John Oliver Explains ALEC

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1. Yvonne Siu-Runyan says:

   November 22, 2014 at 12:03 pm

   Egads…but not surprising. ALEC is BAD.

   Reply
2. Jon Awbrey says:

   November 22, 2014 at 12:14 pm

   Corporations Can Get Anything They Want In ALEC’s Restaurant

   Reply
   • Duane Swacker says:

     November 23, 2014 at 10:16 am

     “. . . ceptin Alice!”

     Reply
3. Andy Goldstein says:

   November 22, 2014 at 12:22 pm

   “We’re crazy ALEC, and our educational policies are insane!” A talk given to the School Board of Palm Beach County, FL.

   Reply
4. Robert D. Skeels * rdsathene says:

   November 22, 2014 at 12:47 pm

   Ben Austin, Gloria Romero and ALEC’s Parent Trigger Act: Parent Revolution and Democrats for Education Reform work hand in hand the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to hand public schools over to their cronies in the private charter and voucher sectors.

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5. Communist Teacher says:

   November 22, 2014 at 1:10 pm

   the problem is capitalism…….

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   • Duane Swacker says:

     November 22, 2014 at 6:36 pm

     Unfettered capitalism, YEP!

     The problem lies in the “fettering”.

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6. Linda says:

   November 22, 2014 at 1:56 pm

   We could fault an independent media for the lack of attention to ALEC, but main stream media is funded by plutocrats so, I will fault publicly-funded libraries, associations of school superintendents, and local public officials and school superintendents. They should have been proactive in informing the public about ALEC. The youtube video of Reed Hasting, calling for the end of democratically-elected school boards, should be widely disseminated.

   At the “ALEC Exposed” website, each state has an entry that shows the state’s ALEC legislators and ALEC legislation that has been enacted in the state. Consider making a donation to PRWatch, the fine organization that compiled the information. Reportedly, some legislator ALEC dues, are paid from state funds. We can at least object to the expenditure.
   There’s a recent report that claims a significant drop in the number of corporations associated with ALEC. We can thank independent investigations for that.
   If each of us puts a visible placard in our cars, that simply says, “ALEC Exposed”, it might provoke interest among the general public.
   IMO, the best part of Oliver’s program was when he called ALEC, “a piece of sh-t”.

   Reply
   • dChristine says:

     November 22, 2014 at 3:52 pm

     Here is the ALEC Exposed link:

     http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

     ——–
     Also, there is an article describing ALEC’s strategy for privatizing Public Education in PA.

     Power Payers Behind the Corporate Takeover of Pennsylvania Schools

     Click to access PA_Power_Players.pdf

     ——-

     And Bill Moyers has a video and info on his website about ALEC:

     http://billmoyers.com/episode/full-show-united-states-of-alec/

     Reply
7. Linda says:

   November 22, 2014 at 3:26 pm

   Eric Heubeck explained the intent of charter schools, with his call to create a network of parallel cultural structures. The Wikipedia entry for his book, Integration of Theory and Practice, provides details. Heubeck channeled Weyrich, who is identified as the founder of ALEC. Weyrich’s Wikipedia entry, provides further description.

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8. Galton says:

   November 22, 2014 at 4:40 pm

   The ALEC has written many of the teacher evaluation change laws that reformers have enacted. In NJ, Democratic State Senator Teresa RUIZ lifted many parts of an ALEC bill as part of her TEACHNJ Act.
   It academia, it’s called plagiarism. In NJ it’s called “bowing to the master”.
   Governor Chris Christie, a former registered LOBBYIST, was once asked about the ALEC passages in TEACHNJ and responded “ALEC? Who’s ALEC?” As if he didn’t know. All republican lobbyists know what ALEC is.
   At least now lying Politicans must at least pretend to disavow the group!

   Reply
9. Linda says:

   November 22, 2014 at 7:16 pm

   My state senator drew a comparison between ALEC and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). IMO, that was the way in, for the corporations of ALEC. NCSL had credibility as a non-partisan group. Rather the organization is partisan or not, appears to be a matter of debate, on the internet. NCSL could have led a campaign to highlight the meaning of non-partisanship and to expose ALEC. If NCSL, by inaction, allowed its reputation to mask the motives of ALEC, the organization’s leadership should account for itself, with the American people.

