Koch Brothers, ALEC and Their Corporate Allies Plan to Privatize Government

[occupied]

ALEC is a truly undemocratic organization that has written most of the republican legislation introduced in the states for years and none of them have ever heard of it.

 

[Stephanie]

this was a comment from the article I posted above..

the law as it stand today allows you to vote if you produce your voter registration card. If you don't have your card then your DL or photo id would suffice. They would use your ID to find your registration in the book and stamp your name as voted in the poll book, this way you don't vote twice.

The new law will require your ID. Face it some people do not have valid ID. And it costs money to get valid ID. Some people are intimidated to get one because of outstanding warrants for minor offenses like traffic tickets.

In the new law voters who could not produce ID would be allowed to cast a provisional ballot and then have six days to return with a proper ID. Where they would have to return to, I'm not sure yet. So their provesional vote will only be counted with a ID even if their was other ways to prove their identity, no ID not counted, even if they are listed as registered voter.

And don't be confused. Just because you have DL does not prove you can vote. Many legal residents and other foriegn visa holders living in US have DL. They cannot vote. Only US Citizen can vote. Now if the ID was free like a Social Security card this would be a lot better. Other countries I have visited have a federal voting ID. If we used a free federal voting ID then that would not only prove your citizenship but make poll registration a lot easier and standardize voting across all states. And if they secured down the federal voting ID numbers it could replace a lot places where we current have to use the unsecure SSN number on forms and application where the SSN number was never originally meant to be used. That would help fight identity theft in the financial world.

I always found it ironic that our legal resident green card holders have more ID than our citizens currently have. You would have to get a passport card to match the level of ID they currently carry around with them.

 

[Stephanie]

ALEC Exposed

ALEC Exposed: State Legislative Bills Drafted by Secretive Corporate-Lawmaker Coalition

This week the Center for Media and Democracy released 800 model bills, legislation that is straight out of the corporate playbook and drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The group’s membership includes both state lawmakers and corporate executives who gather behind closed doors to discuss and vote on draft legislation.

ALEC has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months for its role in crafting bills to attack worker rights, to roll back environmental regulations, privatize education, deregulate major industries, and pass voter ID laws.

Thanks to ALEC, at least a dozen states have recently adopted a nearly identical resolution asking Congress to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop regulating carbon emissions. We are joined by Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media Democracy.

ALEC Exposed: State Legislative Bills Drafted by Secretive Corporate-Lawmaker Coalition

democracynow...
Progressive string puller financier George Soros organization..

 

[Harry Dresden]

Sen. Troy Fraser , R-Horseshoe Bay, author of the bill, noted that it will allow Texans to get a state ID card for free from the Department of Public Safety. The state ID is one of the photo IDs that would establish the voter’s identity for voting purposes.

Last I checked in my home state, it cost about 30 bucks to get a copy of my birth certificate for a photo ID.

your State is ripping you off......my wife sent to Wisconsin to get her's about a year or so ago.....15 bucks for two copies of it......

 

[merrill]

ALEC Exposed

ALEC Exposed: State Legislative Bills Drafted by Secretive Corporate-Lawmaker Coalition

This week the Center for Media and Democracy released 800 model bills, legislation that is straight out of the corporate playbook and drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The group’s membership includes both state lawmakers and corporate executives who gather behind closed doors to discuss and vote on draft legislation.

ALEC has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months for its role in crafting bills to attack worker rights, to roll back environmental regulations, privatize education, deregulate major industries, and pass voter ID laws.

Thanks to ALEC, at least a dozen states have recently adopted a nearly identical resolution asking Congress to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop regulating carbon emissions. We are joined by Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media Democracy.

ALEC Exposed: State Legislative Bills Drafted by Secretive Corporate-Lawmaker Coalition

democracynow...
Progressive string puller financier George Soros organization..

What makes you think that?

Democracy NOW beats up on all sides of the aisle. It is evident you do not tune in...

ALEC is a danger to democracy and may well be illegal for elected reps to engage in legislative debate outside local chambers. This is essentially what is happening.

 

[Stephanie]

ALEC Exposed

ALEC Exposed: State Legislative Bills Drafted by Secretive Corporate-Lawmaker Coalition

This week the Center for Media and Democracy released 800 model bills, legislation that is straight out of the corporate playbook and drafted by the American Legislative Exchange Council.

The group’s membership includes both state lawmakers and corporate executives who gather behind closed doors to discuss and vote on draft legislation.

ALEC has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months for its role in crafting bills to attack worker rights, to roll back environmental regulations, privatize education, deregulate major industries, and pass voter ID laws.

Thanks to ALEC, at least a dozen states have recently adopted a nearly identical resolution asking Congress to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to stop regulating carbon emissions. We are joined by Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media Democracy.

ALEC Exposed: State Legislative Bills Drafted by Secretive Corporate-Lawmaker Coalition

democracynow...
Progressive string puller financier George Soros organization..

What makes you think that?

Democracy NOW beats up on all sides of the aisle. It is evident you do not tune in...

ALEC is a danger to democracy and may well be illegal for elected reps to engage in legislative debate outside local chambers. This is essentially what is happening.

when you have PROOF, let us know.

