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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Ron George (MD-ALEC) Just Say NO to ALEC! on June 5th





Annapolis, MD - 4/30/2013
By Committee To Elect Ron George, Anthony Pelura, Treasurer

Maryland State Delegate, Ron George (R-Annapolis) will be announcing his plans for the upcoming 2014 elections at a special event, Wednesday, June 5th 2013 at 6pm at the Sheraton Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland.

He serves on the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Tax and Fiscal Policy Task Force. 


PLEASE make sure that this person is NOT elected!!!!!

Would be nice if there were some anti-ALEC  protestors at this announcement. 

Maryland - Say NO to ALEC!!! 


ACTION: Need Your Help with Big Eddie



Need your help.

I have written to Big Eddie multiple times – including sending hard copies of reports on the American Legislative Exchange Council to his office in Fargo.

To NO avail.

Big Eddie NEVER talks about ALEC and when a guest does – he doesn’t acknowledge the reference to ALEC – cause IMHO – he doesn’t know what ALEC is and he is not taking the time to educate himself..

Big Eddie claims to speak for the people.
How can you do that if you aren’t aware of or talk about ALEC?

Please help me with an email campaign to Big Eddie.

Email Address:

If you are a union person, please send him the following email (or some version of this):


Big Eddie,
You never talk about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and you should.  Leo Gerard has written about ALEC, please ask him to fill you in on ALEC.  ALEC is behind the right-to-work-for-less legislation/amendments that are sweeping the US.  You need to be talking about ALEC.

  
If you are a teacher, please send him the following email (or some version of this):

Big Eddie,
Why aren't you covering the privatization of education that is happening through the use of legislation that is specifically for vouchers and charter schools?  ALEC, the American legislative Exchange Council is behind the school privatization legislation/amendments that are spreading across the US.  You need to be talking about ALEC.

  
If you don’t fit into either of those categories, please send him the following email (or some version of this:


Big Eddie,
Please ask John Nichols to talk about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  John has written many articles on ALEC and he will be an excellent source to help your audience better understand what ALEC is and how it is affecting our country with the model legislation that ALEC state legislators push across the country. 
Big Eddie,
Whenever Mike Panatonio fills in on your show he talks about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) – but you never do.  Why?  I think ALEC is a very important topic that needs to be talked about more.  If you don’t know about ALEC, please ask Mike to fill you in on how they are controlling legislation in the United States.


Big Eddie,
Why aren’t you talking about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).  Kasich from Ohio is a founding member of ALEC.  Scott Walker was a member of ALEC.  John Boehner and Eric Cantor are alumni of ALEC.  Jan Brewer from Arizona is a member of ALEC.  2,000+ state legislators are members of ALEC.  96 members of Congress are alumni of ALEC.  You really need to be talking about ALEC – because ALEC has a huge impact on influencing our legislators.

Email Address:
  

OR
Tweet him
            @edshow  or

                     @WeGotEd

Please start talking about #ALEC

Please have John Nichols talk about #ALEC

Please have Leo Gerard talk about #ALEC
Do you know what #ALEC is?  If no, Shame on you!




USW - Depicts the Nastiness of ALEC



From the webpages of
The United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union

This webpage is a pretty good introduction to ALEC

RAPID RESPONSE NEWS  |  April 02, 2013

Article Brief
As we continue to deal with a barrage of state focused legislative battles, it is imperative that we understand exactly who is behind them. The answer? The American Legislative Exchange Council, or better known as ALEC.

But this comprehensive graphic from their webpage is really good.
I would like to call it – the Nastiness of the ALEC

http://www.usw.org/action_center/rr/news?id=0146



CCA Private Prison Stealing Tax $$ - Not Once, But Twice



Fool me once - shame on you
Fool me twice - Shame on Me

CCA - Stealing US taxdollars - not once - but TWICE
Shame on US.


To save millions in money they would have to pay to taxes, the CCA is now claiming to be a "Real Estate Investment Trust."
April 26, 2013  | 

Earlier this year, the Corrections Corporation of America offered to take over state-run prisons, provided that they remain 90% stocked full of inmates ready for cheap labor. Now, the CCA -- which runs 44 private prisons and detention centers across America --  is gearing up to avoid paying taxes by claiming to be a real estate investment trust (REIT). The CCA is using the new trend in corporate maneuvering to basically claim that money its collects from the government to hold prisoners is just cash for rent.

The Internal Revenue Service has quietly approved the change, and the shady move is expected to save the CCA $70 million in tax dollars in 2013.To save millions, however, requires no changes to business as usual for the CCA. The chief executive of the Corrections Corporation, Damon T. Hininger, told investors in February that the new arrangement should help the CCA achieve its goal of “housing more and more population for federal, state and local levels as they grow or deal with overcrowding.”

Private prison corporations, however, are not the only businesses cashing in on what the New York Times called “new corporate clothes.”

“I’ve been in this business for 30 years, and I’ve never seen the interest in REIT conversions as high as it is today,” Robert O’Brien, the head of the real estate practice at Deloitte & Touche, told the New York Times. Penn National Gaming, a company that runs dozens of casinos, for example, has also received approval for the change.

