Who the fuck is ALEC?

[madmusic]

And why isn't it occupied?

http://www.npr.org/2010/10/29/130891396/shaping-state-laws-with-little-scrutiny">Shaping State Laws With Little Scrutiny

by Laura Sullivan

Caution. This will piss you off. Here's a snip:

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.

American Legislative Exchange Council (The axis of evil)
1101 Vermont Ave. N.W., 11th Floor
Washington, D.C. 20005

[dipsydoodle]

1. I think you may mean WHAT wtf is ALEC

The acronym / name cropped up recently in connection with the resignation of Liam Fox, UK Minister for Defence and a charity here in the UK.

Random link to the subject here :

Atlantic Bridge collapse is a major blow to Neo-conservatives.

The Charity Commission's decision that the Atlantic Bridge's UK charity must 'cease its current activities immediately' and break away from US non-profit the Atlantic Bridge Inc, is a major setback to those who would import US-style conservatism to the UK.

Officially founded by defence secretary Liam Fox and boasting three more cabinet minsters on its advisory board (William Hague, George Osborne and Michael Gove), the Atlantic Bridge was managed as an outpost of the the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC was exposed in 1998 when the US tobacco industry was forced to release thousands of internal documents as part of a multi-billion dollar settlement of dozens of lawsuits. These documents show that the tobacco industry used ALEC to lobby US legislators.

ALEC continues to be funded by the tobacco industry, but today is also supported by elements of the oil industry keen to promote climate change denial and of the pharmaceutical industry keen to block US health reforms. US members of the Atlantic Bridge led last summer's high profile attacks on the NHS.

In a bizarre ruling, the Charity Commission has decided that the objectives of the Atlantic Bridge, as described in its governing documents, are charitable but that none of its activities have furthered those objectives. That is to say it is a charity on paper only and all its current work must stop. The charity now has a year to break away from its US arm and create a new programme of entirely different activities. This means no more oxymoronic Margaret Thatcher Medals of Freedom and no more dinners in LA with Fox News personalities.

http://www.chineseforlabour.org/left-links/labour-list/233-Atlantic%20Bridge%20collapse%20is%20a%20major%20blow%20to%20Neo-conservatives

and more here : http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/10/11/revealed-liam-fox-and-werritys-links-to-the-tea-party/

[madmusic]

7. Some good FOX news for a change :) nt

[baldguy]

2. They're the same people who funded Hitler & the Ku Kux Klan.

[highplainsdem]

3. See the long compilation topic on ALEC, started last spring, with over 400 replies and links:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x591230

[madmusic]

8. So why isn't ALEC in the Occupy news?

Really, do they have control of the MSM or what else could it be?

[Drew Richards]

4. IT is the Koch Brothers John Birch Society Front Men

[Tesha]

5. They are the people who now run your lives.

A huge amount of atrocious state legislation comes direct
from ALEC.

Tesha

[bvar22]

6. The Winged Monkeys of Wall Street

The Expansion Committee for the Furnaces of Mordor.

The Building Contractors for the The Working Class Auschwitz.

The Marketing Team for "The Uniquely American Solution".

The Growth Committee for the 8th and 9th Circles of Hell




You will know them by their WORKS.
Solidarity99!
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[alittlelark]

9. +1

:scared: