Privatized Government by pizmobeach

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Privatized Government

POSTED BY: PIZMOBEACH
UPDATED: Monday, April 2, 2012 06:04
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VIEWED: 1105
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Monday, March 26, 2012 6:43 AM

... fully loaded, safety off...

Congressmen/women given laws to be passed that were written by outside interests, corps, etc. "Here you go, we'll make it easy for you."

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/opinion/krugman-lobbyists-guns-and-m
oney.html?_r=1&hp

Florida’s now-infamous Stand Your Ground law... it’s tempting to dismiss this law as the work of ignorant yahoos. But similar laws have been pushed across the nation, not by ignorant yahoos but by big corporations.

Specifically, language virtually identical to Florida’s law is featured in a template supplied to legislators in other states by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a corporate-backed organization that has managed to keep a low profile even as it exerts vast influence (only recently, thanks to yeoman work by the Center for Media and Democracy, has a clear picture of ALEC’s activities emerged). And if there is any silver lining to Trayvon Martin’s killing, it is that it might finally place a spotlight on what ALEC is doing to our society — and our democracy.

What is ALEC? Despite claims that it’s nonpartisan, it’s very much a movement-conservative organization, funded by the usual suspects: the Kochs, Exxon Mobil, and so on. Unlike other such groups, however, it doesn’t just influence laws, it literally writes them, supplying fully drafted bills to state legislators. In Virginia, for example, more than 50 ALEC-written bills have been introduced, many almost word for word. And these bills often become law.

What this tells us, in turn, is that ALEC’s claim to stand for limited government and free markets is deeply misleading. To a large extent the organization seeks not limited government but privatized government, in which corporations get their profits from taxpayer dollars, dollars steered their way by friendly politicians. In short, ALEC isn’t so much about promoting free markets as it is about expanding crony capitalism.

Yet that’s not all; you have to think about the interests of the penal-industrial complex — prison operators, bail-bond companies and more. (The American Bail Coalition has publicly described ALEC as its “life preserver.”) This complex has a financial stake in anything that sends more people into the courts and the prisons, whether it’s exaggerated fear of racial minorities or Arizona’s draconian immigration law, a law that followed an ALEC template almost verbatim.

Think about that: we seem to be turning into a country where crony capitalism doesn’t just waste taxpayer money but warps criminal justice, in which growing incarceration reflects not the need to protect law-abiding citizens but the profits corporations can reap from a larger prison population. - nytimes/Krugman

One commentor:

"We in Wisconsin have had to suffer with ALEC since Scott Walker won as governor. None of the bills that came up after his election addressed Wisconsin issues (not even conservative’s issues). They seemed to come out of nowhere, from voter suppression, to deregulating mining, to union busting.

These were very polished bills that were clearly not written in Wisconsin by Republican Wisconsin legislators. All were written by ALEC. The result was that the voter suppression law violated the Wisconsin constitution and even Republicans did not want to deregulate mining. Union busting is not popular and a recall of Walker is underway."

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Monday, March 26, 2012 7:05 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Ahhh, so you've heard about A.L.E.C. Few people even know it exists, and damn, they're powerful! We've had protests about them a few times, and are demonstrating against them again this Wednesday and providing handout sheets to inform people. If nobody knows, nobody will do anything about it, and little has been covered in the MSM about them. If we could inform the public, maybe we could get some people to help us fight back!

There's a good website on them at http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed , it's pretty shocking to learn how many of our laws they've "written". And that's not all; the article didn't mention (or I scanned over it) how many state and local candidates they've contributed to getting elected--millions have gone to elect conservative legislators in various states, which helps explain why they did so well in 2010. Surely if people were made aware, there'd be an outcry, at LEAST over them writing our laws! Tho', knowing how things "really" go, maybe not. We are such a lazy population, for the most part, when it comes to fighting for our own interests!

Thanx for putting that up, Pizmo; I don't know why it didn't occur to me to do so, I don't tend to think of FFF when it comes to Occupy, given most people here think so little of us. We're working on a number of things, but I don't figure people are that interested.

But while I am thinking of it, severeal Occupy groups are forming Working Groups to go through public documents and look for forgeries, illegalities, etc. when it comes to foreclosures. We're trying to contact those we know of and find out how we get training to do the same. That's at least ONE place regular folk can help fight back!

ETA: I never forgot your suggestion that we work locally; our wonderful congresswoman is retiring this year, and we've found a candidate who is really promising. We can't "endorse" him yet, because we're not sure whether an endorsement from Occupy would be good or bad for him (!), but we're working on his behalf and donating to his campaign. We shall see...

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Monday, March 26, 2012 7:13 AM

SIGNYM

I believe in solving problems, not sharing them.

Just glancing at the title Privatized Government.... you DO know what it is, don't you? It's other name is fascism.

Republicans are very much for it. Unfortunately, so are many Democrats.

