Smart ALEC: Why Are Corporations Writing State Law? *Countdown with Keith*

[DianaForRussFeingold]

Run time: 04:09 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce-egEIuo3c   Posted on YouTube: July 24, 2011 By YouTube Member: Current Views on YouTube: 114   Posted on DU: July 25, 2011 By DU Member: DianaForRussFeingold Views on DU: 1834

 
"President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner tried for weeks to hatch a deficit-cutting deal that would fix the U.S.'s budget problems. On Friday, the effort collapsed. Keith on the latest with guest Brian Beutler of Talking Points Memo."

Corporate-funded ALEC has strong ties to Kansas Legislature:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1567137

[midnight]

1. ALEC was started up by the absolute losers from the 70's.

[DianaForRussFeingold]

2. Here's another video from annm4peace

I don't know how I missed this!
"what is ALEC ?
ALEC is not a lobby; it is not a front group. It is much more powerful than that. Through ALEC, behind closed doors, corporations hand state legislators the changes to the law they desire that directly benefit their bottom line. Along with legislators, corporations have membership in ALEC. Corporations sit on all nine ALEC task forces and vote with legislators to approve “model” bills.

More than 98% of ALEC's revenues come from sources other than legislative dues, such as corporations, corporate trade groups, and corporate foundations. Each corporate member pays an annual fee of between $7,000 and $25,000 a year, and if a corporation participates in any of the nine task forces, additional fees apply, from $2,500 to $10,000 each year. ALEC also receives direct grants from corporations, such as $1.4 million from ExxonMobil from 1998-2009.




Through the corporate-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to try to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These so-called "model bills" reach into almost every area of American life and often directly benefit huge corporations. Through ALEC, corporations have "a VOICE and a VOTE" on specific changes to the law that are then proposed in your state. DO YOU?"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=603132&mesg_id=603269

[msongs]

3. because our elected politicians are spinless corporate toadies? nt

[999998th word]

4. Thank you-didn't know about this myself until this year.

SPREAD THIS AS FAR AS WE CAN !!!!

[blackbart99]

5. New to me today....

We really need to dump this corporate trash so we can move on.:hippie: :wtf: :nuke:

:yourock: Diana

[izquierdista]

6. Two can play this game

Here's my model bill:

The Union Organizing Bill of 2011

Part 1. All workplaces with over 50 employees must have an organization which represents the employees in matters of pay, benefits, workplace safety, and employee grievances. Such organization will be selected by vote of the affected employees from candidate Employee Representative Organizations (EROs) registered with the state. EROs shall be treated by states as corporations with respect to status and legal standing.

Part 2. To be added by DU model legislation writers

Used to be, there were progressive organizations pushing model bills in front of legislators, too. Wonder where they all went? :shrug:

[blackspade]

7. Just depressing.

If they aren't also in ALEC's pocket, Where the hell are the leaders of the Democratic Party on all this?
Where have they been for the last 30 years?
Tragically I look at the DLC/Third Way as the 'Democratic' version of ALEC.
Which means the American People have been totally sold out.
The Democratic Party might be salvageable since it has only been 15 years or so since it was taken over, but the Rethug party is hopelessly Fascist.

[JDPriestly]

8. And this is why Obama's assumption that Republicans will meet him

half-way (which they did 50 years ago in negotiating with Democrats) is wrong and why he needs to redirect his moral compass (at least he has one) to respond to the present reality.

This is Obama's tragic mistake -- assuming that Republicans will respond rationally to his attempts to compromise.

It's either that or he just fundamentally agrees with Republicans and fooled all of us in 2008.

There is evidence for the latter theory -- and it is growing every day. There is hope for the former simply because hope springs eternal.