Oh, Arne - You Shouldn't Have Gone There!

I’ve kinda been waiting for this or something like this.
I figured the time would come, I was just waiting.

– Please watch it before you read the rest

– Its only about 2 minutes.

Video by The Uptake

It’s really interesting to me how he calls ALEC MEMBER Kiffmeyer out for her role in this – but never mentions the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and their role in this.

I have been waiting for him to take a stance on the American Legislative Exchange Council – but he has chosen not to do so.

But – it appears he is really good about “taking the gloves off” when it comes to slapping down current ALEC MEMBERS who are doing the bidding of ALEC with the use of ALEC “model” legislation.

You see Good ol’ Arne has pretty much been given a pass – because he is the Minnesota Republican past Governor that most people really like - a moderate/conservative Republican.

When Common Cause of Minnesota released their report on ALEC – the Governor’s name was not listed  – cause Minnesota Nice is really strong here in the state of Minnesota.

Well, I’m not feeling so generous after watching that video.
I lost respect for this man over a year ago because of his affiliation with ALEC.

In 2001 and 2005 Carlson was listed in the Alumni section of the ALEC Leaders of States.

In 1995 – He was a confirmed speaker for the ALEC Annual Meeting  (Paul Weyrich was a confirmed speaker that year also.)

In 1997 – He was a keynote speaker at the ALEC Annual Meeting

In 1998 – in the ALEC 25^th Annual Meeting materials he was noted as "those who were involved in ALEC in its first few years" - we're talking 20 - 25 years of involvement at that point!

Somewhere - just somewhere along that line - he should have realized what was happening to that organization that he was so involved with.

Somewhere along that timeline - all the way up to his video interview - as a "Leader in the States" he should have come forward and said something or done something to stop what ALEC was becoming, what they are and tried to curtail what ALEC was doing to the United States.

Somewhere along the line - and even now in this video - he should have said SOMETHING!

Somewhere in the back of my mind I wonder if he is still a member.

Somewhere along the line I wonder if he and Weyrich ever talked about this:

Please note that by playing this clip You Tube and Google will place a long-term cookie on your computer. Please see You Tube’s privacy statement on their website and Google’s privacy statement on theirs to learn more. To view the ACLU’s privacy statement, click here.

WalMart DUMPS Alec

When one of the nastiest companies (when it comes to just about everything except price) in the United States "suspended their membership" with  ALEC - you know there is somthing terribly wrong with the American Legislative Exchange council (ALEC).

In April, ALEC said it was abandoning the committee that worked on "public safety and elections" to focus on the economy. Despite the change, Wal-Mart decided it was no longer focused on the same issues as the council.
"Previously, we expressed our concerns about ALEC's decision to weigh in on issues that stray from its core mission 'to advance the Jeffersonian principles of free markets,'" Maggie Sans, Wal-Mart vice president of public affairs and government relations, said in a May 30 letter addressed to ALEC's national chairman and executive director.
"We feel that the divide between these activities and our purpose as a business has become too wide. To that end, we are suspending our membership in ALEC."

I'm leery of the sincerity of this - but today, I will gladly accept it.

Wal-Mart's announcement comes as it grapples with recent allegations of bribery at its Mexican unit and a management decision to squelch an investigation -- a likely subject at the annual shareholders meeting on Friday.

ALEC used WalMart as a member in their 2011 media kit to get new members.
WOW!!

How Much Does an ALEC Meeting Cost?

How much does it cost for a legislator to go to a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)?

From the Common Cause documents that were included in the request by Common Cause to the IRS to revoke ALEC's 501c3 status:

Spring Task Force Summit

1. Spring Task Force Summit Reimbursement Form: ALEC Task Force Members are reimbursed by ALEC up to $350.00 for travel expenses. Receipts must be forwarded to the ALEC Policy Coordinator and approved by the Director of Policy.
2. ALEC Task Force Members’ room & tax fees for up to a two-night stay at the host hotel are covered by ALEC.
3. Registration fees are not covered; however, Task Force Members may submit registration expenses for payment from their state scholarship account upon approval of the State Chair.