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Monday, March 26, 2012 8:45 AM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
Ahhh, so you've heard about A.L.E.C. Few people even know it exists, and damn, they're powerful! We've had protests about them a few times, and are demonstrating against them again this Wednesday and providing handout sheets to inform people. If nobody knows, nobody will do anything about it, and little has been covered in the MSM about them. If we could inform the public, maybe we could get some people to help us fight back!

I've just heard of them specifically, but the concept seems familiar. Money is Power! My thinking is you can trace almost every human action to "self interest," so this is not much different, just really, really well organized and very active. Not much different than the private military, er contractors, we had in much of Iraq. It must be thrilling for the people that tap into this network and rake in the big money, to be one of the accepted ones... chilling for the rest of us.

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
There's a good website on them at http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed , it's pretty shocking to learn how many of our laws they've "written". And that's not all; the article didn't mention (or I scanned over it) how many state and local candidates they've contributed to getting elected--millions have gone to elect conservative legislators in various states, which helps explain why they did so well in 2010. Surely if people were made aware, there'd be an outcry, at LEAST over them writing our laws! Tho', knowing how things "really" go, maybe not. We are such a lazy population, for the most part, when it comes to fighting for our own interests!

This is what the internet and social media do so well Niki, EXPOSURE - thanks. It's not easy, but the 'Net makes it easier and also harder to ignore if you keep reading about it everywhere.

Quote:
Originally posted by Niki2:
But while I am thinking of it, severeal Occupy groups are forming Working Groups to go through public documents and look for forgeries, illegalities, etc. when it comes to foreclosures. We're trying to contact those we know of and find out how we get training to do the same. That's at least ONE place regular folk can help fight back!

ETA: I never forgot your suggestion that we work locally; our wonderful congresswoman is retiring this year, and we've found a candidate who is really promising. We can't "endorse" him yet, because we're not sure whether an endorsement from Occupy would be good or bad for him (!), but we're working on his behalf and donating to his campaign. We shall see...

I'm glad you are at least weighing the benefits. Honestly, I wish there was a branch of the Occupy folk that dressed *more average* even conservative. I know it sounds simple headed but if you consider the audience you're trying to defeat it might go a long way to countering any resistance.

This sounds great: "But while I am thinking of it, severeal Occupy groups are forming Working Groups to go through public documents and look for forgeries, illegalities, etc. when it comes to foreclosures. We're trying to contact those we know of and find out how we get training to do the same. That's at least ONE place regular folk can help fight back! "

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Monday, March 26, 2012 10:28 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

"Fascism". Yup. And corpocracy! That's what we've got, and getting more every day.

Thanx Pizmo. Actually, in many places but the ones that get news coverage (i.e., Wall Street, DC, New York, etc.) people don't dress any way other than normal. You know how it is with student activists...the "dress code" is a protest, too.

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Monday, March 26, 2012 10:58 AM

1KIKI

Goodbye, kind world (George Monbiot) - In common with all those generations which have contemplated catastrophe, we appear to be incapable of understanding what confronts us.

I read that back in the days of George 'Bubba' (oh I mean 'Dubya') Bush the lobbyists would literally sit in congressional offices writing bills, so this doesn't surprise me.

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Monday, March 26, 2012 12:23 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Yeah, but I hate that they have so much power and would give dearly to see them taken down a notch--or ten! So saying, I'm outta here. Gotta work up a half-page informational handout to give passers by (educating people is the first step!) and whack up another sign before Wednesday. "Carry on", as someone said...

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Monday, March 26, 2012 12:38 PM

PIZMOBEACH

... fully loaded, safety off...

From your earlier link Niki - a pretty good review of ALEC:

http://www.pfaw.org/rww-in-focus/alec-the-voice-of-corporate-special-i
nterests-state-legislatures

No one but legislators should ever be able to write a bill that is made into law - are they kidding??

Talk about looking behind the curtain:

"Who’s Behind ALEC?
ALEC’s activities reflect its founding, funding, and control by corporate interests. According to the American Association for Justice, “the nuts and bolts of lobbying and crafting legislation is done by large corporate defense firm Shook Hardy & Bacon.” This firm plays a significant role in managing ALEC’s legislative and governmental advocacy programs.

The American Bar Association Journal describes Shook Hardy & Bacon as the “darling of corporate America. ” Their tenacious defense of the tobacco industry “made Shook Hardy the firm many of the world’s biggest companies turn to at the first hint of trouble with one of their products.” A New York Times report on Shook Hardy said “tobacco is their middle name,” and the firm’s lawyers have been viewed as “industry propagandists, apologists and co-conspirators.” Shook Hardy represents clients from the pharmaceutical, energy, food, banking and tobacco industries, like Pfizer, Bayer, Eli Lilly, Cargill, Kraft, Bank of America, Philip Morris, Lorillard Tobacco, and British American Tobacco. ALEC’s monthly periodical Inside ALEC demonstrates the significant role of Shook Hardy, as members of the law firm contributed essays criticizing environmental protection efforts, endorsing corporate immunity from lawsuits, and defending abusive insurance company practices."

