ALEC - "We Don't Do Elections" - When We Get Caught Doing Elections

Since the first of the year, I'm doing a lot of writing lately about ALEC deception and the lack of real transparency by ALEC - by the way they deceive the press.

Meierling never ceases to amaze me
- he lives on some kind of alternate universe
- where no one else lives, except ALECers.

Important to remember that the Federalism 17th Amendment, “model legislation”/”policy" – that Meierling is referring to in the interview below was proposed at the December ALEC meeting in DC.

Funny thing – there was a one day seminar the day before the August ALEC meeting

Federalism in Action Legislator Summit,
one-day workshop prior to ALEC's
Annual Meeting Palmer Hotel

Who we are: Federalism in Action is a project of the State Policy Network and State Budget Solutions, a 501(c)(3) non-partisan, non-profit organization, committed to changing how state and local government does business.

Federalism in Action Legislator Summit

Join fellow state lawmakers and policy leaders for an exciting one-day workshop prior to ALEC's Annual Meeting. You won't want to miss this one-day event, which will include success stories from state leaders, workshops to learn tools and solutions, expert media training, an opportunity to connect with other state policymakers, and so much more!

August 6, 2013

Chicago Palmer House Hotel

Monroe Room

10 am – 6 pm

AND
there was a federalism meeting at the Mt Vernon
– directly following the ALEC December meeting
– which was attended by ALEC legislative members.

Before the December meeting, he [Meierling] said a liberal news source saw that one piece of draft policy was about the U.S. Constitution's 17th Amendment, which established the direct election of United States senators. Before it was adopted in 1913, senators were elected by the state legislatures.

Meierling said the draft proposal was introduced by an ALEC member.

Which specific member, Bill?
Transparency - Bill transparency!
A corporate member?
A nonprofit member?
A legislative member?
Oops - he must of realized - he screwed up again - cause then he says:

"We're a volunteer-led, volunteer-driven organization, and if a legislator wants to have a discussion about something, they make that proposal and then the discussion takes place," he said. "The reality is that was a draft working document. We had our meeting, and it was not advanced out of committee. After it wasn't advanced out of committee, the board also said any resolution on the 17th Amendment has to do with elections, and we don't do elections."

"IF a legislator wants to have a discussion about something"
Maybe a "legislator" didn't want to discuss it.

Which specific member, Bill?
Transparency - Bill transparency!
A corporate member?
A nonprofit member?
A legislative member?

"and we don't do elections."

HOW did the amendment nullification get put on the agenda?

Hello????

"and we don't do elections."

Hello?

Don’t lie to us – you already said

We had our meeting, and it was not advanced out of committee. After it wasn't advanced out of committee,

Don’t say

"and we don't do elections."

HOW did the amendment nullification get put on the agenda?

WHY wasn't it removed from the agenda - BEFORE it was discussed?

Hello????

But he said that didn't stop liberal news sources and blogs from saying that ALEC wants to get rid of the 17th Amendment.

And it shouldn't stop them.
- and he knows that.
ALEC is always squealing about how their 1st amendment rights are being trampled.
Liberal news sources and blogs have 1st amendment rights also.

But that isn’t the all of it - - -
The American Legislative Exchange Council has been pushing toward nullification of the 17th Amendment for (at least) almost ten years.

2005 ALEC Federal Forum Report

This pillar disappeared with the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, which made senators popularly elected, rather than chosen by the state legislatures. There is no need to argue the wisdom of that amendment because there is zero doubt that it will ever be reconsidered. Still, from a standpoint of federalism, it was a body blow to the ability of the states to express their independent views effectively in Washington.

2009 Inside ALEC Article 

Restoring the Role of State Legislators in our Federal System of Government

The states were given rights, most notably the 10th Amendment, but the power to stand up for those rights was the ability of state legislators to select U.S. Senators. However, since the passage of the 17th Amendment in 1913, providing for direct election of U.S. Senators, state legislators and the state level of government have lost the role they were originally intended to have in balancing the power of federal government.

Oh, those poor babies
"state level of government have lost the role"
The states got so screwed, according to ALEC.
But then ALEC has a lot of corporations that want to buy their own US Senators - just like what happened before the 1913 passage of the 17th Amendment.

And – in direct conflict with what Meierling said – is this quote from another ALEC staffer about the exact same legislation that Meierling is talking about.

ALEC Director of International and Federal Relations Karla Jones insists that the proposed model legislation is not a step toward getting rid of the 17th Amendment.

“Actually, the people on my task force that support it see it more as a way to preserve the good parts of the 17th Amendment,” Jones said. “Because the reason that the 17th Amendment came into being, there were states that weren’t being represented with senators, because state legislatures weren’t sending in their nominees. So it’s a way to preserve that, while at the same time giving state legislatures a voice in the process, which the constitutional founders originally thought they should have. [The] state legislatures have been cut out of that process, unlike what the founders originally intended. So it’s … sort of a compromise measure, where you preserve the positive aspects of the 17th Amendment, while having the state legislatures have the role that the Constitution originally intended.”

 

My dedication to Mr. Meierling

he has earned it and continues to earn it - every time he does and interview