IT APPEARS TO BE FREE

Annual Meeting

ALEC Annual Meeting: State Scholarship Reimbursement Form: State scholarship funds are available for reimbursement by approval of your ALEC State Chair. Expenses are reimbursed after the conference, and may cover the cost of travel, room & tax, and registration. Receipts are to be submitted to the State Chair, who will then submit the signed form to the Director of Membership.

IT APPEARS TO BE FREE

ALEC States & Nation Policy Summit::

1. States & Nation Policy Summit Reimbursement Form: ALEC offers two scholarships per state to cover the cost of travel, room & tax, and registration not to exceed $1,000.00 per person for a total of $2,000.00 per state. ALEC scholarship recipients must be named by the ALEC State Chair. Expenses are submitted to the State Chair and reimbursed after the conference. The State Chair submits the signed form to the Director of Membership.

2. State Scholarship Reimbursement Form: Any other fees or payments must come out of the state scholarship account, with the approval of the State Chair. Receipts must be submitted to the State Chair, who submits the signed form to the Director of Membership.

IT APPEARS TO BE FREE

And that is supported by this statement

"It is a concern that ALEC's corporate donors may have gotten undeserved tax credits," said Janice Thompson, executive director of Common Cause Oregon. ALEC corporate board members contributed $2.2 million to Oregon legislative candidates between 2001 and 2010, according to the group.

And this statement

The pharmaceutical drug lobby PhRMA gave $356,075 to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) "scholarship fund" in 2010, but listed the recipient's address at a lobbying firm steps away from the Wisconsin State Capitol, rather than ALEC's Washington, D.C. offices, according to filings with the Internal Revenue Service.

OR THESE EXAMPLES reported by PFAW:

ALEC isn’t shy about collecting its corporate money either – Time Warner was sent an invoice by ALEC directly for the $10,000 it ‘owed’ to the Ohio Scholarship Fund.

OR THIS

When State Rep. Jarrod Martin posted sight-seeing photos from his ALEC trip to San Diego on Facebook, he stated he “paid for his own trip, no tax payer money was expended.” While Martin technically did pay for his own trip, at least up-front, he was promptly reimbursed $1,903.45 from the scholarship fund.

Based on those snips – why do I repeatedly see statements like this reported in reputable sources:

The state has spent $232,000 during the past decade to send legislators, primarily members of the Republican-controlled House of Delegates, to ALEC conferences and meetings.

OR THIS?

Allen had joined ALEC, as she had several groups related to legislatures. It cost only $50, and legislative funds paid up to $1,500 for travel.

OR THIS?

ALEC Money

Martin has spent $22,061 of taxpayer money on travel, accommodations, and per diems for ALEC conferences.  (VPAP)

OR THIS

[Oregon] State ethics and campaign finance records indicate that, in the last two years, seven Republican House members were reimbursed about $15,000 total for travel to ALEC meetings in New Orleans, Scottsdale, Ariz., San Diego and Washington, D.C.

 

OR THIS

Please note that by playing this clip You Tube and Google will place a long-term cookie on your computer. Please see You Tube’s privacy statement on their website and Google’s privacy statement on theirs to learn more. To view the ACLU’s privacy statement, click here.

Double Dipped to the tune of $70,000 in Louisiana?

Collected from ALEC?

Collected from the State for the same expenses?

To give you and example

Here’s a copy of an ALEC reimbursement form for registration fees

Here’s a copy of an ALEC reimbursement form for airfare and hotel

Why is the address blocked out?

Cause the check was sent to their home – you silly goose.

Did they get reimbursed from the state also?

Double Dipping

Triple dipping

Stealing money from taxpayers

Think about it

If you’re ALEC legislator claims the expenses

On an expense report to the state (#1)

And then on his/her campaign reports (#2)

And receives an ALEC scholarship check for the full amount (#3)

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

WE need to start checking that out.

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

Last time I looked there another word for stealing was:  fraud.

How much does it cost for a legislator to go to a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)?

Maybe we should change that to
How much does a legislator EARN by going to  a meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)?