But while the tax-saving trend has been taking off in corporate America, the NYT questions whether allowing corporations to make this kind of change is ethical.
Ethical?
Not a Chance!
Why do they do it?
Becausetheycan

Some links you may want to peruse in reference to this story
















Fool me once - shame on you
Fool me twice - Shame on Me

CCA - Stealing US tax dollars - not once - but TWICE
Shame on US.

Corporate members of the American Legislative Exchange Council using their ALEC membership to steal tax dollars by manipulating state legislation and state policies.



DIRECT ACTION CALENDAR: APRIL/MAY 2013

May 13, 4pm: PROTEST Corrections Corporation of America!!!!
This year, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is celebrating 30 years of profiting from incarceration. People around the country say, 30 years of abuse, mismanagement, and political influence peddling is nothing to celebrate. It’s time for the people of Arizona to say: 30 years is enough. CCA, go away! Please join the American Friends Service Committee for a demonstration and press conference to protest CCA’s prison profiteering in Arizona. Monday May 13, 4-5pm at the Evo DeConcini Courthouse, Tucson.

 


ACTION: PA - Support Clean Energy



Stop ALEC by passing groundbreaking clean energy standards in Pennsylvania
To: The Pennsylvania General Assembly
Stop ALEC by passing groundbreaking clean energy standards in Pennsylvania

We call on Pennsylvania’s legislature to move to pass a Renewable Energy Standard of 100% of the state’s electric supply to come from clean sources by 2021.

Why is this important?

In the face of catastrophic climate change, we need solutions which speed our shift to clean, renewable energy sources. Unfortunately, most states have moved only incrementally towards increasing the amount of electricity they get from renewables.  We call on Pennsylvania’s General Assembly to pass a Renewable Energy Standard of 100% of the state’s electric supply to come from truly clean sources by 2021.


Maher (SD-ALEC) - ALEC Corporations "You Learn from Them"

Oh my. more ALEC friendly crap in the papers today.
This time in New Mexico - a reporter that is jumping forward to defend South Dakota's decision to force ALL legislators to belong to ALEC.


PIERRE, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota Democrats and Republicans are at odds over using taxpayer money to pay for state lawmakers' memberships in an organization that describes itself as a nonpartisan think tank dedicated to free markets and limited government.


ALEC can describe itself as anything it wants – that does not mean what they are telling the public is true.  And ALEC is definitely NOT bi-partisan, unless you consider blue dog Dems (DINOs) that make up 2% of ALEC’s membership.

"I would look at it as education, education, education," said Sen. Deb Peters, R-Hartford, South Dakota state chairwoman for ALEC. "Our legislators will get better the more they get to interact with other legislators (from other states)."
That's your opinion!
I would look at it as lobbying, lobbying, lobbying
I would call it payola, payola, payola – when you consider the “scholarships”

Because “legislators” interact with corporate lobbyists (from other states) – corporations that bring pre-written, pro-corporate legislation to ALEC meeting for consideration – behind closed doors, in secret.

Is she also the SD legislator that said:


"Now that we are all [ALEC] members – you can’t use it against us in the campaign."
Democrats say it is inappropriate for the state to pay for lawmakers' membership in an organization that Democrats believe is a conservative group dominated by Republicans and big business.
Good on them!
"Clearly, they're a very pro-large corporation advocacy group," said House Minority Leader Bernie Hunhoff, D-Yankton. "They have a right to exist. The problem is taxpayer dollars shouldn't be supporting that."
YES, they are.
And no – taxpayers shouldn’t pay for dues to the partisan, right wing, extremist organization American Legislative Exchange Council.
The $5,250 cost to buy ALEC memberships for all South Dakota lawmakers is cheap compared to the other two groups in which the Legislature participates — the National Conference of State Legislatures and the Council of State Governments, both long-standing nonpartisan groups of state officials.

NOPE – you would see that SD is paying for TWO YEARS worth of ALEC membership at $100 per legislator – for EVERY legislator – 105 x $100 (as noted in the final paragraph).
But then – evidently to this reporter – dues to organizations that promote fascism seem “cheap” in the short-term.
Critics of ALEC say its dues are cheaper because of contributions from billionaire business people who control the group's agenda and influence state legislation.
Critics - no - people who deal with FACTS!
Yes sir – that is correct.  99% of ALEC’s $6 Million in revenue comes from corporations and foundations.
Sen. Ryan Maher, R-Isabel, said interactions with corporate people at ALEC meetings are positive.
Oh – I bet they are.
Especially after the corporations have paid for legislators to be there – providing corporate “scholarships” that cover  travel, room and registration expenses to ALEC meetings – just so the corporations can introduce pro-corporate legislation.
"You can learn from them," Maher said. "What better opportunity than to sit down with these people and have a discussion and promote the state of South Dakota as a tax-friendly state?"
A corporate tax friendly state.
What about the real constituents of South Dakota – The PEOPLE – couldn’t you learn from them?
Democrats have asked that the state not purchase ALEC memberships for them. Maher, who oversees legislator travel as chairman of the executive board, said the Legislature might buy 105 ALEC memberships as a group or might just reimburse the membership fees for any lawmakers who join the council.
" said the Legislature might buy 105 ALEC memberships as a group "
Really - Really??????
So the Dems have no control over whether or not you force them to join ALEC – Really?