The ALEC Time Warp

“Didn’t we do this yesterday?”

~Phil Connors, Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day is a classic 1993 movie brought to the screen by the recently deceased American actor, writer, and director Harold Ramis.  It starred Bill Murray, who played Phil Connors, a self-centered TV weatherman who was destined to relive the same day over and over again. He and his news team were sent to Punxsutawney, PA, to cover the annual Groundhog Day festivities on February 2nd, but a winter blizzard grounded them after their broadcast, and they reluctantly had to stay the night in a local hotel.

The following day, another hotel guest asked Phil if he was off to see the groundhog, and Phil replied, “Didn’t we do this yesterday?” It did not take him long to realize that he would continually relive everything that happened on that particular Groundhog Day, for that day and many days to come. Since he was the only one who was aware of the redundancy, he decided to take advantage of the situation, and without any fear of retribution, he began seducing the townspeople and living a reckless existence.

It would appear that Republican lawmakers at the Ohio Statehouse are in the throes of a time warp similar to the one affecting Phil Connors. They have repeatedly reintroduced the same old issues that their constituents have spoken out against in the past.  As soon as this year’s legislative session started, they began working diligently to pass many repeat initiatives, including less prohibitive gun control laws, less restrictive renewable energy laws, and most unfortunately for Ohio voters, less accessibility to the polls. All of these initiatives came from the American Legislative Exchange Council, of ALEC, the corporate-backed organization that controls Ohio GOP “lawmakers,” including Governor John Kasich.

One of ALEC’s unethical strategies is to help Republicans win state-wide offices by creating voting laws that limit access to the polls. In 2011, Kasich signed HB 194, a comprehensive “election reform” bill that angered Ohio citizens, who gathered the required signatures to repeal the law through a referendum to be put on the ballot in November, 2012. In early 2012, the GOP-controlled legislature made an unprecedented move and repealed the law, which the governor signed after it had already been certified for a referendum. This action raised many questions about policy, procedure, and ethics in his administration. 

Many of those questions have since been answered through the piecemeal passage of many of those same “election reform” laws during the past two years.  After seducing Ohioans with talk of needing more security and efficiency in our elections, GOP legislators took advantage of the situation and recklessly sponsored a variety of voter suppression bills, all aimed at cutting back on voting options for many people who don’t traditionally support Republican candidates.  Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted recently set statewide early voting rules, eliminating all Sunday hours which are popular with minority voters, while Kasich signed restrictive voting bills to limit both days of early voting and distribution of absentee ballots.

Just like the 2012 election, where Ohioans voiced their displeasure with the GOP’s unscrupulous manipulation of their voting rights, John Kasich and his ALEC accomplices will experience the time warp phenomenon of Groundhog Day in 2014. 

Remember in November.

Think.

ALEC is Behind Voter Suppression Laws

Mark my words, Seinfeld.  Your day of reckoning is coming, when an evil wind will blow through your little play world and wipe that smug smile off your face.  And I’ll be there, in all my glory, watching, watching as it all comes crumbling down.

~ Newman, Jerry Seinfeld’s “sworn enemy,” after not getting his way in “The Finale”

Conservative U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Watson recently authorized an injunction against Senate Bill 193, the “John Kasich Re-Election Protection Act” that would have made it more difficult for minor-party candidates to reach the ballot.  Used to getting his own way, GOP Sen. Bill Seitz tried to blame federal over-reach for Watson’s injunction.  In a bombastic rant reminiscent of Seinfeld’s Newman, Seitz complained, “All they have done is postponed the day of reckoning.  I continue to be amazed that the federal judiciary continues to intervene in every piece of election law we pass, and wonder when it will ever end.”

Ohio constituents continue to be amazed at the onslaught of voter suppression bills introduced by Seitz and other members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and also wonder when it will ever end.  ALEC and its sponsors have enacted a strategic plan to pass laws that would make it harder for millions of Americans to vote by imposing barriers to democracy at the polls.  Many of the laws, such as Ohio House Bill 269 requiring voters to provide photo IDs, are expensive solutions to non-existent problems.  Under the guise of “elections reform,” Gov. John Kasich just signed a pair of restrictive voting bills passed last week by GOP lawmakers, and if left in place, the bills could have a negative impact on voter turnout in November and again in 2016.

One law will eliminate six  days from early voting, the so-called “Golden Week,” when Ohioans can register and vote on the same day- one of the best ways to bring new voters to the polls. The other would make it more difficult for voters to get absentee ballots, and it would make it easier for election boards to reject absentee ballots missing specific information.  Even more voter suppression bills will soon be moved through the Statehouse and sent to the governor by the Ohio House and Senate GOP, whose actions equal those of sworn enemies of fair elections.