The ALEC Double Standard

From ALEC Exposed

ALEC PAYCHECK PROTECTION ACT

Summary

This Act requires labor organizations to establish separate funds for political purposes, establishes registration for the fund, establishes certain criminal provisions governing a labor organization's political activities, and prohibits its employees from authorizing automatic payroll deductions for contributions to a labor organization's political committee or fund except through an explicit, signed statement

Employee Rights Reform Act

Summary

The purpose of this act is to: 1) limit the amount of compelled agency fees which may be exacted from public employees as a condition of continued employment; 2) provide public employees compelled to pay agency fees as a condition of continued employment with an expeditious way to protect their rights to their pro rata share of union expenditures; and 3) minimize litigation over the appropriate share of union dues that is allocated to collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment; provided, however, that nothing herein expresses or implies 

And then you have this:

The state paid $2,300 for 23 legislators’ memberships in the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, a far right wing group that pairs together paid corporate interests and conservative legislators to draft model legislation used in states across the country.

And from LONG-TIME ALEC Member Americans for Tax Reform Grover Norquist:

Kroft: But you make it pretty clear. If someone breaks the pledge, you're gonna do everything you can to get rid of them. 

Norquist: To educate the voters that they raise taxes. And again, we educate people--

Kroft: To get rid of them.

Norquist: To encourage them to go into another line of work, like shoplifting or bank robbing, where they have to do their own stealing.

Norquist MAY BE A  bit of a stretch – but in my mind, not much!

In my mind it is probably an unwritten rule of Alec/koch also.

Or another way of looking at it could be they will lose big chunks of campaign funding:

In the past ten years, employees of the 22 corporations on ALEC’s Private Enterprise Board have spent $9.3 million on state political campaigns in Ohio,

Double Standard – Wouldn’t You Agree?

Chris Larson (WI-DEM) - "On Wisconsin"

Over the last year and a half, Wisconsin has reversed course to become a petri-dish for a radical, corporate social agenda. Growing evidence illustrates a strong influence by ALEC in promoting an economic and social attack on Wisconsin workers and their families.

Although the assault on workers’ rights to collectively bargain is perhaps the most widely publicized of these legislative efforts, it was is just the tip of the iceberg.

Read the whole thing >>>HERE<<<
Published on PFAW

ALEC Legislation - Where Does it All Come From?

When ALEC members are defending the innocence of the American Legislative Exchange council (ALEC) – Have you read something like this?

Hill said the attacks are coming from “a few fairly extreme organizations” that aren’t even focused on what ALEC is all about, which he identified as “a free open exchange of ideas by legislators …  .”

OR something like this?

“It’s just an organization between legislators like myself, and we pay money to join,” Rogers said. “We have a dialogue between ourselves  …  “

OR

Have you heard the talking points sent out directly from ALEC’s Washington DC Office

ALEC task force members can bring legislation before their task force for consideration; usually  this is our legislative members.

Since ALEC is a legislative organization our state legislators take the lead on proposing legislation and only the public sector votes to adopt legislation as ALEC policy. We are a private organization

ALEC meetings are designed for legislative members to learn from each other as well as policy  experts representing a variety of current issue areas that affect our citizens and our economy.

The ALEC members make you think that it’s just a get together of state legislators to talk about things and share legislation among state legislators – Right????

It's all about the legislators - RIGHT?
WRONG!!!

Well I would think twice about those responses if I were you.

I took some time and looked through the documents found at Common Cause to support their documentation to  the IRS requesting that the 501c3 status of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) be revoked.

And here’s what I found.

For you convenience –

I have highlighted the ALEC legislators in RED

And

The ALEC Profit and Nonprofit Sector Members in BLUE

Health and Human Services Task Force Meeting

ALEC’s 2010 Spring Task Force Summit

April 23, 2010

Meeting Minutes

HHS Task Force members considered the Resolution on Cord and Placenta Blood Banking and Research, sponsored by Indiana Representative Dave Frizzell and Celgene’s Greg Chesmore.

HHS Task Force members considered the Patients First Medicaid Reform Act, sponsored by John Locke Foundation’s Joe Coletti.

Health and Human Services Task Force Meeting

ALEC’s 37th Annual Meeting

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Meeting Minutes

HHS Task Force members considered the Resolution on Point of Service Reimbursement, sponsored by Libby Brunsvold of AstraZeneca/MedImmune.

HHS Task Force members considered the Patients First Medicaid Reform Act, sponsored by John Locke Foundation’s Joe Coletti.

