Smith (ALEC-NE) Reported Everything Properly - NOT!!!

First let’s review a few facts from a PRWatch article released yesterday – that by the way – did NOT mention ALEC in the headline (my emphasis).

In October 2012, nine U.S. state legislators went on an industry paid trip to explore the Alberta tar sands. Publicly described as an "ALEC Academy," documents obtained by CMD show the legislators were accompanied on a chartered flight by a gaggle of oil-industry lobbyists, were served lunch by Shell Oil, dinner by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and that the expenses of the trip were paid for by TransCanada and other corporations and groups with a direct financial interest in the Alberta tar sands and the proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline.

Officially, ALEC organized the Alberta tour as an "ALEC Academy." In ALEC's description of corporate sponsorship opportunities, this type of event is described as being "an intensive, two--day program for legislators that focus on a specific area of policy." It comes with an $80,000 fee to sponsor.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm

May be news to some - not news to me - I've reported on it twice before.

Read the whole PRWatch article

>>>>HERE<<<<

Anyway – today in Nebraska you have this:

Papillion State Sen. Jim Smith faces ethics complaint over trip to Canada

By Paul Hammel / World-Herald Bureau

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LINCOLN — A Wisconsin watchdog group filed an ethics complaint Tuesday against a Papillion state senator, alleging that he failed to disclose gifts he received on a trip to the tar-sands oil region of Canada.

State Sen. Jim Smith said he expected scrutiny of the trip and had sought, and followed, the advice of Nebraska officials in reporting his expenses.

He expected scrutiny - -

“It was my understanding we followed that and reported everything properly,” Smith said.

"reported everything properly,"

"followed, the advice of Nebraska officials in reporting his expenses"
Say what???

Smith's annual report did not include any expenses related to the trip.

He expected scrutiny - -

Then why did he NOT include any expenses related to the trip

legislators were accompanied on a chartered flight by a gaggle of oil-industry lobbyists, were served lunch by Shell Oil, dinner by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and that the expenses of the trip were paid for by TransCanada and other corporations and groups with a direct financial interest in the Alberta tar sands and the proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline.

"Smith's annual report did not include any expenses"
Say what?
SNIP

Lobbying interests, such as TransCanada, are barred by state law from providing gifts, such as meals or plane trips, of more than $50 per month to a state lawmaker.

And how is this trip – not over that balance?

SNIP

legislators were accompanied on a chartered flight by a gaggle of oil-industry lobbyists, were served lunch by Shell Oil, dinner by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and that the expenses of the trip were paid for by TransCanada and other corporations and groups with a direct financial interest in the Alberta tar sands and the proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline.

Smith, who has been a leading supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline, said he backs the “free market” ideals promoted by ALEC.

Well – yeh~~~~~~~

supporter of the Keystone XL pipeline

Well – yeh~~~~~~~

He backs the “free market” promoted by ALEC - using pro-corporate legislation that intentionally distorts and manipulates the "free market" distributed by the American Legislative Exchange Council.



It a proven fact that tar sand companies pay to get a special private audience with ALEC state legislators.  When they can't get enough sway at an ALEC meeting - they evidently have them go to the tar sands in Alberta - for PRIVATE, SECRET meetings between lobbyists and state legislators.

Ohio – 2011 Scholarship Fund

TransCanada PipeLines Limited   $1,000.00

South Dakota – 2007 Scholarship Fund

         TransCanada PipeLines Ltd.          $500.00

ALEC boasts that it has

    2,000+  state legislators that support and push ALEC policy

    96  members of the US Congress that support and push ALEC policy

Thousand of ALEC-ers at the state and federal level - legislators and public servants in various state and federal offices and agencies - serving the will of their ALEC Master - the ALEC corporate profit sector members.

ALEC DOES NOT BOAST ABOUT

the number of other state federal officials

who support ALEC policy

which could be a major issue for America.

From the Common Cause documents

July 2010

ALEC

Natural Resources Task Force

Beth Jensen

Private Sector Member (M1)

Manager, Government Relations

TransCanada

13710 FNB Parkway

Omaha, NE 68154

Phone: 402.492.3400 FAX: 402.492.7491

Then in

November 2011

    Resolution in Support of the Keystone 1 XL Pipeline BE IT RESOLVED BY THE [INSERT LEGISLATIVE BODY] OF THE STATE OF [INSERT STATE]:

    WHEREAS, The United States relies – and will continue to rely for many years – on gasoline, diesel and jet fuel despite the recent focus on renewable and alternative sources of energy. In order to fuel our economy, the United States will need more oil and natural gas while also requiring additional alternative energy sources such as ethanol and other renewable energy sources; and

    WHEREAS, The United States currently depends on foreign imports for more than half of our petroleum usage. As the largest consumer of petroleum in the world, our dependence on overseas oil has created difficult geopolitical relationships with damaging consequences for our national security; and

    WHEREAS, oil shale deposits in the Bakken Reserves in Montana and North Dakota and South Dakota are an increasingly important crude oil resource, with an estimated 11 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil, and there is not enough pipeline capacity for crude oil supplies from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas to American refineries; and

    WHEREAS, Canadian oil reserves contain an estimated 173 billion barrels of recoverable oil. Canada is the single largest supplier of oil to the United States at 2.62 million barrels per day and has the capacity to significantly increase that rate; and 7

    WHEREAS, the Keystone XL pipeline will, when completed, carry 700,000 barrels of North American oil to American refineries in the Gulf Coast region and construction of the project will create 120,000 jobs nationwide, create $20 billion in economic growth and generate millions of dollars worth of government receipts; and

    WHEREAS, A recent study by the U.S. Department of Energy found that increasing delivery to American refineries from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and Alberta, as well as Texas and Oklahoma to American refineries has the potential to substantially reduce our country's dependency on sources outside of North America; and

    WHEREAS, Canada sends more than 99% of its oil exports to the United States, the bulk of which goes to Midwestern refineries. Oil companies are investing huge sums to expand and upgrade refineries in the Midwest and elsewhere to make gasoline and other refined products from Canadian oil derived from oil sands. The expansion and upgrade projects will create many new construction jobs over the next five years and, in [INSERT STATE], substantially add to our state's gross state product; and

    WHEREAS, The same money used to buy North American oil will likely later be spent directly on U.S. goods and services in contrast with the money sent to hostile oil-producing governments that is later used to further anti-democratic agendas. Supporting the continued shift towards reliable and secure sources of North American oil is of vital interest to the United States and the state of [INSERT STATE].

    NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the members of the [INSERT LEGISLATIVE BODY] of the state of [INSERT STATE], support continued and increased development and delivery of oil derived from North American oil reserves to American refineries, urge Congress to support that continued and increased development and delivery, and urge Congress to ask the U.S. Secretary of State to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project that has been awaiting a presidential permit since 2008 to reduce dependence on unstable governments, improve our national security, and strengthen ties with an important ally; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the [INSERT STATE LEGISLATIVE BODY] transmit duly authenticated copies of this resolution to the Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, to the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States Senate, to the members of the [INSERT STATE] Congressional delegation, and to the news media of [INSERT STATE].

The ALEC International Relations Task Force pushing tar sands on behalf of corporate members of the ALEC - but not for America.

ALEC Annual Meeting
ALEC 40th Anniversary of Destroying Democracy
August 7 - 9
Palmer Hotel
Chicago
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