Mark our words, Republican lawmakers.  Your day of reckoning is coming, when an evil wind will blow through your little play world and wipe those smug smiles off your faces.  And we’ll be there, in all our glory, watching, watching as it all comes crumbling down.  Remember in November.

Think.

ALEC Lobbies for “Stand Your Ground” Law in Ohio

WHOA! When I say whoa! … I mean whoa! Ya better say your prayers, ya flea-bitten varmint … I’m-a-gonna blow ya to smithereenies! All right now ya wise guy … I’m a-givin’ ya one second to draw a gun, and then I’m a-comin’ after ya … and I’m a-comin’ in a-shootin’! That’s right, ’cause I’m Yosemite Sam … the roughest, toughest, hombre that ever locked horns with a rabbit!
~Yosemite Sam, a rootin’, tootin’, six gun shootin’, varmit-huntin’, wild man of the west

Many of us grew up watching Bugs Bunny cartoons with a favorite character called Yosemite Sam, the big-mouthed little man with a ten gallon hat and a fiery red mustache. He was one of Bugs Bunny’s most hot-tempered and short-fused enemies, and he was always ready for some gun-totin’ action. The character first appeared in the Bugs Bunny animated short cartoon, “Hare Trigger,” in 1945, and the Yosemite Sam persona won an Oscar for the cartoon “Knighty Knight Bugs” in 1958. Yosemite Sam remains one of Merry Melodies’ most well-received cartoon characters who’s an icon in pop culture to this day.

Though not generally known as a Saturday morning cartoon character, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine released a report that shows that 82,186 new concealed-carry gun permits were issued last year through the end of September- a record for Ohio with 17,536 more permits than in 2012.  As reported by Alex Felser of the Columbus Dispatch, “the record comes as Rep. Terry Johnson’s House Bill 203 will have its fourth hearing and a possible vote on Tuesday. The McDermott Republican’s bill calls for concealed carry and self-defense law changes that include a ‘stand your ground’ provision. The provision would eliminate the requirement to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense as long as the person is carrying a firearm legally and in a place they are allowed to be in. ” House Bill 203 is based on “model legislation” from the American Legislative Exchange Council, commonly known as ALEC.

Ohio HB 203 passed in the Ohio House in November and moved to the Ohio Senate. This law has a reciprocity clause that instructs that concealed-carry permits from other states be recognized in Ohio, even though those other states may have more permissive policies. Since 2005, twenty-six states, including Florida, have adopted “Stand Your Ground” or “Shoot First” policies that allow the use of deadly force in perceived self-defense circumstances in public places with no responsibility to retreat.

Thousands of dollars in political contributions from long-time ALEC member, the NRA, to Ohio’s legislators, as well as fear-mongering directed at its citizens, has spurred the passage of legislation that has expanded gun rights in the state. House Bill 203 and other Ohio gun bills lack common sense and popular appeal, but they do accommodate the extreme elements of the powerful gun lobby and the greed of the lawmakers under its control.

Sensible people must speak out against ALEC’s Ohio House Bill 203. If not, Ohio soon will become the 27th state in the nation to allow its rootin’, tootin’, six gun shootin’, varmit-huntin’ citizens to start a-shootin’ first, and askin’ questions later- just like that flamboyant little cartoon character Yosemite Sam.

Think.

The Pied Piper

Sometimes it’s hard not to lose faith in humanity, knowing that there are some middle citizens who still support today’s extreme GOP.  Really?  Have they never heard of the Tea Party?  The Koch brothers?  The corporate-backed American Legislative Exchange Council  called ALEC?

How can middle class Americans condone the toxic Republican agenda being carried out in Washington?  Republicans keep blocking a much-needed extension of unemployment benefits intended to aid some 1.7 million people who’ve had their benefits cut off since the recession-era program expired on December 28th.  The program has been extended eleven times since 2008, and the proposed extension, according to national polls, is popular with 60% of Americans. Unfortunately, the Republican-led House has yet to take any action and the majority of GOP members in the Senate don’t want it renewed.  Extending unemployment would help previously employed workers in need, and yet, there are those middle class voters who continue to support the Republican Party.

Searching for answers, I posted this thought-provoking question by Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi:

“So how does a group of billionaire businessmen and corporations get a bunch of middle American white people to lobby for lower taxes for the rich?”

The best reply was, “It’s called the Pied Piper Syndrome,” which immediately brought to mind a piper named ALEC leading throngs of legislators and their constituents with melodious songs about trickle-down economics.

“Come on babes, 
Trust in me, I’m the Pied Piper, 
Follow me, I’m the Pied Piper, 
And I’ll show you where it’s at.”