HHS Task Force Members considered the Medication Therapy Management Services Act, sponsored by North Carolina Representative Jeff Barnhart and Gaspar Laca of GlaxoSmithKline.

Health and Human Services Task Force Meeting

ALEC’s 2011 Spring Task Force Summit

Friday, April 29, 2011

12:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza

Potential Model Legislation:

·        Amendments to ALEC’s Health Care Sharing Ministries Freedom to Share Act, sponsored by Joe Guarino, Alliance of Health Care Sharing Ministries

·        Health Freedom Compact Act, sponsored by Goldwater Institute’s Nick Dranias

·        Health Professional Modernization Act, sponsored by Texas Public Policy Foundation’s Arlene Wohlgemuth

Health and Human Services Task Force Meeting

ALEC’s 38th Annual Meeting

New Orleans Marriott

Thursday, August 4, 2011

2:30-5:30 p.m.

TENTATIVE AGENDA

Potential Model Legislation: (in order of submission):

·        Health Care Equitable Reimbursement Act, sponsored by Jane Orient, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons

·        Resolution Urging States and Manufacturers of Prescription Medications to Partner and Identify Opportunities to Address and Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse, sponsored by Candie Phipps, Endo Pharmaceuticals

·        Resolution Against PPACA Health Insurance Exchanges, sponsored by Arizona Senator Nancy Barto

·        State Employee Health Savings Account Act, sponsored by Amanda Griffin-Johnson, Illinois Policy Institute

·        Resolution Supporting Choices for Americans with Disabilities, sponsored by DarynDemeritt, ResCare

·        Medicaid Managed Long-Term Care Act, sponsored by Georgia Senator Renee Unterman

·        Health Care Compact Act, sponsored by Arlene Wohlgemuth, Texas Public Policy Foundation

·        Health Professional Modernization Act, sponsored by Arlene Wohlgemuth, Texas Public Policy Foundation

Health and Human Services Task Force Meeting

ALEC’s 2011 States and Nation Policy Summit

Friday, December 2, 2011

2:00-5:00 p.m.

TENTATIVE AGENDA

Potential Model Legislation: (in order of submission):

·        Medicaid Managed Long-Term Care Services and Supports Act, sponsored by Pam Berry Amerigroup

·        Resolution Urging States and Interested Parties to Partner and Identify Opportunities to Address and Reduce Prescription Drug Abuse and Misuse, sponsored by Candi Phipps, Endo Pharmaceuticals

·        Health Care Equitable Payment Act, sponsored by Jane Orient, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons

·        Resolution Ensuring Patient Protections Remain in Place in Medicaid Pharmacy Benefits, sponsored by Iowa Representative Linda Miller

·        Standards for Health Care Communication Act, sponsored by Josh Brown, Pfizer

Health and Human Services Task Force Meeting

ALEC’s 2012 Spring Task Force Summit

Friday, May 11, 2012 • 2:00-5:15 p.m. • Grand Ballroom D

TENTATIVE AGENDA

Potential Model Legislation: (in order of submission):

·        Charity Health Care Tax Credit Act, sponsored by Georgia Senator Judson Hill

·        Regional Health Care Coalition Act, sponsored by Georgia Senator Judson Hill

·        Zarephath Charity Health Care Act (and background document), sponsored by Alieta Eck, Association of American Physicians and Surgeons

·        Health Care Price Disclosure Act, sponsored by Arizona Senator Nancy Barto

·        Physician and Patient Freedom of Vaccine Choice Act, sponsored by Don Stecher, Novartis

·        Resolution Supporting the Repeal of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), sponsored by Kathryn Serkes, Doctor Patient Medical Association

YEP – Those ALEC task force meetings are all about state legislators getting together.

NOT!!!

Rogers, who’s making appearances on national cable-TV shows to defend ALEC, notes that many organizations produce model legislation for lawmakers to adopt.

Yes they do – yes they do.

MANY “organizations”

NOT so many “legislators”

ALEC serves as clearinghouse for the "laboratories of democracy."

No they don’t – No they don’t.

Laboratories of fascism maybe - but not democracy.

Is Medtronic LYING about their ALEC membership?

In Minnesota - MinnPost is one of the more respected online news people.  Their stuff is really accurate - supported with facts and well written.

Found this today....

