ALEC – Unethical, Deceitful, Deceptive, Deviant

This entry was prompted by a comment left yesterday - on why I refer to ALEC members as liars. Maybe the reason is - because most of them are.  Today's discerning public, wants it all - without doing the research themselves - - so I guess I may as well take the time to write about these devious little devils. 

Unfortunately for the American people – this entry could really be a book – with thousands of pages on how ALEC members and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) are deceptive, deceitful and  devious - but I have neither the time nor the energy to document every single lie or  white lie or half truth that ALEC staff or ALEC members have told the press or their constituents to cover up their devious and deceitful actions (unless of course, someone is willing to write me a huge royalty check to do so.)

I hope at some point we can find out what ALEC is really doing - because I am convinced that their agenda is not only Unethical, Deceitful, Deceptive and Deviant, but also probably, illegal and chargeable under federal law.

You don't hide what you are doing if there isn't a REALLY good reason to hide what you are doing.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

A lie of omission is to remain silent when ethical behavior calls for one to speak up.

A lie is not in the words, or lack of words; it's in the intention of the deceiver.

Do ALEC Members Acknowledge their Affiliation with ALEC?

Do they tell their constituents that they are associated with an pro-corporate organization, that seats them at tables at multiple ALEC meetings per year - "as equals" to the ALEC Corporate Sector member - to write on and vote on "model legislation" that is pro-business and does not represent the people of the state they represent?

Utah  -  Kurt Bramble (The ALEC State Chair)

Nothing noted about ALEC on his state webpage page bio.

But of interest , you need to know he’s a hot air balloon and fixed wing pilot

Wisconsin - Rep. Robin J. Vos  (State Chair)

Nothing noted about ALEC on his state webpage page bio.

BUT  he mentions his membership to Ducks Unlimited.

Connecticut - Sen. Kevin D. Witkos  (State Co-Chair)

Nothing noted about ALEC on his state webpage page bio.

BUT – proudly states that he is:  President of the Local Chapter of AFSCME Council #15 (Hypocrite, too!)

Delaware  -  Rep. Daniel B. Short (State Chair)

Nothing noted about ALEC on his state webpage page bio.

But yet – he mentions he is a member of the American Legion.

Florida  -  Rep. Jimmy T. Patronis, Jr.

Nothing noted about ALEC on his state webpage page bio.

But – he lets you know his amateur radio license-KD4MBU

I’m sure you get the picture by now.

And then there is my all time favorite

Mary Kiffmeyer – MN ALEC State Chair

Who had her husband pay her ALEC expenses

And then she reimbursed her husband with her campaign funds (page 23 of 28 of the report).

And then there’s my house legislator – who has repeatedly lied about his ALEC affiliation even though his campaign report shows he went to “Legislative Training” in DC in November AND the only training possible for him to attend, that year -  in November – in DC -  was the ALEC States and Nation Summit (specifically designed for ALEC brainwashing of freshman and first time legislators on the ALEC party platform, policies and philosophy).  He just keeps lying and lying and lying and lying…..

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

A lie of omission is to remain silent when ethical behavior calls for one to speak up.

A lie is not in the words, or lack of words; it's in the intention of the deceiver.

“I am introducing “model legislation” that I "copied and pasted” from the American Legislative Exchange council (ALEC) webpage.”

“This bill includes text that I “copied and pasted" from the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) webpage.”

“This paragraph that I am adding to this bill – is a paraphrase of “model legislation” found on the webpage of American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).”

Have you ever seen those words mentioned in legislative proceedings or in a discussion of a piece of legislation after it was introduced??

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Confusion of Correlation and Causation

This is simple and straight-forward: just because two things tend to happen together does not prove that one thing causes the other

One protester suggested that ALEC was behind a bill co-sponsored by Ohio State Rep. Bob Mecklenborg (R-Green Township) that would require voters to show a photo identification card at the polls. Seitz, however, says this makes no sense as Mecklenborg attended his first ALEC meeting just last week.

Seitz is betting on your stupidity when he says this -  - Mecklenborg’s attendance of his first meeting has no correlation with Mecklenborg  sponsoring ALEC legislation – because they can be an ALEC member, with access to the ALEC webpage “model legislation” long before they ever attend an ALEC meeting.

SECOND EXAMPLE (in reference and article about the passage of the NC Marriage Amendment - SB514)

Folwell countered by quoting data from a report, "Rich States, Poor States," put together by the American Legislative Exchange Council.

"Nine of the top 10 states for economic vitality have a marriage amendment and it hasn't slowed them down," Folwell said.

