and this . . . Isn't it wonderful that private corporations, who stand to make billions, can write legistlation for us! Just like unions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paint it Black Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 10:15 AM) Just like unions. Kind of a big difference between labor unions and a self proclaimed "secretive group" wouldn't you agree? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Paint it Black @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 11:49 AM) Kind of a big difference between labor unions and a self proclaimed "secretive group" wouldn't you agree? Labor unions do a whole lot of under the table dealings also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 11:08 AM) Labor unions do a whole lot of under the table dealings also. Yeah I was about to say, I would bet money they have secret arms too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 12:22 PM) Yeah I was about to say, I would bet money they have secret arms too. Do you mean secret arms in the "genetically engineered" sense or in the "I watch Glenn Beck so I'm stockpiling" sense? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 I'm not happy when Unions do it either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 12:40 PM) Do you mean secret arms in the "genetically engineered" sense or in the "I watch Glenn Beck so I'm stockpiling" sense? Secret arms in the "I can lie about Republican opponents with out saying which union is doing the spending" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balta1701 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 02:34 PM) Secret arms in the "I can lie about Republican opponents with out saying which union is doing the spending" If the prison guards union spent heavily to pass a bill like this, would you oppose the bill? (if this type of bill were proposed in CA, that's exactly what would happen; that union there is ridiculous). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paint it Black Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 11:08 AM) Labor unions do a whole lot of under the table dealings also. Oh I totally agree. But to play the b...b...but unions! game when there is special interest filth on both sides is just naive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mr_genius Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Tex @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 07:16 AM) and this . . . Isn't it wonderful that private corporations, who stand to make billions, can write legistlation for us! most corporations are for unlimited immigration. that and the removal of the minimum wage. take a guess as to why. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 02:20 PM) If the prison guards union spent heavily to pass a bill like this, would you oppose the bill? (if this type of bill were proposed in CA, that's exactly what would happen; that union there is ridiculous). Honestly it has gotten to the point where I ignore all advertising for the most part. Exactly one person's advertising swayed my vote this time around, and it was because his campaign was so incredibly ignorant, I wouldn't vote for him again. I am holding out hope the rest of the area jumps with me on Joe Donnelly. I voted for him last time, but never again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 28, 2010 Author Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 02:41 PM) Honestly it has gotten to the point where I ignore all advertising for the most part. The worst are infomercials for school board races How is the campaign going? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StrangeSox Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Tex @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 05:18 PM) The worst are infomercials for school board races How is the campaign going? Funny you should mention school boards... http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-natio...y.School.Board/ LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A member of a northern Arkansas school board, commenting on campaign to get people to wear purple to show support for bullied gay and lesbian youth, purportedly posted on Facebook that the only way he would wear purple is "if they all commit suicide." The Arkansas Department of Education on Wednesday condemned the alleged posting by Midland School Board member Clint McCance. The Advocate, a magazine that reports about gay issues, first reported about the posting on its website. The Facebook page has been disabled, but The Advocate posted a screen grab of the purported postings that it says someone forwarded to it. McCance's alleged posting was in response to a Facebook campaign that asked supporters to wear purple last Wednesday to show solidarity after several gay and lesbian youths killed themselves, reportedly because of bullying. "Seriously they want me to wear purple because five queers killed themselves," McCance allegedly wrote. "The only way im wearin it for them is if they all commit suicide. I cant believe the people of this world have gotten this stupid. We are honoring the fact that they sinned and killed thereselves because of their sin." McCance didn't immediately respond to a message seeking comment Wednesday left on his voicemail. But he told the Arkansas Times that the issue had been "blown out of proportion" and he planned to issue a statement later Wednesday. Officials at the Midland School District said Superintendent Dean Stanley was out of the office and not available for comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southsider2k5 Posted October 28, 2010 Share Posted October 28, 2010 QUOTE (Tex @ Oct 28, 2010 -> 05:18 PM) The worst are infomercials for school board races How is the campaign going? 3rd public forum in three nights tonight. Two for two so far. Plus my nasty opponent is about to get a nasty surprise of her own... She evidently doesn't know how to fill out her financial disclosures, or doesn't think they are important. oops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texsox Posted October 29, 2010 Author Share Posted October 29, 2010 Second part of the report. Get this, corporations spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to belong to this organization, legistlators spend $50. The corporations spend $$$$ entertaining the legislators and their families at three conferences per year. One week for the kids they spent $138,000. The corporations write "model legislation" for the elected reps to take back with them. and this is amazing this is NOT considered lobbying and does not need to be disclosed what a bunch of bull s*** from our elected leaders. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...oryId=130891396 Most of the bills are written by outside sources and companies, attorneys, [and legislative] counsels," Bowman says. Here's how it works: ALEC is a membership organization. State legislators pay $50 a year to belong. Private corporations can join, too. The tobacco company Reynolds American Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp. and drug-maker Pfizer Inc. are among the members. They pay tens of thousands of dollars a year. Tax records show that corporations collectively pay as much as $6 million a year. With that money, the 28 people in the ALEC offices throw three annual conferences. The companies get to sit around a table and write "model bills" with the state legislators, who then take them home to their states. The difference between passing bills and "finding" them is lobbying. Most states define lobbying as pushing legislators to create or pass legislation. And that comes with rules. Companies typically have to disclose to the public what they are lobbying for, who's lobbying for them or how much they are spending on it. If ALEC's conferences were interpreted as lobbying, the group could lose its status as a non-profit. Corporations wouldn't be able to reap tax benefits from giving donations to the organization or write off those donations as a business expense. And legislators would have a hard time justifying attending a conference of lobbyists. Bowman says what his group does is educate lawmakers. Of course I am certain there are dozens more just like ALEC and we'll find this s*** on both sides of the aisle. They pass laws against this and then open f***ing backdoors to circumvent. Make it look like they are doing something about ethics, then b.s. ing around it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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