"ALEC:" An Organization of Corporations behind Radical, Right-Wing Governors.

[KansDem]

The Kochs are seen as the money and power behind the recent spate of radical governors who came into office to wage a war on the middle class. However, they are only one amongst 23 major corporations behind the movement to reduce the rights and economic security of workers. Radical, right-wing governors that came to power in the 2010 elections are unified in their radical actions through the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which is funded by a cabal of major corporations (see list below).

Kasich, governor of Ohio, and a host of other conservatives were driving forces behind ALEC, which was organized to reduce state governments to nothing more than entities to promote business through tax breaks and to eliminate worker protection through reduction or elimination of unemployment, workers comp, public employee unions, Medicaid, etc.. They also are determined to eliminate environmental protections.

The following is a list of the ALEC “Private Enterprise Board:”

W. Preston Baldwin – Centerpoint360
Sano Blocker – Energy Future Holdings
Don Bohn – Johnson & Johnson
Jeff Bond – PhRMA
Bill Carmichael – American Bail Coalition
Derek Crawford – Kraft Foods, Inc.
John Del Giorno – GlaxoSmithKline
Matt Echols – Coca Cola
Jim Epperson, Jr. – AT&T Services, Inc.
Michael Hubbert – Pfizer, Inc.
Teresa Jennings – Reed Elsevier, Inc.
Ken Lane – DIAGEO
Kelly Mader – Peabody Energy
Bernie McKay – Intuit
Mike Morgan – Koch Industries
Kevin Murphy – ExxonMobil Corp.
Sandra Oliver – Bayer Corporation
David Powers – Reynolds American Inc.
Maggie Sans – Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Russell Smoldon – Salt River Project
Toby Spangler – Altria Client Services, Inc.
Roland Spies – State Farm Insurance Co.
Pat Thomas – United Parcel Service

Although these companies are being rewarded with huge tax breaks and relieved of responsibility for the environment and workers, they will not be providing more jobs because of state government largesse directed their way. Quite the opposite will be happening. In general, these corporations will increasingly eliminate jobs through globalization and cybernation (robotics and artificial intelligence). Furthermore, they will continue to feast off of the taxpayers as a result of privatization of governmental services – a major objective of conservative fanatics.

It should be mentioned that the board members of ALEC (not the corporate board) is comprised of state legislators of the theocratic, Christian, right wing variety. State Senator Susan Wagle of Kansas is a board member. Anyone who knows anything about Susan Wagle knows what is meant by the theocratic, Christian, right wing.

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The Tallgrass Activist

[OHdem10]

1. What if the new policy of GOP to create jobs is to change

Labor Standards thereby providing low paying jobs.
Cheap wages means some of these guys could keep
jobs here competing with China?????

Just being a Devil's Advocate here.

[KansDem]

2. That would be what the neo-fascists want to do...

A two-class system with a few, ueber-wealthy running the "government," while the rest of us toil at their pleasure.

As Jim Hightower says, "The issue isn't just jobs. Even slaves had jobs. The issue is wages."

[notadmblnd]

3. that's exactly what it is. here is ALEC's (koch funded) recommendations for the GOP

They even have model legislation written so the elected pukes don't even have to do their jobs. They just buy it from ALEC. There was a post here the other day that had the legislation that Walkers minions posted Friday. Someone had said That a draft had been posted because it had edit marks in the published bill. It sure would be nice to have access to ALEC's model legislation database so we could compare it with what Wiscon pukes passed.

Recommendation: Adopt a state hiring freeze encompassing
all departments.

Recommendation: Everything should be on the table,
including changes in benefits and increased employee
contribution rates, as well as employer contribution
rates. Most importantly, states should consider replacing
their defined-benefit plans with defined-contribution
(401k style) plans for new employees.

Recommendation: Freeze defined-benefit OPEB
plans, and replace them with defined-contribution plans
for new employees. One approach is to offer optional
participation in Health Savings Accounts (HSA) for state
workers. Indiana’s experience has been highly successful,
with 70 percent of state workers choosing the HSA
plans—with Indiana’s taxpayers saving millions in the
process.

Recommendation: Create a tracking system whereby
any position that is vacant for more than six months
is eliminated.

Recommendation: Policymakers should delay automatic
pay increases for state employees until the rising
costs of government are brought under control.
Recommendation: Lawmakers can improve the
performance of state agencies by implementing activity-
based costing.

Recommendation: States should create a permanent
sunset review commission to recommend ways the
state can cut costs, reduce waste, and improve efficiency
and service levels.

Recommendation: The state auditor (or similar position)
should be given the authority to conduct regular,
comprehensive performance audits of state agencies.

Recommendation: States should give authority to
independent firms to conduct regular, comprehensive
recovery audits of state agencies.

Recommendation: Increase the use of privatization
and competitive contracting to execute tasks to lower
costs and improve the quality of service provided.
Recommendation: Pass legislation creating a Florida-
style “center of excellence” on privatization and competitive
contracting.

Recommendation: States should prepare comprehensive
asset inventories—updated continually on an
ongoing basis to ensure currency and accuracy—and
commission a review to categorize all state-owned property
and identify asset divestiture and realignment opportunities.

Recommendation: Develop a program (or programs)
for state employees to allow them to be rewarded
for savings generated by new innovations or re-engineering
of existing business practices.

Link (.pdf file): http://www.alec.org/am/pdf/tax/Budget_toolkit.pdf