Tornado Alley (PROG)

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ALEC - The 501c3 Veneer

Per the Guidestar web page for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) it is noted that ALEC was founded in 1973 and received their 501c3 status in 1977. Since that time, as a 501c3, ALEC has depended on the kindness of their corporate members and foundations to fund the majority of their operations.

Yet, it should be noted that although ALEC claims 501c3 status as an educational nonprofit - in 2009, in the State of North Dakota ALEC was a registered employer for lobbyists #484, #485.

On to the nonprofit saga of ALEC...a shiny veneer, hiding something very ugly underneath.

ALEC is a 501c3 – they pay no taxes.
ALEC is a 501c3 – all donations to ALEC are tax deductible.

ALEC’s mission as shown on Guidestar is:
The American Legislative Exchange Council's mission is ... To advance the Jeffersonian Principles of free markets, limited government, federalism, and individual liberty, through a nonpartisan public-private partnership among America's state legislators, concerned members of the private sector, the federal government, and the general public. To promote these principles by developing policies that ensure the powers of government are derived from, and assigned to, first the People, then the States, and finally the Federal Government. To enlist state legislators from all parties and members of the private sector who share ALEC's mission. To conduct a policy making program that unites members of the public and private sector in a dynamic partnership to support research, policy development, and dissemination activities. To prepare the next generation of political leadership through educational programs that promote the principles of Jeffersonian democracy, which are necessary for a free society.

And then there’s my interpretation:
To bring together state legislators,
the federal government
and corporations,
to write legislation that benefits corporations,
by advocating for the privatization of all services, at all levels government
and the deregulation of everything,
while ignoring the needs of the legislators true and key constituents - the citizens of the state they were elected to represent
under the guise of education related “free market, Jeffersonian principles”.

The most current and blatant example of “free market policy” benefitting corporations at the expense of the citizenry being the Supreme Court decision regarding arbitration, handed down on 4/27/11; before that, the most blatant example of “free market policy” being just over a year ago with the Citizens United decision.

ALEC's 501c3 Form 990 as shown on Guidestar reports the following:

“All other contribution, gifts, grants and similar amounts”
In 2009 $5,302,779
In 2008 $5,626,129
In 2007 $6,130,496
In 2006 $5,775,598
In 2005 $5,215,031
For a five years grand total of $27,934,808

Five years of donations. This year ALEC is celebrating its 38th birthday – 34 years as a nonprofit collecting sponsorship and donations from corporations and foundations.

So who funds ALEC? (A Google Docs link)
Based on a review of the web and a review of ALEC literature the list was compiled to show past and present corporate participants (meetings and literature), corporate sponsors and donors to the American Legislative Exchange Council.

These “sponsors and funders” have paid for the privilege to have a private audience with state and federal legislators for the sole purpose of passing legislation that is focused on privatization of the government (for the benefit of their corporate members) and de-regulation (for the benefit of their corporations).

Your legislator belonging to ALEC brings NO BENEFIT to you – the common citizen.
The only purpose of this organization is
to advance the “free market” principles
for the benefit of their corporate members and
at the expense of the everyday citizen.

If you don’t know what ALEC is - you should –
please read this, or this, or this, or this.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/28/971008/-ALECThe-501c3-Veneer