ALEC - Indefensible

The righties are at it again this morning.  Trying to “defend” an indefensible American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Evidently to these writers today – ALEC’s destruction of the US democratic republic, based on representation of, by, and for the people is perfectly okay with them.

After reading the first one – I thought to myself – this guy doesn’t know what ALEC I, he’s just stepping up to the plate to bolster the “opinion” piece published yesterday in the WSJ – but, oh contraire – he does (fromALECExposed)

Mario Loyola is Director of the Center for Tenth Amendment Studies and a Policy Analyst for the Center for Energy and the Environment. He is a member of ALEC’s Energy, Environment, and Agriculture Task Force. [1]

Just a couple of snips and responses on this one:

In Defense of ALEC

By Mario Loyola

May 17, 2012 7:55 A.M.

ALEC is referred to as “shady,” though it gathers in conferences that can number 1,000 attendees.

Would you prefer that we keep using the word “secretive”.  Media isn’t allowed in your meetings so how do we know there is 1,000 attendees.  Is that 8,00 or 700 corporate lobbyists oops representative and 200 or 300 poor ol’ neglected state legislators (that need a little attention and a little something, something)?

 It is called a lobbying group because some of the presentations are by representatives of industry.

Paraphrasing someone else – NOPE, wrong Mario.

ALEC is referred to as a lobbying group – because corporate  lobbyists oops representatives sit at the same table as the state legislators that the corporations have paid the expenses for, to attend the meeting – and discuss, debate and VOTE on legislation together.

OH, by the way – let me repeat that – the corporate lobbyists oops representatives VOTE on legislation. 

OH by the way – let me repeat that the corporate lobbyists oops representatives PAY for the legislators to come to the meetings.

Well, I attend ALEC conferences in the hopes of propagating my own model legislation, which I write myself. It’s a bonus to be able to offer my opinion and recommend improvements to other people’s proposals.

You do?  A little verbal masturbation going on here?  Good for you – go have a smoke after you get done reading your own stuff.

He wants to “propogate his own legislation” – interesting since he is NOT a legislator – in fact, he would be considered a nonpofit lobbyist oops representative at an ALEC meeting.  Hmmmmmm.  And to tell you the truth – I don’t want HIS TEXAS public policy opinion anywhere near the state of Minnesota.

At ALEC, I represent the Texas Public Policy Foundation,

This should have been the first line of his entry - so were the writers of the “opinion” piece in the WSJ yesterday – evidently they support each other and ALEC.

But I look at industry’s support as charitable, and I’m grateful for it — we get a lot more out of it than they do.

Charitable – eh?  Do you get to go the meetings at fancy resort locations for free also?  No one has ever addressed that – we know legislators go for free – do ALEC nonprofit members get corporate “scholarships” also.  But then – the charitable industry support he is talking about could be the corporate lobbyist oops representatives checks to acceptable ALEC members.  Oh then, he could be talking about that little something, something that has not been found yet.

The Left’s inordinate susceptibility to conspiracy theory and moral indignation makes for a dangerous combination, and sometimes they do real damage to a worthy cause, a real injustice in the service of imaginary justice.

Ya know – a year ago – people thought I was a conspiracy theorist when I started writing about ALEC –and that has changed.  Six months ago when I first referred to ALEC’s philosophy as fascist,  people told me to tone it down – that has changed.  Unfortunately for the “WRONG” – they are doing real damage to the United States of America by trying to defend, an indefensible ALEC.

May the Koch’s bless us and keep us, may the Koch’s smiling faces shine upon us AND be gracious unto us.  May the Kochs’ open up their checkbooks to us,  And give  us more, please.