A Pied Piper is one who leads others by offering elusive enticements and irresponsible promises.  Today’s GOP has strong ties to ALEC, the Pied Piper, and cannot be trusted to lead our country forward.  We, the people, do not need the ALEC party to show us “where it’s at.”

Think.

Pass It On…

Why do conservative legislators promote cookie-cutter bills at statehouses all over the country? The “American Legislative Exchange Council,” commonly called ALEC, is a once secretive corporate-backed group that creates and lobbies Republican lawmakers for passage of their model bills. A goal for us all is to educate others about ALEC and ask that they pass on the information to their friends and so on. Pass it on…

Is ALEC active in Ohio? According to a report by the Center for Media and Democracy, “Ohio has a high concentration of ALEC legislators – about 43% of Ohio’s current legislators are ALEC members. ALEC has had a major impact on the governance of Ohio throughout a wide range of issues, including education, voter suppression, immigration, worker’s rights, consumer rights, health care and prison systems.”
Pass it on…

How do ALEC bills get to Ohio? ALEC alumni John Kasich and John Boehner help conservative Republican lawmakers introduce ALEC’s model bills in the statehouse as their own public policy laws—without admitting that corporations actually designed the bills.
Pass it on…

Who funds ALEC? Although legislators pay dues, more than 98% of ALEC’s income is from corporations, corporate trade groups, and corporate foundations.
Pass it on…

Is ALEC nonpartisan? ALEC is portrayed as a non-partisan organization, but it only has one Democrat out of over one hundred legislators in its leadership ranks.
Pass it on…

Is ALEC non-profit? ALEC is designated a non-profit organization, although it’s really a corporate lobbying group that pretends to be a charity.
Pass it on…

What’s in it for corporations? Many of ALEC’s model bills specifically benefit the corporations whose representatives write them and vote to approve them.
Pass it on…

Does ALEC lobby? Influencing members of a legislature by giving them bills to introduce at the statehouse is definitely considered lobbying.
Pass it on…

Is our government supposed to be for the people? Yes, and contrary to Republican opinion, corporations are not people. It’s time to take the legislative process out of the hands of the corporate bosses, and give it back to the people.
Pass it on…

Think.

RATS!

Hamelin Town’s in Brunswick, by famous Hanover city;
The river Weser, deep and wide,
washes its wall on the southern side; 
A pleasanter spot you never spied;
but, when begins my ditty,
Almost five hundred years ago, to see the townsfolk suffer so,
from vermin, was a pity.
~Robert Browning

‘Tis a pity to think about the townsfolk suffering from the infestation of vermin in this old folktale- everyone knows that once rats are able to penetrate a structure, it’s hard to get rid of them. Even if the townspeople eliminated some rats in Hamelin, there would be more crawling in to take their places. The townsfolk still didn’t give up, because they knew that their city would continue to suffer if they allowed the rats to stay.

The Ohio Statehouse is currently infested with vermin of another kind- extreme lawmakers who belong to the American Legislative Exchange Council, the corporate bill mill that controls the legislative process in many states. Since the Congressional districts were radically gerrymandered to favor GOP candidates, Ohio’s legislature is overrun with ALEC members who pass laws that cater to the wants of corporations, rather than to the needs of their constituents. Like the townsfolk in Hamelin, Ohioans realize that if they don’t take action to control the scourge of this Koch-funded organization, their state will continue to suffer.

How can one find the best way to fight this pestilence? In an Internet search on “how to rid the house of rats,” sound advice included “placing peppermint cotton balls under the trash cans” to drive them away. While peppermint oil may give the Statehouse a much sweeter aroma, it won’t help get rid of ALEC, but using the following three ideas from exterminators might encourage the exit of those unwanted critters:

1. “Seal any entryway a rat might use to enter the house.” Democrats need to “seal the entryway” to the Ohio Legislature from ALEC by supporting strong progressive candidates with volunteer efforts, campaign donations, and their votes at election time.

2. “Keep a clean house.” People should be vigilant and carefully watch over their legislators to ensure that they’re working toward positive outcomes for the citizens of this state. ALEC initiatives have plagued the legislature thus far, because Ohioans have ignored what was going on and trusted Republican leadership a little too much.

3. “Make sure rats have no place to hide.” ALEC had been quietly hiding behind the scenes and using its legislative members to secretly implement its agenda until 2011, when its organization was exposed by the Center for Media and Democracy. Progressives should continue to keep ALEC in the public eye through the use of letters to the editor, social media, and word of mouth- make sure there’s no place to hide anymore.

When the cats are away, the mice will play. Be engaged in the legislative process, make your intentions known to ALEC members, and take action to control this infestation. Only you can rid the house (and the Senate) of rats!

