The Buying and Reselling of America

The American Legislative Exchange Council is at it again.  Late last week, the shadowy organization released its annual publication “Rich States Poor States” billed as a way to “identify the states that have policies that can lead a state to economic prosperity and those that are stuck on the path to a lackluster economy.”

The report also says it measures how each state can expect to perform economically based on 15 policy areas that have proven to determine economic success.

It’s a bunch of hogwash!

The Koch Brothers – David and Charles - are funding the report through their Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation – in efforts to write their own version of the economy to help tilt policies in the favor of corporate interests.

Sadly, some media outlets have bought into this reselling of their state economies,  taking the report at face value without disclosing the billionaire brothers’ association.

Founded in 1973, ALEC supports free market principles and courts financial support from various foundations, including those controlled by the billionaire Koch Brothers. ALEC sponsors private meetings allowing state lawmakers and corporate executives to frame legislation that is later introduced in state legislatures. The laws tilt in the favor of big business. ALEC has pushed legislation that has been harmful to our members’ right to bargain collectively and has proposed other anti-union policies. 

ALEC’s success has been its ability to operate in secret and to gain access to legislators while providing an anonymous cover for its corporate sponsors to press their agenda. The organization continues to remain a threat because it pushes model legislation in all 50 states. But in recent years it has come under scrutiny for its policies causing big time corporations and lawmakers to end membership.