This is bullshit!  I just checked the "Rich States, Poor States," report and nowhere in the report is the word marriage used nor is there reference to the marriage amendment.  This is a correlation that he made up for his own purpose – BUT – you have to ask, “Where in the Hell did he come up with this idea and tying these two unrelated things together?”  Maybe,  just maybe he read it in the “members only” section of the ALEC website or heard it at the 2011 ALEC Annual Meeting – we’ll never know.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Unsupported Claims

Make any grand claims you wish, supported by no facts at all.

Exaggerate

You don't blatantly lie; you just stretch the truth a good bit.

Unprovable Statements

Just make up grandiose, completely unprovable statements that say whatever you want people to believe:

From ALEC

In its 16th edition, the Report Card ranks academic proficiency and education reform along rigorous standards, holding each state responsible for its transitions—whether positive or negative. It discusses what resources are being wasted, what students are being left behind, and what administrators, parents, and teachers can do make a difference in real education.

And this from the ALEC Report

ALEC’s Report Card on American Education is a helpful guide for anyone who wants to achieve a quality education for all students.

NOT FROM ALEC

TEMPE, Ariz and BOULDER, Colo. (February 16, 2009) -- In 2006, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) released its Report Card on Education, 1983-1984 to 2004-2005. A review of that report by Professor Gene Glass assigned it failing grades. ALEC has just released another report card. Unfortunately, ALEC has done little to address key problems Glass pointed out two years ago.

Glass' review, for the Think Tank Review Project, concluded that the ALEC report card was neither valid nor useful research. He found that the report's "ineptness and naiveté in measurement and data analysis have thwarted any attempt to draw legitimate conclusions."

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

When cult members, or true believers in any cause, for that matter, are confronted with information that is contrary to their beliefs, they go through a predictable set of reactions, denial and minimization & rationalization:

Denial. They will deny that the information is true, and reject it:

In an ALEC Press Release denying almost everything that their organization and it’s member do – the following statement is made:
ALEC has been working with the New York Times and Wall Street Journal over the past couple of weeks to satisfy their inquiries.  Both nationally renowned, leading papers have decided after extensive research, interviews and fact checking that there is no story.

FYI:  ALEC Board of Scholars member - Stephen Moore - The Wall Street Journal

Minimization and rationalization. They will minimize the importance of the information, and claim that it doesn't matter,

Among the private-sector organizations linked to ALEC in the national media are R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., Coors, the National Rifle Association and the American Petroleum Institute. Even though the ALEC membership rolls are kept private, the identity of sponsors isn’t a secret, Seitz adds. “I don’t know who they are, and I couldn’t care less,” Seitz says

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Pack the House

— with crowds of sycophant followers, shills, and hand-picked audiences.

Politicians and phoney gurus often come attended by an entourage of fawning sycophants, because it makes them look much more important, like a real leader.

The ALEC Annual Meeting – Need I say more -

If you aren't "ALEC" you are not welcome!

Read This for journalists kicked out of the ALEC Annual Meeting hotel

Read This for more journalists kicked out of the ALEC Annual Meeting hotel

Or Watch These –

About a dues paying member of ALEC  - who is a Dem and "not accepted by ALEC"

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Laugh It Off

When somebody says something that you don't like, just laugh it off. Refuse to take it seriously. Imply that whatever your opponent just said is silly, absurd, ridiculous, brain-damaged, or just awfully darned funny.

But Seitz laughed at the notion of ALEC’s secrecy. He says it’s like any other professional association: They meet, have conventions and discuss ways to further their agenda

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Escape via Bullying and Intimidation

Whenever you are losing an argument,

Bluster, yell, scream, act threatening, make menacing gestures.

Bullying, and Intimidation Example #1

Bullying and Intimidation Number #2 – by an admitted ALEC member

AND THEN THERE IS OUT AND OUT BALD-FACED LYING

Racine Sen. Van Wanggaard, who said there was nothing secret about ALEC and it was “…no different than being a member of the National Conference of State Legislators”

WRONG - ALEC is blatantly different from NCSL - See this comparison.

Racine Sen. Van Wanggaard:  “there was nothing secret about ALEC…”

In my opinion we have to stop using the word secretive when describing ALEC -

and change it to what it really is

deceptive, deceitful and devious

and call them what they are -  bald-faced liars.

Liars –

serving the public in our state and federal legislatures and in appointed positions across the United States.

We are putting the democracy of this country in peril when we do not take the time to  critically look at what these ALEC bastards are saying and doing.

The whole bunch of them wouldn't know the truth if it slapped them upside the head.

A special thank you to the writings of A Orange – who encapsulated everything that I was looking for (as far as starting points for this entry) on one web page that I could browse around and cut and paste from.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