Kansas Republican Legislators report on what they learned at ALEC

[pampango]

Approximately two dozen Kansas legislators will start the 2012 legislative session armed with information on defeating federal health reform, expanding charter schools and lowering business taxes that they received at the American Legislative Exchange Council meeting.

In written reports filed with the state, the legislators — all Republicans ­­— said Kansas will benefit by their attendance at ALEC’s annual meeting, which was held Aug. 3-6 in New Orleans.

Shortly after the ALEC meeting in New Orleans, Gov. Sam Brownback rejected a $31.5 million federal grant, which he had earlier accepted, to establish a health insurance exchange system. Brownback’s administration has stopped implementation of an exchange in Kansas for now although Kansas Insurance Commissioner Sandy Praeger is continuing to work on the issue.

An agenda of the ALEC conference showed that speakers included former U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey, who is now chairman of FreedomWorks; Tucker Carlson, a political analyst; Arthur Laffer, economist and chairman of Laffer Associates; Marvin Odum, president of Shell Oil and director of Upstreams America; John Castellani, president and chief executive of PhRMA; Steve Moore, journalist and editorial board member of The Wall Street Journal; and David Dieter, head of government and public affairs of Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America Inc.

http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2011/sep/07/kansas-republican-legislators-report-what-they-lea/

[ashling]

1. These people are SICK !

:puke:

[pacalo]

2. Taxpayers are paying for legislators to attend ALEC conferences.

(...)

In Kansas, legislators who attend conferences that are at least partially funded by taxpayer dollars are required to write a report about ways the Legislature and state will benefit by their attendance.

When it comes to ALEC, the state pays for registration fees to the meeting for those who serve on an ALEC task force, which according to reimbursement forms ranged from $375 to $575...The state pays all the expenses of legislators who serve on the national board.

[Tippy]

3. Dump ALEC

Tell ALEC Corporate Board members to stop undermining democracy and dump their ALEC membership. By supporting ALEC, these companies are cozying up to the Koch Brothers and Big Tobacco while aiding and abetting a radical agenda to dismantle public education and social services, undermine clean air and water rules, gut consumer protections, and rig the voting system in favor of corporate elites. Click here to take action! Send a letter today to Bayer, Wal-Mart, Kraft, Coca-Cola, State Farm, Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, and more saying DUMP ALEC! Read this article on PR Watch


http://kochwatch.org/index.php?q=node/1599

[WhiteTara]

4. They are like cockroaches. Their hives are swarming.

What is the antidote to these horrifying metastasizing vermin?