4/30/12 posting from MinnPost

Update regarding Medtronic: After publication of this post, a Medtronic spokeswoman informed MinnPost that Medtronic did not renew its ALEC membership in 2011 or 2012. Common Cause supplied us with an ALEC  document  listing three Medtronic people as members of ALEC's health and human services task force as of July of 2011 and a Medtronic job ad that lists working with ALEC, dated October 2011; Medtronic said those appear to be materials that didn't get updated, as it hasn't renewed since the 2010 membership year.

Did Medtronic knowingly LIE to MinnPost?
 
I think Medtronic LIED to MinnPost.

I think Medtronic is lying about their affiliation with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

WHY?

Look at the links they note in the MinnPost paragraph above.

Literally -  look at them.

Ad for government affairs director evidently posted NOVEMBER 2011

Health and Human Service Task Force List - For the Annual Meeting 2011 – New Orleans

And if you go to the Common Cause webpage that has the task force documents that were submitted to the IRS as support for the request to revoke ALEC’s 501c3 status – you will find:

RE: 35-DAY MAILING—HHS TASK FORCE MEETING

The American Legislative Exchange Council will hold its 37th Annual Meeting from August 5-7 at the

Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego 2010

MEDTRONIC - Listed  as a Private Sector Member

RE: 35-DAY MAILING—HHS TASK FORCE MEETING AT ALEC’S 2010 STATES AND

NATION POLICY SUMMIT, WASHINGTON, D.C.  November 2010

MEDTRONIC - Listed  as a Private Sector Member

RE: UPDATED 35-DAY MAILING—HHS TASK FORCE MEETING AT ALEC’S 2011

SPRING TASK FORCE SUMMIT, CINCINNATI, OH.  April 2011

MEDTRONIC - Listed  as a Private Sector Member

RE: 35-DAY MAILING—HHS TASK FORCE MEETING AT ALEC’S 38TH ANNUAL

MEETING, NEW ORLEANS, LA.  August 2011

MEDTRONIC - Listed  as a Private Sector Member

Snottsdale – November 2011

– NO member list included with the 35 day notice therefore Medtronic gets a pass

Charlotte – May 2012

- NO member list included with the 35 day notice therefore Medtronic gets a pass

DID Medtronic LIE to MinnPost about their ALEC membership?
Personally

I think Medtronic is lying to MinnPost.

DID Medtronic LIE to Minnesota about their ALEC membership?
Personally

I think Medtronic is lying to the citizens of Minnesota.

WHY

Cause most ALEC members lie.

Becausetheycan

Becausetheythink

Everyone but them 

is STUPID.

ALEC ACT Screws Poor, Rural, and Elderly

Earlier this year I reported on how Kentucky was getting screwed by the telecom profit sector members that belong to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Rather than link it - I'll give you one quick snip.

Hornback argues S.12 will help “modernize telecommunications in the state of Kentucky,” without explaining exactly how abandoning customers enhances their level of service.

In relation to S.12 will help “modernize telecommunications in the state of Kentucky,

A snip from the Kentucky National Rural Assembly

As rural constituents, we feel compelled to express our concern over the negative impact that SB 135 will have on rural, remote, and poor communities in Kentucky. Especially at a time when poverty rates are statistically high and jobs are scarce, Kentuckians cannot afford to lose yet another resource. We are extremely worried that SB 135 will:

ü      Leave rural, low-income and fixed-income Kentuckians without access to basic phone service, including 911-emergency service.

ü      Leave customers at the mercy of a utility and its affiliated companies to raise the price for basic service in an area where no other competitor exists.

ü      Allow possible “redlining” of poor and remote communities where providing service is more costly or higher-maintenance.

ü      Strip the Public Service Commission of its authority to protect consumers by investigating complaints regarding basic telephone service quality.

ü      Carriers could decide to abandon or retire their wirelines, resulting in loss of access to vulnerable customers by the competitors.

Then today I found this - when researching for this entry.

Hornback argues S.12 will help “modernize telecommunications in the state of Kentucky,"
Shazam!
You have the ALEC REGULATORY MODERNIZATION ACT

Coincidence - I think not.

Hornback is a freshman legislator and probably has joined ALEC since the drop of member names and when ALEC locked up their files tighter than an infected sphincter.

