My Day at the Chicago Protest Against ALEC

It's been an interesting day.

First to get this out of the way -

If you would like to look at some of the demonstrators signs
>>>GO HERE<<<

If you woudl like to see two good vids of the protest
>>>GO HERE<<<
or
>>>>GO HERE<<<

Onward and Forward
When I scoped out the area around the Palmer - I said to myself, "where in the hell are they going to put the people who are supposed to be here"?  Having been at the Scottsdale protest against ALEC - there were about 200 of us - it was gonna be tight if 600 showed up in Chicago, in front of the Palmer (there were 600 at the protest in OKC in May).

Well 600 didn't show up - they are reporting 2700 - yep, two thousand seven hundred people showed up.

I got there are 10am - two hours before the union protest, cause there was suppose to be a protest at 10am - well that didn't happen.  But that didn't stop me from protesting.

While I was setting my protest sign I felt a presence over me and it was three Chicago cops.  Why was I there?  What group was I representing?  What did I plan on doing?  Was I here yesterday? Where did I plan on doing it?  If I entered the Palmer I would be arrested immediately.

Put my protest sign together and headed down the street.  Got to the end of the street and there was another protester.  Talked with him for awhile and picked a spot a couple feet away form him - just standing there with my sign.

Pretty soon - there is a body next to me.  He's from "Move-on.org".  Why am I there?  What group am I representing?  Have I been at any other ALEC protests?  ...  couple other questions - then he walked across the street, climbed into the Homeland Security surveillance van.  He thought I was fool - I knew he was a fool after his second question.

Anyway - about that time the unions starting showing up a few here and there.  And then oh, my.

They put us in a line and we marched around the block - a Chicago block - around the block.
Then they had us marching - in a loop.  1/2 of us coming and 1/2 of us going and we spread out - two lines worth - for about two city blocks.

Lots of noise - lots of fun.  Dixie land band entertaining us from the musicians union.

Then they had a bunch of speakers - Jesse Jackson was there and some other people I don't know.

Lot's of people - from Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Mississippi - and those were only the ones I talked with.  People using their legs, peopel using a wheelchair, people pushing their wheelchairs.  Kids walking, kids in strollers, kids in wheelchairs.  Lots of photo-journalists, talked with almost all of them (they liked my sign).
Lots of commitment.
Lots of great signs.
Lots of fun!

There are two OLB planned for tonight - but I'm alone in the city and won't be wandering out by my lonesome after dark.  Will have to wait for someone to post them online - I think OLB are such a pretty way of protesting - so creative.

Let's hope an protest, against the extremist, pro-corporate, ultra-conservative, extremist American Legislative Exchange Council is in your future soon.
Their next meeting is the first week in December with their 40th Anniversary gala - in Washington DC - buy some longjohns and save some vacation and join others in DC.

It is a great place to be with people from the community, students, people representing religious communities, union brothers and sisters, teachers, black shirts and others.
People like you - who care about their country and are willing to take to the streets to make change happen.
I was proud to be a part of this group and look forward to the next time.

TX Highway Patrol - Trained in roadside 'sexual assault.'

TEXAS  - hates women.
TEXAS  - the Misogynist State of the USA

June 26^th – Wendy Davis - a woman legislator - successfully filibustered the Texas legislature for 13 hours to stall the passage of one of the worst abortion bills in the US.

Now Texas Republicans want Wendy Davis to reimburse the state for the special session supposedly caused by her filibuster time.  Bet they wouldn't do that to a man. AND her filibuster was not what resulted in the special session - the governor called it to pass the extremist agenda.

Well –

If you remember what happened after that – female protesters who entered the TX Capital building for subsequent protests had to empty their purses and their tampons and maxi-pads were confiscated as “TX-WMDs” by security.  You can carry a gun into the TX capital – but tampons were confiscated.

And after teh tampon fiasco at the capital - a right wing pro-life nut job captial officer went after a female Tweeter.

The DPS withdrew its subpoena of Romano’s tweets after a week, but the damage was done. When a cop with a political agenda can get away with persecuting a woman with a debilitating illness, Republicans can stop talking about limited government and personal liberty. If Romano’s a potential terrorist, then so are you.

Note from that article - DPS did not investigate death threats against Wendy Davis - but they did go after a female twitterer.

