Speculation persists over Walker plan's origin

[highplainsdem]

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Republican Gov. Scott Walker's collective-bargaining proposal was a bombshell that set off weeks of protests and drew national attention.

But key questions remain about its genesis.

-snip-

Others cite the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC. The conservative group drafts model legislation on myriad issues and offers it to members for use in state legislatures around the country. The group has received financial support from Koch Industries.

-snip-

Walker foes note that state Rep. Robin Vos (R-Burlington), co-chair of the powerful Joint Finance Committee, is Wisconsin chairman of ALEC. And Huebsch previously served as state chair.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/123172363.html

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Mike Huebsch is mentioned there because, as the article explains, "detailed instructions on the final version of the bill came from Walker's Department of Administration." Huebsch is Walker's Secretary of Administration.

It's good to see ALEC's role in the social and financial wrecking ball the Walker administration has become being highlighted in newspaper articles like this one -- despite the attempt by ALEC member and former ALEC state chair Scott Fitzgerald, WI Senate Majority Leader, to deflect suspicion from ALEC by claiming they were just following Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels' example.

I've pointed out in a number of separate topics linked to the long compilation topic on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) that ALEC has immense influence in Walker's administration, but typically newspapers have ignored or glossed over this influence. For instance, an article in late April about Huebsch being the second most powerful man in Wisconsin and "the chief author of the budget adjustment proposal that touched off the firestorm" didn't mention ALEC at all, or the other powerful ALEC members around Walker, as I explained in the http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x955258">DU topic about the article (linked to from reply 258 in the compilation topic):

As the UppityWis.org blog -- http://uppitywis.org/blogarticle/doa-sec-huebsch-sen-fitzgerald-both-served-state-chairs-corporat -- pointed out recently, both Huebsch and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald were ALEC chairs for Wisconsin last year. (This year ALEC lists only one Wisconsin chair, Robin Vos, who's co-chair of the legislature's Joint Finance Committee, along with Alberta Darling, another ALEC member.)

Huebsch hasn't been mentioned (yet) in the long compilation topic on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), but reply 157 there mentions Robin Vos, and reply 158 is about Walker making Phil Montgomery -- who was on ALEC's board of directors, chaired an ALEC task force subcommittee, and was one of ALEC's legislators of the year -- chairman of the Public Service Commission. Reply 229 there links to a topic about Walker's plans for financial martial law and the promotional website that was set up and apparently spearheaded by ALEC member Alberta Darling.

ALEC's influence and meddling need to be made clearer. As you can tell from the comments on this Journal Sentinel article, people don't like their state politicians introducing cookie-cutter legislation from groups like ALEC.

[Stuart G]

1. K and R nt

[iwishiwas]

2. Thanks. I am a bit surprised that the MJS has an article on this as they tend

to lean right (actually right most of time) and if you read the comment sections (I have not read this particular article comments yet) you generally find it populated in nasty Right wing comments).

But the MJS has had a few good investigative articles recently.

[KansDem]

3. Just to show how naive I am...

I used to believe candidates were elected to go to Congress to debate the issues, compromise, and vote to enact laws that benefit the country.

Now I find out we have a kind "Congress within a Congress." Why bother electing anybody? Just have ALEC write the legislation and have that be the law!

Let's do away with the illusion of "democracy" where the "Best and the Brightest" serve the people. Instead, we'll have Bozos like Bachmann and Paul "pretend" they give a damn about this country while taking money to "vote" on ALEC's products.

That's what he have now, anyway...

[hootinholler]

4. Naive or confused?

ALEC is an end around of the legislation that conservatives can't get through congress and is implementing piecemeal across the states where and when they can.

So it's not really a congress with a congress, but a clearing house of cookie cutter legislation of a draconian conservative bent. We in theory could do something similar with progressive suggestions.

-Hoot

[KansDem]

7. Then "bring it on!"

Let's counteract this malaise! :woohoo:

[Scuba]

5. Thanks for posting this. I posted on the JSOnline blog....

...earlier this morning. Looks like the trolls there are off on Sunday morning.


Thanks for helping to educate the People.

[Scuba]

6. I also blatantly cut/pasted part of your post to the JS blog. Thanks.

[highplainsdem]

8. You're welcome! And thank you for posting about ALEC on the JS site!

:hi:

[Angry Dragon]

9. ALEC sounds like more of a terrorist organization

that is my opinion

meeting in secret, conspiring with others to pass laws to weaken this country