Why did RJ Reynolds, ExxonMobil & the NRA help write Arizona's illegal "papers please" law?

[baldguy]

Last year, two men showed up in Benson, Ariz., a small desert town 60 miles from the Mexico border, offering a deal.

Glenn Nichols, the Benson city manager, remembers the pitch.

"The gentleman that's the main thrust of this thing has a huge turquoise ring on his finger," Nichols said. "He's a great big huge guy and I equated him to a car salesman."

What he was selling was a prison for women and children who were illegal immigrants.

...

But Nichols wasn't buying. He asked them how would they possibly keep a prison full for years — decades even — with illegal immigrants?

"They talked like they didn't have any doubt they could fill it," Nichols said.

That's because prison companies like this one had a plan — a new business model to lock up illegal immigrants. And the plan became Arizona's immigration law.

...

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.

More:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130833741

[blondeatlast]

1. Really, I want to be shocked by this--but it came about all too easily.

May the DoJ slap the fuggers who put this sham together all the way back to Governor Raul Castro's day.

:mad::mad::mad:

Recced now, kicked for as long as I can get by with it.

[joeybee12]

2. KNR...I bet DiFi was there...n/t

[snot]

3. K&R'd, and why is is this being unrec'd?

At least 2 unrecs already.

[blondeatlast]

4. Loads of closet haters here, I'm sorry to say. nt

[texastoast]

7. The board is FULL of trolls right now n/t

[baldguy]

11. Because it proves that the NRA doesn't just advocate guns' rights.

And oil corps don't just sell oil, and tobacco corps don't just sell tobacco.

It proves that conservative/fascist ideas aren't sold piecemeal, by themselves. They come pre-packaged with a load of unsavory bits thrown in with them. Dig a little more & I'm sure we'll find the anti-choicers & anti-gays there too.

[blondeatlast]

13. And the Koch Brothers.

I may have to leave this thread; I am beyond furious.

[Hannah Bell]

5. because they're pushing the turn to fascism? just a guess.

knr

[Pathwalker]

6. So, the end game is almost upon us. shitfuckdamn!

:wtf:

[Tippy]

8. K&R.....

[blondeatlast]

9. How to get this story to Keith Olbermann and/or Rachel Maddow?

I know DUers do it, can someone tell me how?

This long, longtime Arizonan is BOILING mad.

[DemReadingDU]

21. Saw story on Olbermann Thursday evening. n/t

[Odin2005]

10. Heard that on NPR this morning. Disgusting.

[Angry Dragon]

12. I do not know why everyone is getting so hot and bothered now

It has always been suggested and people have shown a
connection between brewer, her staff, and the new private prisons.
I have read about here on DU.

[blondeatlast]

14. What's your point? Because it was discussed a while ago, we should get past the outrage?

Sorry, I can't and I won't.

[Angry Dragon]

15. I have outrage about this also

However until the take-over of this country and world by the corporations is stopped
nothing will change. Get rid of brewer, the problem will still exist. Stopping as many
teabaggers as possible at the ballot box is a start.

The only way to stop this take-over is by regulations and stop treating
them like people.

[blondeatlast]

17. I still don't understand why the upset over this thread. Some people clearly didn't know.

Now they do and they want to discuss it. Why is that a problem?

[Angry Dragon]

18. Not upset ............. I will let you go on with your discussion

and I will just read

new post on it

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9408396

[SargeUNN]

16. Yep that is just more proof of why Brewer must go

Of course I just saw somewhere that Arpaio is going to have his goons at the polls to (clear throat) protect the integrity of the process. If that doesn't tell you who runs things in Arizona then what will. We who are against these thugs are almost powerless to do anything and I fear our only hope is that we get some help from the Justice Dept. Otherwise, I just don't know.

[pinboy3niner]

19. K&R

[blondeatlast]

20. k

[jillan]

22. K + R! Brewer must go. I wish there were some new polls on this race.

[jillan]

23. ABC is discussing it as well. The real question is, will any local news show this story???

Doubt it.

[pinboy3niner]

24. E.J. Montini's blog at the Republic has it...

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/EJMontini/103012

I'm sure this will be all over the state media.

KPHO-TV is certain to cover it. It was their investigative reporter, Morgan Loew, who first broke the story of Brewer's ties to the private prison industry (and he later appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show shen she covered it). I'd look for it there first.

[jillan]

26. Thank god for EJ - he is the only voice of sanity in that paper. I was phonebanking today & spoke

with a woman today that was telling me about how the massive cuts to Az mental health programs have effected her.... it was heartbreaking. She has gone toe to toe with them, and it was Harry Mitchell that helped her get the benefits she needed.

Brewer has hurt so many people in this state, it's beyond sickening.

[DirkGently]

25. This is a huge story, no matter how obvious in retrospect.

[blondeatlast]

27. k

[ThoughtCriminal]

28. Because when you leave it to neo-Nazis...

you get too man typos.