Think.

ALEC and the Elephant in the Room

In 2011, the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) revealed the powerful control of the corporate-backed American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) over the legislative process in many states in the US.  It published a report showing over eight hundred business-friendly bills that were created, endorsed, and secretly voted on by corporations and a multitude of Republican lawmakers.  Comparable controversial laws had been appearing in many state legislatures around the country, and until CMD’s monumental “Expose ALEC” documentation, people assumed that those similarly worded bills were mere coincidence, rather than part of a comprehensive and highly organized plan by ALEC to remake America- one statehouse at a time. 

People for the American Way, Progress Ohio, and Common Cause documented the stranglehold that ALEC has on the legislative process in Ohio and divulged the fact that 43% of its legislators belong to this corporate bill mill.  That percentage has most certainly gone up, since the GOP gerrymandered the Congressional districts to give their party 75% representation in the legislature.  Anytime one hears of an extreme law being promoted at the Ohio Statehouse, its ALEC roots will become readily apparent after internet searching “the name of the bill + ALEC” or “the name of the sponsor + ALEC.”  Try it- it’s a real eye-opener to see all of the incriminating evidence that has been uploaded concerning ALEC, its corporate members, and Republican legislators.

Progressive groups are continuing to do a thorough job of investigating and exposing the GOP’s ties to ALEC, but we need to demand the same from Ohio news outlets.  Major newspapers and other news media need to begin talking about this “Elephant in the Room,” and regularly call attention to the influence of the American Legislative Exchange Council on Republican lawmakers and the legislation that they sponsor.  The Columbus Dispatch took a step in that direction last year with an AP story about PUCO Chairman Todd Snitchler’s extensive ties with ALEC, although the article softened his entanglement with statements like, “It is unclear what role, if any, Snitchler’s continued involvement might have played in a model bill penned by the council that’s known as the Electricity Freedom Act.” 

Unclear?  The reporter should have Internet searched “Todd Snitchler + ALEC,” and his role would have been abundantly clear.  Snitchler is not the only public official in Ohio who is advancing ALEC legislation- in fact, his affiliation is just the tip of the iceberg concerning the dependence by the Republican Party on this Koch-funded group.  Ohio news media should consider this a challenge- do some hard-hitting investigative reporting and start talking about this “Elephant in the Room.”  The Ohio GOP should consider this challenge- tell your legislators to cut their ALEC ties, or your constituents will continue to vote the “Elephant Out of the Room.”

Think.

Wurst Case Scenario

Have you ever heard of the “Sausage Principle?” It goes like this: “People who love sausage and respect the law should never watch either one being made.” There’s much speculation about the origination of that quote, but in 1869, the Daily Cleveland Herald printed that lawyer-poet John Godfrey Saxe wrote, “Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made.” Given its Cleveland, Ohio connection, let’s go with Saxe as the original author of the “Sausage Principle.”

Making sausage is a messy and time-consuming process where a group of people come together and work as a team to produce a high quality product. Legislation can also be messy and tedious, but at this point in time, it would be a stretch to describe our elected officials’ efforts as “teamwork with a goal of creating high quality legislation.” Just like lawmaking, sausage-making calls for a lot of pork, but unlike the legislators, the sausage-makers know exactly where all of the ingredients come from, including the pork. Even though there may be some differences between sausages and laws, it is true that many people would never want to watch either one being made.

In Ohio, the “Sausage Principle” would not be an appropriate metaphor, because of a major difference in the planning and design of sausages compared to laws. Sausage-makers think critically and creatively about their end product before they craft their own recipes, lists of ingredients, and sets of directions. Then, having ownership in the whole process from beginning to end, they meticulously follow their recipes to make the tastiest sausage they possibly can.

In Ohio, as in other GOP controlled states, lawmakers have very little critical and creative control over the legislative process anymore. Most Republican legislators belong to the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a corporate-backed bill mill that secretly shapes public policy in many states where Republican legislators are in the majority. There is no opportunity for critical and creative thought about the end product, because ALEC’s legislative members sponsor its pro-business “model bills” verbatim- without ever changing a single word. The only creativity to the process occurs when the legislation is worked and reworked by legislators to make sure that powerful corporate interests are more than satisfied.

Rather than put their own thoughts and perspectives to work to formulate meaningful legislation for our state and our country, Republican elected officials rely on ALEC to do their jobs for them. Instead of using the sausage-making correlation, a better analogy would be that GOP legislators stop by Walmart on their way to the Statehouse to pick up a roll of Bob Evans Breakfast Sausage.

When you stop to think about it, that is the wurst case scenario for our democracy.

Think.