And last week you had this report released.

In a just-published extensive exposé, a writer for a monthly Texas nonprofit nonpartisan magazine says she spent 140 days covering the Texas State Legislature’s 2013 session, and found it rife with uncloaked sexism and misogyny. Comments about women’s appearance, breasts, rampant condescension, and even one lawmaker who has trouble hearing “women’s voices.”

Not to mention the porn they watch on I state owned computers.

Well the condescension and hatred toward TX women does not stop there. 

Multiple highway patrol officers in Texas have been captured by dash cams doing 'unconstitutional' cavity searches on women's genitals during traffic stops. Lawyers and civil rights advocates say the 'mind-boggling' searches are all too common.

The first reported event happened last year.

And it didn't happen just once!

And it appears that groping women is routine part of a traffic stop in Texas.

THEN
When you compare that to:

George Zimmerman pulled over driving cross-country in Forney, Texas for speeding on Sunday

Told the officer that he was carrying a gun and was advised to place it in his glove compartment

The officer reportedly did not recognize Zimmerman - even after the 29-year-old checked

Was issued with a warning and sent on his way - telling the officer he 'was going nowhere in particular'

Murders with guns are A-Okay, in TX .

Evidently a woman having an hoo-hoo is not.

Moral of the story 
- women are not allowed to be in public in Texas without a big 'ol burly guy to control them.  

If you dare drive without a man - be prepared to have a body cavity search down - on the side of the road - with everyone driving by watching - courtesy of the Texas Highway Patrol.

MUST WATCH: "Koch Brothers Exposed"

Robert Greenwald's 

"Koch Brothers Exposed" 

(Full) 

(1 hr of your time - not a choice!) 

(I remember when Greenwald first thought about doing this movie,
he was looking for donations and
I donated enough money that I received a Kochtopus t-shirt
the t-shirt says I am a "producer" of this movie - cool - eh?)

ALEC Staffer Makes Fun of Union Rally

First of all - this entry was damn hard to write - cause I don't have a facebook account and the page kept telling me to sign in.
Second why do people use FB to sign up people for an event?  Do they intentionally want people like me to NOT be able to sign up?

Well - anyhoo

Do you know who Todd Wynn is?
No?
He's an ALEC staffer.
Wynn is an employee of the extremist, pro-corporate American Legislative Exchange Council.

Todd Wynn, Director

202.742.8542 – twynn@alec.org

Energy, Environment, and Agriculture

Before Alecexposed took down their tweet roll - he use to get more time on their tweet roll than any of my entries.

Anyway to start this story
 - there was a small anti-ALEC protest when ALEC moved to their new headquarters last month. And though I didn't save it - one of the attendees at the event tweeted something like.

Well it's starting to rain - I hope those protesters can stand their ground.

Ha - ha - ha - ha


Anyway - on the Chicago Labor Federation Facebook page for the rally on August 8 - there is this post - that got 9 likes.
It got 9 likes

This post was done by an ALEC employee.

Take a look at the hands in this photo.
THIS is not a picture of a protesters with a sign.
This is not a protest sign.
THIS is someone holding up the sign so WYNN can take a pciture of it - probably another ALEC staffer.

This is disgusting at so many levels I can't even begin to tell you!

In the comments you will find these two comments

Julianne H. Gustafson-Lira 

Funny, but this Sh-t is serious,

Julianne H. Gustafson-Lira 

Signs of nervousness in kittens: saying inappropriate things when faced with probable impending death.

ALEC and their staff think our protests against them are a f#cking joke.

ALEC and their staff think that anyone who is not ALEC is a f#cking joke.

Please be there to say - The USA is NOT OK with the extremist pro-corporate American Legislative Exchange Council.

Be There!

August 7 - 9 

ALEC Annual Meeting

40th Anniversary

Palmer House Hotel

 

 

ACTION: ALEC Rally Bus Trip - Green Bay, Appleton, Osh, Milw

Just a note to my freinds out their that a bus trip to Chicago for the ALEC union rally has been posted.

Wisconsin Bus from Green Bay, Appleton, Oshkosh, Milwaukee -- $30 per person

Chicago August 8

ALEC Exposed/Chicago Teachers

Bus Information

If you are going you should contact them right away - cause if the seats don't sell out fast - they will have to think about cancelling the bus and that would be a shame.