 

[merrill]

Koch Brothers, ALEC and Their Corporate Allies Plan to Privatize Government

Secretive Corporate-Legislative Group ALEC Holds Annual Meeting to Rewrite State Laws

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

My Gawd... how many thread do you start each day?

Is this Jillian?

 

[Stephanie]

Progressive want you to believe this isn't something they are doing themselves..

it's from Democracy Now folks

 

[Avatar4321]

You mean government will become efficient?

Is that bad?

 

[Lakhota]

Scary stuff...

 

[lizzie]

Hmmm, reads like a conspiracy novel, lol.

 

[Political Junky]

Secretive Corporate-Legislative Group ALEC Holds Annual Meeting to Rewrite State Laws

They're really going for corporate run government...what Mussolini called Fascism.
"Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power."
- Benito Mussolini

 

[merrill]

The most reliable source of fraud and corruption is private industry...

 

[Full-Auto]

The most reliable source of fraud and corruption is private industry...

How is the government not as reliable?

 

[lizzie]

The most reliable source of fraud and corruption is private industry...

Hon- there's no more corruption going on at the level of corporations than there is at the level of the individual in this country who is living off the labor of others. If you are wanting an edge or unfair advantage, then you're corrupted, corporation and individual alike.

 

[merrill]

This story is a collaboration between In These Times and the Center for Media and Democracy of Madison, Wis.

With the 2012 legislative season and another episode of the Great American Campaign Circus dawning over the nation, Arizona may find itself the proving grounds for possible reform in the age of “pay-to-play” politics.

In January, Arizona Rep. Steve Farley (D-Tucson) will introduce the “ALEC Accountability Act of 2012,” which is aimed squarely at the less-than-transparent American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a national organization that advances corporate-authored model legislation at the state level through the use of a hidden distribution network of special interest cash.

This network, known as the ALEC “scholarship fund,” holds more than $1 million for state lawmakers to attend various functions (commonly referred to as “junkets”). At these functions, lawmakers are literally wined and dined by lobbyists seeking to advance the legislative agendas of their clients.

To Farley and proponents of the bill, the problem is absolutely clear. In a nutshell: ALEC is a lobbyist organization, but its corporate backers operate out of public view. “If voters knew that [their lawmaker] was receiving a huge donation from BP, for example, then they might be less likely to vote for them,” Farley says.

“They would understand that their best interests were not necessarily being looked after. We should be as transparent as possible. … We can’t pretend that [legislation] was our idea when it came from ALEC and from a multinational corporation that had its own interests in mind.”

con't
Will Arizona Hold ALEC Accountable? -- In These Times

 

[merrill]

The most reliable source of fraud and corruption is private industry...

How is the government not as reliable?

Because it is private industry that commits fraud against the government.

 

[Stephanie]

This story is a collaboration between In These Times and the Center for Media and Democracy of Madison, Wis.

With the 2012 legislative season and another episode of the Great American Campaign Circus dawning over the nation, Arizona may find itself the proving grounds for possible reform in the age of “pay-to-play” politics.

In January, Arizona Rep. Steve Farley (D-Tucson) will introduce the “ALEC Accountability Act of 2012,” which is aimed squarely at the less-than-transparent American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a national organization that advances corporate-authored model legislation at the state level through the use of a hidden distribution network of special interest cash.

This network, known as the ALEC “scholarship fund,” holds more than $1 million for state lawmakers to attend various functions (commonly referred to as “junkets&#8221. At these functions, lawmakers are literally wined and dined by lobbyists seeking to advance the legislative agendas of their clients.

To Farley and proponents of the bill, the problem is absolutely clear. In a nutshell: ALEC is a lobbyist organization, but its corporate backers operate out of public view. “If voters knew that [their lawmaker] was receiving a huge donation from BP, for example, then they might be less likely to vote for them,” Farley says.

“They would understand that their best interests were not necessarily being looked after. We should be as transparent as possible. … We can’t pretend that [legislation] was our idea when it came from ALEC and from a multinational corporation that had its own interests in mind.”

con't
Will Arizona Hold ALEC Accountable? -- In These Times

my gawd, you want us to believe the Democrats aren't doing the same thing?
what do you think of the President meeting with Union leaders?

 

[merrill]

Hundreds of state legislators from all 50 states have gathered in New Orleans for the annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council, known as ALEC.

Critics say the Washington-based organization plays a key role in helping corporations secretly draft model pro-business legislation that has been used by state lawmakers across the country.

Unlike many other organizations, ALEC’s membership includes both state lawmakers and corporate executives who gather behind closed doors to discuss and vote on model legislation.

In recent months, ALEC has come under increasing scrutiny for its role in drafting bills to attack workers’ rights, roll back environmental regulations, privatize education, deregulate major industries, and passing voter ID laws.

Nonetheless, this year’s annual ALEC meeting boasts the largest attendance in five years, with nearly 2,000 guests in attendance.

We go to New Orleans to speak with Lisa Graves, executive director of the Center for Media and Democracy. Last month, her organization released 800 model bills approved by companies and lawmakers at recent ALEC meetings.

http://www.democracynow.org/2011/8/5/secretive_corporate_legislative_group_alec_holds