Think tanks. Most people think they are a good thing and provide a transparent form of information that you don’t get from media. Well, maybe not so much.
I live in Missouri. For years I have listened to my state legislators speak of ALEC as a wonderful resource for shaping policy and ensuring freedom. What a bunch of ….. There is a lot of info on ALEC, and other think tanks, but it’s not always easy to find. Secure Arkansas has done a great job here, in putting together a series of posts that show the non-transparent underbelly of the faux advocate think tanks and expose them for the special interests that are really the catalyst behind government corruption.
As you read through these posts, ask why are these think tanks not open to the public?
The Back Room is where corporations have an equal vote with the legislators on bills that are to be introduced.
The Investigators: ALEC – The Backroom Where Laws are Born – a 6:31 minute YouTube video aired by an Atlanta TV station. This is a glimpse into the world of the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-funded charity that pays for lawmaker trips to resorts where they leave with ready-to-pass bills. Neither ALEC nor the legislature would show from where the money comes or to whom it goes.
United States of ALEC : A Follow-up – a 56:43 minute YouTube video. ALEC is changing the country by changing the laws one state at a time.
Moyers & Company follows up on a breakthrough 2012 report about ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. A national consortium of state politicians and powerful corporations, ALEC presents itself as a “nonpartisan public-private partnership,” but behind that mantra lies a network of lobbying and political action aimed to increase corporate profits at public expense without public knowledge.
ALEC supports the toxic fluoridation of the public water supplies! Chemicals are big business for the Koch brothers – who are the main creators of the Tea Parties, Americans For Prosperity, and FreedomWorks.
Click here to see all the other supporters of fluoridation besides ALEC. American Dental Association (ADA) is now a member of ALEC. They are playing a heavy hand in Arkansas policies. Check here to see the article “The Corporations, and Dentists, That Still Love ALEC”.
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is an organization that gets money from lobbyists and gives it to legislators, and it all is considered charity.
ALEC is truly a corporate bill mill. They are cranking out legislation and putting it into the hands of legislators so they will go back home and file it. ALEC bills come with blanks where the legislators can fill in their state name and then file the bill. These bills are voted on at the state capitol, but they are first approved at a closed-door ALEC meeting by ALEC corporate members and ALEC legislative members. The ALEC legislative members that sponsor and/or vote for the ALEC legislation receive campaign donations from ALEC and/or ALEC corporate members. This is money that can be filtered through ALEC where they can get a tax write off. For a list of some of ALEC’s model legislation, click here.
The following is the description of what ALEC filed with the IRS on Form 990 concerning their Tax Exempt Status:
The American Legislative Exchange Council is a think-tank for state-based public policy issues and potential solutions. The Organization’s mission is to assist State Legislators, Members of Congress, and the general and business public by sharing research and Task Forces — ALEC’s policy Task Forces provide a forum for legislators and the private sector to discuss issues, develop policies, and draft model bills and resolutions which serves as a public policy resource. The Task Forces include the following: Civil Justice; Commerce, Insurance and Economic Development; Education; Energy, Environment and Agriculture; Health and Human Services; International Relations; Tax and Fiscal Policy; Communications and Technology; and Public Safety and Elections. Conferences — ALEC holds national conferences, providing workshops on current issues with leading experts, public figures and elected officials. The three national conferences held during 2011 were the Spring Task Force Summit, Annual Meeting and States and National Policy Summit. Membership — Membership manages the programs for the recruitment and retention of ALEC State Legislator members. This includes liaison with the ALEC State Chairs and Private Sector State Chairs. In addition, Membership provides assistance to ALEC State Chairs in ensuring that members of ALEC’s leadership are operating in accordance with ALEC’s policies and procedures.
Read more about how ALEC has helped big corporations write laws to manipulate land and water rights at Secure Arkansas.
Another good source for info on ALEC is ALEC EXPOSED.