Is Your ALEC Legislator Double/Triple Dipping on ALEC Expenses?

I’ve always believed that American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) members are so loyal because somewhere along the line there’s a “lil’ somethin somethin” for them to sell off our democracy to the corporations and the Koch/Coors/Walton families.

After all, ALEC and all their members believe in a free makret.
Ever heard of the word Payola?

Ever heard of the word Kickback?

Ever heard of the word Reward?

Ever heard of the word Bonus?

Don’t kid yourself – for ALEC corporate members it IS all about the money and legislators are just as greedy as the next person – maybe more.

On to the point……

The middle of last week I saw an article on the web  (that I can’t find at this time) where someone had posted how much one of their state legislators had paid for ALEC function through his campaign fund and by billing the state through his expense reports.  The one thing that they didn’t do was look for double dipping – because if you looked at the dates reported in their article -  it was evident that he had reported the same expenses for the same ALEC event and been reimbursed for them – twice.  But that wasn’t in the article.

I thought it was a good start – at least people are thinking about it – but they aren’t looking past the information for the bigger issue – which is double dipping – getting reimbursed twice for the same ALEC expenses.

Then later in the same week I saw an article posted by the Maine Majority and they had indeed followed the reimbursements of one of the ALEC legislators and found that he had possibly double dipped with state reimbursements – being reimbursed two times for the same ALEC related expenses. 

I thought it was a good start – at least people are thinking about it – but they aren’t looking past the information for the bigger issue – cause now – this article had exposed the possibility of triple dipping – getting reimbursed three times for the same ALEC expenses.

Double Dipping

Triple dipping

Stealing money from taxpayers

How can that happen?

Well if you’re ALEC legislator claims the expenses

On an expense report to the state (#1)

And on his campaign reports (#2)

And receives a scholarship check from ALEC for the full amount (#3)
   Scholarships which are funded by corporate lobbyists thru ALEC

Your ALEC legislator has been reimbursed three times for the same expenses.

You see – if you review the reimbursement form from ALEC for the scholarship money – you will note the scholarship reimbursement is sent right to the legislator and not to the state.  Nowhere does the scholarship go back to the state to reimburse taxpayers!!!!

I’ve always believed that ALEC legislators selling our democracy to the corporations could only be explained by "how much does it cost to destroy a democracy?".

Well – now with more people checking ALEC members and their money – I think that we will find that double and triple dipping for expenses incurred to go to ALEC meetings may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Anyone out there in Texas may want to check Wayne Christian expense reports and campaign reports.  There was a newspaper report that he had been reimbursed twice for conventions – but they didn’t say which ones – If they are ALEC conferences – you need to report is on your blog and check where his ALEC scholarship check was sent.

Go out and check your ALEC members expenses and campaign reports and then look at their campaign reports and “statement of economic interest” or whatever report your state uses that requires legislators to record gifts / scholarships given to them.  Go bak at least three years – five years if you find something questionable.

If you find a problem – report it - post it and use the phrase “ALEC double dipping” or “ALEC triple dipping” somewhere in the entry so people can find it easily when researching.

It is our responsibility as citizens to check this out.

Stealing Money from taxpayers.

Stealing money from our schools.

Stealing money from our government workers.

Stealing money from our cities, counties and townships.

Stealing money needed for social service programs.

Thanks for all the hard work you are about to do – it may be one of the straws needed to break the ALEC camels back.

–—–—

ALEC members and those affiliated with ALEC in any manner

MUST NOT BE RE-ELECTED or receive our support in any means or manner!

Without state and federal legislators ALEC will cease to exist and it will implode.

For more information on ALEC –

Please read this or this or this

or this series of six articles.

This is what ALEC is About  - An Interview with Mark Pocan about the ALEC Annual Meeting.

And watch this news video  from North Carolina on how other ALEC "model legislation" is going to screw the citizens of North Carolina - legislation introduced by ALEC legislators.

Do your own act of education!
Send the links shown above to friends and family and educate them about ALEC.
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