A full time team of legals writing laws for their clients' interests - we the people should be so lucky.

Scifi movie music + Firefly dialogue clips, 24 hours a day - http://www.scifiradio.com

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Monday, March 26, 2012 4:57 PM

FREMDFIRMA

Quote:
Originally posted by SignyM:
Just glancing at the title Privatized Government.... you DO know what it is, don't you? It's other name is fascism.

Republicans are very much for it. Unfortunately, so are many Democrats.

^This.

-F

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Tuesday, March 27, 2012 7:46 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Yup, Pizmo, that about says it, thanx. I'm AMAZED that those here who decry government control aren't shocked and angry to discover that it's special interests who are writing some of those laws which "control" them, laws which are INTENDED to be bad for so many Americans, deliberately so, and have the end result of putting corporations, pharmaceutical companies, online ripoff "colleges", for-profit prisons, etc. in power to the detriment of citizens. Go figure...

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Saturday, March 31, 2012 11:23 AM

OONJERAH

Lobbyists, Guns and Money - By PAUL KRUGMAN =>
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/opinion/krugman-lobbyists-guns-and-m
oney.html

. . . "ALEC seems, however, to have a special interest in privatization —
that is, on turning the provision of public services, from schools to
prisons, over to for-profit corporations. And some of the most prominent
beneficiaries of privatization, such as the online education company K12
Inc. and the prison operator Corrections Corporation of America, are, not
surprisingly, very much involved with the organization.

"What this tells us, in turn, is that ALEC’s claim to stand for
limited government and free markets is deeply misleading.
To a large extent the organization seeks not limited government but
privatized government, in which corporations get their profits from
taxpayer dollars, dollars steered their way by friendly politicians.
In short, ALEC isn’t so much about promoting free markets as it is
about expanding crony capitalism.
. . .
. . ."Did I mention that ALEC has played a key role in promoting bills
that make it hard for the poor and ethnic minorities to vote?"
. . .
. . ."warps criminal justice, in which growing incarceration reflects
not the need to protect law-abiding citizens but the profits
corporations can reap from a larger prison population.

"Now, ALEC isn’t single-handedly responsible for the corporatiza-
tion of our political life; its influence is as much a symptom as
a cause. But shining a light on ALEC and its supporters — a roster
that includes many companies, from AT&T and Coca-Cola to UPS, that
have so far managed to avoid being publicly associated with the
hard-right agenda — is one good way to highlight what’s going on.
And that kind of knowledge is what we need to start taking our
country back."

Oonjerah is perplexed. They have money. All I have is cats. I dunno how
to take our country back. Unless the notion of Privatized Government
were to get as much uproar as the Trayvon Martin killing.

ETA: Paul Krugman must consider this a super important topic. He just
keeps writing about it. Yay, Paul!

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Saturday, March 31, 2012 11:49 AM

OONJERAH

The law—prepackaged for your convenience - by Jeff Long =>
http://www.theotherpaper.com/news/article_60c64c28-79e9-11e1-ba33-0019
bb2963f4.html
. . .
ALEC has moved beyond lobbying or just flat-out buying politicians.
ALEC permits corporate America to literally write its own laws.

Our late, lamented SB5? Right out of the ALEC playbook. What they
do—they call it “model” legislation—is save Republican state reps
the trouble of coming up with their own anti-union, anti-environment,
anti-voting, anti-immigrant, pro-gun laws. The giant corporations
that fund ALEC are glad to write them.

ALEC has “been waiting in the wings for Republicans to take over
the state legislatures and governorships, and [has] pre-packaged
off-the-rack public policies with a conservative bent, ready for
introduction,” a Florida political science professor told the
Tampa Tribune.

But look on the bright side:
State Sen. Bill Seitz, an ALEC board member, says
“I like being able to say I don’t travel at taxpayers’ expense.”

Thanks, Bill.

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Saturday, March 31, 2012 1:21 PM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Thanx, Oonj. Maybe if we keep hollering, someone will NOTICE, eh? I don't know how to beat them, but bringing it to people's awareness is the first step, I guess...

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Sunday, April 1, 2012 8:42 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

Who normally writes laws? Are their stats on what portions of perspective laws come from where? I don't really know anything about this, but I don't imagine that most laws are actually written by congresspersons and senators, some are sure, but there are probably lots of other people who write them?

I assume you're my pal until you let me know otherwise. "A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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Monday, April 2, 2012 6:04 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Riona, for the most part they're talking about STATE governments, not federal, tho' I'm sure the same happens on the federal level; maybe to a lesser degree. There they have real lobbyists, paid to do so, so it's probably more even.

Quick search brings up nothing about what proportion are written by ALEC, but I gotta get the beasties out before they drive us crazy, so I only looked briefly. It would be intersting to know; given they write laws for specific purposes, it may not be many, but they're certainly have widespread effects!

I'll try to get back to this when I return.

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