 

 

The 1% - - Kill Pensions by Rigging Bond Ratings

I saw a piece the other day that I bookmarked – cause well you never know.

Couldn’t figure out if it was a snark or real  - cause the one agenda I have seen for the meeting doesn’t mention a gala.  Netiher does ALEC’s webpage.

But hell – why not keep the link.

Glad I did - cause it opened my eyes to a new danger that no one has probably heard about - and they should.

The real action will arrive on that Thursday with the appearance of the well-heeled powerbrokers from the Civic Committee of theCommercial Club of Chicago.  And we can expect to behold a goodly number of the plutocrats who hold membership in more than just the city’s esteemed coalition of industrial/financial elite.  In fact, over half of the roster of the Civic Committee of the Commercial Club is connected in membership, support, or past affiliation with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).   

One SCARY GROUP OF FOLKS

Civic Committee members with Ties to ALEC, after a cursory investigation:

A.T. KEARNEY, INC.

ABBOTT

ALLSTATE

ALLSTATE ,

AMERICAN AIRLINES,

AON CORPORATION,  

AT&T,ALLSTATE ,

BANK of AMERICA,

BAXTER INTERNATIONAL,

BOEING,

BOOZ & COMPANY

BOSTON CONSULTING GROUP,

CITADEL, LLC,

CITIGROUP,

CME GROUP,

DELOITTE LLP,

DISCOVER FINANCIAL SERVICES,

DUCHOSSOIS GROUP,

ERNST & YOUNG LLP,

EXELON Corp ,

EXELON CORP,

FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS CORPORATION

FIRST CHICAGO NBD CORP

GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.

GROSVENOR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT,

GTCR LLC,

HILLSHIRE BRANDS,  

HYATT HOTELS,

ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS,

INTEGRYS ENERGY GROUPACCENTURE

ITW,

JEWEL COMPANIES (OSCO) ,

JONES LANG LASALLE ,

JP MORGAN CHASE

KIRKLAND & ELLIS LLP,

LASALLE BANK,

 LEO BURNETT,

MADISON DEARBORN PARTNERS,

MARMON GROUP,

MAYER BROWN LLP

MCKINSEY & Co

MESIROW FINANCIAL,

MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS,

NICOR GAS,

PNC BANK,

PRICEWATERHOUSE COOPERS, LLP,

PSP CAPITAL,

REYES HOLDING,

SIDLEY AUSTIN LLP,

TRIBUNE PUBLISHING COMPANY,

UBS INVESTMENT BANK,  

UNITED STATIONERS,

W W GRAINGER,

WALGREEN, CO

WINSTON & STRAWN LLP,

ZURICH NORTH AMERICA,

One SCARY GROUP OF FOLKS

Especially when you consider this from 8 months ago

llinois’ public-employee pensions system is so far in debt that it is “unfixable,” an influential business group said Wednesday.

The Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago told its members in a memo that even current retirees’ benefits must be cut and other drastic action taken to prevent pension-program bankruptcy, the memo said.

And this published on Alternet this past week:

Bombshell: Plutocrats Brazenly Collude to Hurt State Economies and Screw Working People

These days, many Americans walk around feeling like no matter how hard they work, how much they manage to save or how carefully they plan for the future, the game is rigged against them. They suspect that behind closed doors, CEOs and Wall Street honchos are eagerly scheming to rip them off.

Their worst fears of corruption and collusion just came true in Illinois, where corporate titans were caught red-handed in the act of Rigging the Game.

Let’s step inside a recent gathering of the corporate-backed Union League Club of Chicago, where former Illinois Attorney General Ty Fahner, who now leads a band of plutocrats known as the “Civic Committee of the Commercial Club of Chicago,” recently launched into an hour-long diatribe on the evils of state pensions

During Fahner’s talk to the Union League Club, an unidentified person in the audience suggested that pressuring credit agencies to rig the state bond ratings in order to attack pensions might be a jolly good idea. Fahner gleefully replied that he had already thought about that — and his group has tried it.

an unidentified person in the audience suggested that pressuring credit agencies to rig the state bond ratings

Fahner gleefully replied that he had already thought about that — and his group has tried it.

 

You gotta read the whole thing:

>>>HERE<<<