Editor,
Most of the articles I read in this publication that have something to do with American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, don’t really tell the whole story.
It doesn’t take much effort to find this information and I believe it should get some airing out.
Most of the information I found comes from the ALEC website and other articles. I used them to form my opinion on this subject and a particular state senator from the 10th Legislative District.
ALEC describes itself as the largest “membership association of state legislators” and 98 percent of ALEC funding comes from corporations and corporate foundations. ALEC has committees that cover every area of American life.
ALEC is a corporate bill mill. It is not just a lobby or a front group; it is much more powerful than that. Corporations fund almost all of ALEC’s operations. They also pay for seats on the various ALEC task forces where lobbyists and special interest reps vote with elected officials to approve so called “model bills.”
Through the corporate-funded ALEC, global corporations and state politicians vote behind closed doors to rewrite state laws that govern your rights. These so called “model bills” reach into every area of American life and normally only benefit huge corporations.
It is also one of the Koch brothers’ prized foundations.
ALEC’s said it provides its public- and private-sector members with a unique opportunity to work together to develop policies and programs that effectively promote the Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty.
This statement sounds pretty good, except in reality it means the billionaires and corporations win and we lose.
The benefit from being a state member of ALEC is the contacts for campaign donations and opportunity to move up in the political world.
We have three state politicians that I could find that are members of Alec, but I am only concerned with the one that affects us the most — state Sen. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor.
She has in the past denied membership in ALEC and, when confronted, she did the typical political dance and went on about her business of enhancing her career and guarding our rights through her ALEC membership on the Health and Human services Task force.
In my opinion I believe it is time we dump the “billionaires’ babe” Barbara Bailey and go with someone who’s campaign donations come from us and who is not beholden to business and corporate billionaires.
My vote goes to Angie Homola, and deservedly so.
Donald E Bettner
Oak Harbor
