Corporate Elite shaping public policy

[Dover]

Check out how ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) operates:

Background about ALEC

More than a quarter century ago, a small group of state legislators and conservative policy advocates met in Chicago to implement a vision: A bipartisan membership association for conservative state lawmakers who shared a common belief in limited government, free markets, federalism, and individual liberty...

Our Mission Statement

The mission of the American Legislative Exchange Council is to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty among America's state legislators

http://www.alec.org/about

ALEC National Board of Directors

Georgia Representative Earl Ehrhart
Chairman

Kansas Senator Susan Wagle
First Vice Chair

Iowa Representative Delores Mertz
Second Vice Chairman

Arkansas Senator Steve Faris
Treasurer

Nebraska Senator L. Patrick Engel
Secretary

Mississippi Senator Billy Hewes, III
Immediate Past Chair


Private Enterprise Board

Kurt L. Malmgren, PhRMA
Chairman

Jerry Watson, American Bail Coalition
First Vice Chairman

Scott Fisher, Altria Corporate Services, Inc.
Second Vice Chairman

Pete Poynter, BellSouth Corporation
Treasurer

Michael K. Morgan, Koch Industries
Immediate Past Chairman

Allan E. Auger, Coors Brewing Company
Chairman Emeritus

Ronald F. Scheberle, Verizon Communications, Inc.
Chairman Emeritus

_____________________________

Register Now for Alec's States & Nation Policy Summit in Washington, DC, December 7-10.

Veteran and newly elected state legislators attend ALEC's States & Nation Policy Summit each December for three days of intensive discussions on the critical issues facing the states and nation. At issue seminars, meal sessions and task force meetings, state legislators share their knowledge and experiences with each other, as well as hear from national leaders and renowned policy experts who share their commitment to common sense, conservative policies. Please join ALEC leaders from December 7th through the 10th at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington D.C. for the 2005 States & Nation Policy Summit.
______________________________

Do you think politicians, as representatives of the people *cough*, are writing policy? Think again...

ALEC National Task Forces

http://www.alec.org/task-forces

ALEC's National Task Forces serve as public policy laboratories where members develop model policies to use across the country. Task Forces also commission research, publish issue papers, convene workshops and issue briefings, and serve as clearinghouses of information on free market policies in the states.

Unique to ALEC Task Forces is their public-private partnerships, a synergistic alliance that identifies issues and then responds with common sense, results-oriented policies. Legislators welcome their private sector counterparts to the table as equals, working in unison to solve the challenges facing the nation. The results are the policies that will define the American political landscape well into the 21st century.

To date, ALEC has considered, written and approved hundreds of model bills, resolutions and policy statements. The Task Forces are:



Criminal Justice

Education

Civil Justice

Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development

Natural Resources

Federalism

Health and Human Services

Tax and Fiscal Policy

Telecommunications and Information Technology

Trade and Transportation

International Initiative

Homeland Security Working Group

[McKenzie]

1. "public-private partnerships" my ass

This is just an illustration of the cozy relationship with the public sector (at least access to business opportunities) that the corporations have always wanted. Sticking their collective snout into the trough in effect. To paraphrase Hyman Roth on the rooftop of the hotel in Havana (Godfather 2) "This government knows how to support business, how to encourage it". It's been that way for quite some time; now they're just getting more brazen about it.

What worries me is the extent of corporate influence on public policy. Areas such as Criminal Justice, for example, seem to represent "exciting new business opportunities" for the coprporations. Might be worth having a look at their interests in building privately run prisons for starters. I don't have a link to hand but I have heard that after the last US Election at least two such companies expanded their programmes. I wonder who the extra prison beds might be intended for...or maybe I can guess.

[Selatius]

2. It sounds like Corporatism.

The merger of state and corporate power. We shouldn't be making the same mistakes made in Europe 60 years ago.

[lpbk2713]

3. I would be extremely skeptical about Verizon & BellSouth

having any say in the shaping of public policy. Trust me on this one.