Hornbeck is ALEC-esque - at the very least.
For SB 12 he won an award for trying to disconnect Kentucky's rural and elderly and poor constituents.

Sen. Paul Hornback, R-Shelbyville, took home the Limited Government Award for teaming with AT&T to limit the reach of government in the telecommunications industry.

What organization did he win the award from?  Well, the Bluegrass Institute which state as their focus.

Bluegrass Institute fights for meaningful, systemic public policy changes. We work with other Kentuckians, grassroots organizations, and business owners to advance free-dom and prosperity by promoting…

    Free-market capitalism

    Smaller government

    Defense of personal liberties

WTF????   Let's see what does that remind me of?

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as part of its mission to discuss, develop, and disseminate public policies, which expand

free markets,

promote economic growth,

limit the size of government, and

preserve individual liberty.

WTF????
Bluegrass Institute is evidently an ALEC mini-me.
Wonder how many more of those there are in each state - and if ALEC/Koch funds them?

Well - anyhow
This isn't about Hornbeck - but I had to start somewhere.

No one paid attention to what was happening in Kentucky and other Southeastern states with the  pushing of the ALEC Regulatory Modernization Act.

So - it made it's way to New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut and is headed for California.

It was introduced here in Minnesota also - by an ALEC member of course.

These damn little Koch-roaches are just spreading across the country at the speed of light - before the sons of bitches get kick out on their ass in November.

Yesterday Alternet had a must read for everyone.

READ the whole thing   >>>>HERE<<<

Some snips - to emphasis how horrendous this ALEC legislation is (my emphsis):

ALEC-backed telecommunications deregulation bills hit New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut recently, in a one-two-three punch combination designed as a quick knockout blow that consumers and workers would be powerless to fight. But a coalition, including the Communications Workers of America (CWA), the Working Families party, and the AARP, managed to stop the bills, which would've resulted in cost hikes, lost jobs, and service cut-offs for “less profitable” customers—disproportionately senior, rural, or low-income customers who use basic phone service.

But it's not just jobs that the telecoms would like to eliminate—it's service to people who don't choose to use the fancier products or can't afford expensive service, or maybe who live in a rural area.

In Connecticut and New Jersey, the deregulation plan would have eliminated “carrier of last resort” protections, which require them to provide service to anyone who reasonably requests it in their coverage area. Matt Wood explained, “Phone companies have always had special rights and privileges granted by the state, so they've been expected to provide service to everybody.

And Lindsay Farrell of the Connecticut Working Families Party noted, “To give [telecoms] the ability to say 'This part of the state isn't as profitable, we don't want to serve them, we want to serve people here where they can afford higher rates,' that leaves a lot of people in silence.”

“In what way would the low-income people you represent benefit from this?” he asked.

Still, ALEC and its corporate backers aren't going to give up easily—AT&T and Verizon, Time Warner and Cablevision and many others still want deregulation and are willing to pay for it. The bills in the three states have stalled, but the fight is on in California right now. Master noted, “These people have infinitely deep pockets and they never stop.” 

  
 “These people have infinitely deep pockets and they never stop.”

REMEMBER folks - the telephone companies and cable companies are running their wires and cable under OUR streets and over OUR streets with their  poles pounded into the PUBLIC right of way..  That is the PUBLIC COMMONS!

They are transmitting their signals through the COMMONS - OUR space.
That is OUR public right away and we have the right to demand certain services for them who ask to use PUBLIC PROPERTY for profit.

Phone and cable companies provide service AT THE DISCRETION OF the PUBLIC.
All we have to do is take their rights away to the places they run cable, wires or that they transmit through. WE CONTROL THEIR ASS!

Without the public commons - they can not exist!

Don't let the phone and cable companies screw you over with some line about what they need de-regulate.
Regulations were put in place cause we know from history that phone and cable companies are  DISHONEST to the core when it comes to the consumer.

The only thing phone and cable companies are concerned with is PROFIT.
And that is why ALEC sucks up to their Corporate Profit Sector members.

We gotta pay attention folks
- we need to step forward and
               make a hell of a lot of noise when things like this happen in our states
- or ALEC will just move it from one state
to the next state
to the next state and
pretty soon if you aren't rich - you won't have phone or tv service.