ALEC Intentionally Misleads US Again

As has been covered to excess - last Friday ALEC dropped SOME of their legislation.

When researching last night, I opened up the HuffPo article on the drop and - there it was!

American Legislative Exchange Council, misleading the general public, again.

When you buy a carpet sample - you do not get the whole carpet.

When you get an ice cream sample - it is not the size of an ice cream cone.

When you get a pharmaceutical sample - it is not enough to last you a month.

When you get a  cosmetic sample - you get a teaspoon worth of the product - not an ounce.

When you listen to a music sample - you don't get the whole tune.

The ALEC press release from last week – my emphasis - two minor changes, becauseican:

ALEC Posts Full Catalog of Model Policies Online

WASHINGTON, DC (March 15, 2013) – ALEC, a nonpartisan organization of state legislators who come together to share ideas and become better advocates for their constituents, announced today its posting of all model policy on its website (www.alec.org) in order to promote a more educated discussion and open exchange of ideas across America.

Full?
All?
NOPE!

As noted this morning:

For the first time, ALEC has now released its model bills on a large variety of issues, including model ALEC education policy. There are a total of 11 bills posted, dealing with everything from education savings accounts to environmental education. You'll notice that they all have dates on them from this year, but some of them are much older—the latter bill, for example, was originally approved by ALEC in 2000, and reaffirmed this year.

11 Bills on Education going back 12 years.
ONLY ELEVEN!!!

There are a helluva lot MORE than that on ALEC Exposed
ALEC Exposed has 75 Education Bills - SEVENTY FIVE!!
 
Please note what their new PR person told HuffPo:

"We really believe in transparency," ALEC spokesman Bill Meierling told The Huffington Post. "We believe that more eyes on our model policies will create better policies. We are hoping to engage with the public."

Meierling said the entries are drafted by ALEC task forces, which consist of legislative and corporate members, and they are meant to be samples of what ALEC considers positive legislation in other states.

At ALEC

"We really believe in transparency,"

Of only a sample of ALEC stuff. 

The rest of it - is none of your damn business.

See, their new PR person hasn't learned how to ALEC lie by omission,yet.

Samples

NOT the whole enchilada!

As noted this morning (my emphasis):

In an interview, Bill Meierling, ALEC's spokesman, denied that the group "caved" to public pressure in any way. He said that the decision to post the bills came after an internal discussion among members, in order to promote transparency and to get more public input on ALEC's legislative decisions.

"People want to know what's happening, why we're making the decisions," he said. "Further, in that same vein of transparency, we really believe that (having) more eyes on the process makes better policy."

Meierling did say that ALEC has no plans to reveal its corporate and legislative members, identify individuals representing corporations within ALEC, or open up their model bill task force meetings.

Groups like ColorOfChange called on corporations to drop their ALEC membership last year, and several did. But just under a year later, Mieirling said that some of those corporations that left last spring have returned, although he declined to name any of them. He also said the number of private-sector members of the group remains steady from last year, at about 400.

At ALEC

"We really believe in transparency,"

Of only a sample of ALEC stuff. 

The rest of it - is none of your damn business.