Have to give huge KUDO’s to Cari Wade Gervin for asking the question and the Knoxville Metro Pulse for having the guts to publish it.
For those of you who MUST vote Republican – why you would choose to do that I have no idea – but if you have to vote Republcian, here’s your voter guide rolled up into one question.
I acknowledge that there are two sides to every coin – so if you are a Republican and a true patriot you only have two real choices after this interview, Johnson or DeFreese – in that order.
If you vote for the other two candidates (Massey or Roddy) – IMHO - you either hate the United States or
A vote for an ALEC leaning candidate -
is a vote for greater pro-corporate representation and legislation in your state,
is a vote against small and medium size business in your state,
is a vote against representative government for the people, and
is a vote against the very beliefs of the United States of America.
NOTE: The following excerpt from the article includes my bolding of text and my comments in (parens) and in bold at the end of the paragraphs of the two likely ALEC candidates.
By Cari Wade Gervin
MetroPulse
Posted August 24, 2011 at 4:11 p.m.
Are you familiar with ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, which has been in the news a lot this summer? If asked, would you join? In general, do you think too much legislation is being introduced that has been written by outside special interest groups and that has not been carefully parsed by the legislator introducing it, like with a lot of pieces Sen. Bill Ketron introduced last session, for example?
None of the three Republican candidates were familiar with ALEC. I explained more about it and listed several legislators who were a part of it—Ryan Haynes, Julia Hurley, Joe Armstrong.
DeFreese: “I’m an independent thinker and I will not acquiesce to any special interest group.”
Massey said that ALEC’s model legislation didn’t sound any different than the majority of legislation, which is written by outside groups, and she has no problem with this. She said she respects all the legislators I mentioned and is friends with many of them. “[ALEC] sounds like something I’d be interested in joining,” she said. (Based on my knowledge of ALEC members - This is an ALEC leaning candidate and must not be elected!)
Roddy said she couldn’t answer for sure if she would join ALEC, but she commented that she’s a “pretty independent thinker” and thought it would unlikely that she would join. She later emailed the following statement: “The American Legislative Exchange Council is one of many groups that write model legislation to advance their legislative agenda. Corporations, think tanks, lobbyists, and groups in support of a myriad of causes bring legislation to representatives at all levels of government.” (Based on my knowledge of ALEC members and ALEC - Her initial lack of response, followed by a "prepared statement response" which is almost perfect ALEC-speak, pretty much leads to the probability that she may already be an ALEC member and didn't know how to answer the question originally, without getting herself or ALEC into trouble. There is a possibility that she emailed ALEC or a known ALEC member in Tennessee and asked them what response they (ALEC) wanted her to give the newspaper - because the email response is a typical of what ALEC's public relations department would release to a journalist! Based on my knowledge of ALEC members - This is an ALEC leaning candidate and must not be elected!)
Johnson: “I won’t get anywhere close to ALEC. There’s far too much legislation coming from lobbyists outside of the state.”
The other two (DeFreese or Johnson) are maybe’s and only a definite yes as a reputable American, patriotic Republican candidate if they are willing to sign a pledge stating
- That neither they nor any member of their staff currently belong to and will ever belong to ALEC.
- That at no time during their time as a public servant will they attend any meeting held by the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
- And at no time during their time as a public servant will they introduce, author or co-author any legislation produced by ALEC.
- And as a public servant they will represent the people and will hold strong against any legislation introduced that is ALEC “model legislation” - legislation which favors corporations that belong to ALEC and has no redeeming properties in its entirety for the public and are detrimental to the citizens of
Tennessee
UPDATE - 8/30/2011
Tennessee you have got to read this editorial - it is by far the BEST editorial I have ever read on ALEC state legislators and the need to remove them from office.
Tennessee you have got to read this editorial - it is by far the BEST editorial I have ever read on ALEC state legislators and the need to remove them from office.
For more information on ALEC –
or this series of six articles.
And watch this news video from North Carolina on how ALEC "model legislation" is going to screw the citizens of North Carolina - legislation introduced by ALEC legislators.
To everyone else who doesn't have a belief that they have to vote for a Republican - please support your Democractic candidate so they will defeat any of these candidates -boots to the ground!
To everyone else who doesn't have a belief that they have to vote for a Republican - please support your Democractic candidate so they will defeat any of these candidates -boots to the ground!
A vote for an ALEC leaning candidate -
is a vote for greater pro-corporate representation and legislation in your state,
is a vote against small and medium size business in your state,
is a vote against representative government for the people, and
is a vote against the very beliefs of the United States of America.
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