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10. Dawn says:

    November 22, 2014 at 8:55 pm

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11. Katie says:

    November 23, 2014 at 12:03 am

    On p. 123 of the Ohio General Assembly Legislative Service Council Guidebook it says, “The Ohio General Assembly pays membership dues to ALEC through an appropriation to LSC.”

    I knew certain OH GOP legislators were ALEC members (thanks PR Watch), but I only recently learned that the whole dang legislature paid for their ‘service.’ So disgusting.

    Reply
12. Robert Rendo says:

    November 23, 2014 at 7:41 am

    I am going to post something here to connect some critical dots, because I think the ills of society are always to some very reasonable extent manifested in the mindset of advertising agencies.

    Here is the connection, plain and clear:

    ALEC seeks to increase power of the ownership class to the point where we revert toa two tier system of the servile class and the served class, much like the bifurcation in the plot of the movie “Elysium”.

    When I ase this ad, I marveled at how unabashed and honest it was in depicting who is to be admired, glamorized, and envied. But it also depicted quite accurately who we are becoming as a society in the new gilded micro-chip age:

    http://15renwick.com/?utm_source=NYTimes.com%20Homepage%20Module&utm_medium=Banner&utm_campaign=15%20Renwick

    Look at the premise of the ad, using characters from a very classist past.

    Forget that housing is a necessity and not a luxury. This has even bigger implications!

    The ad portrays a United States in which ALEC has been inculcated into the lives of everyone living long enough to serve, or, on the other side of the fortress wall, everyone who is to be served.

    If this linear progression does not stop, I fear for my life and those of younger generations. Impoverished Detroit residents having their water shut off in housing projects and Ferguson are two major tinder boxes. . . . .

    Am I paranoid, or just vigilant and critically thinking?

    Reply
    • Duane Swacker says:

      November 23, 2014 at 10:25 am

      That’s one ugly building.

      Reply
      • Robert Rendo says:

        November 23, 2014 at 12:48 pm

        I think the building is beautiful; the people and politics behind is are ugly. They’re beasts.

      • Duane Swacker says:

        November 23, 2014 at 2:32 pm

        I’m just not a fan of right angle glass buildings even though I do understand the need to allow as much light and “airiness” to be a part of the building.

        Aesthetics, kind of like teaching and learning, is not amenable to metrical rubric types of evaluations/assessments. All hail “To each his own” in those non measurable realms.

      • Robert Rendo says:

        November 23, 2014 at 3:22 pm

        Agreed!

13. Robert Rendo says:

    November 23, 2014 at 7:43 am

    Cx:

    ” . . . where we revert to a two tier system . . . ”

    “When I saw this ad, . . . . “

    Reply
14. Linda says:

    November 23, 2014 at 8:23 am

    Instead of cherry-picking a subject like the amount of public debt that stifles growth (the discredited Harvard paper of Rogoff and Reinhart), economists could focus on the tipping point for revolution, based on concentration of wealth.
    The movie, Dr. Zhivago, emotionally portrays the fact that no one, definitely not the wealthy, gets spared in a massive uprising. Even the poorest Americans, like the 50,000, 000, who have income equal to the 6 Walton heirs, have plentiful firepower.
    The Brave New Foundation has five, 1-2 minute videos that identify individuals in a series titled, “How the 1% Exploits America”. Not surprisingly, Pete Peterson, who leads a campaign against Social Security and the Koch’s are the subjects of 2 of the 5 clips.

    Reply
    • Robert Rendo says:

      November 23, 2014 at 8:40 am

      Can you send us clips?

      Reply
    • Robert Rendo says:

      November 23, 2014 at 8:46 am

      It’s funny that you mention Russia, here, Linda.

      One of the main motivations behind Roosevelt getting the New Deal and Social Security done was that he warned that what happened in Russia because of class differences and the revolution could just as easily happen here. His friends listened and took him seriously enough.

      This scared the pants off of folks in his circles, who dominated DC.

      Interestingly enough, he did not put in for a single payer healthcare system with too much push (even though he had the legislation drafted with an accounting plan worked out!) because he feared everything he did accomplish would be re-negged on as a result of pushing the overclass too much, too fast, and too aggressively.

      But people in the Congress wanted back them to dismantle public education. . . This has been going on for decades but not put forth in the media, and certainly not taken seriously until Bush Jr. came into office.

      Revolution scares me, and I hope it never boils down to that, but I have resigned myself to accepting it as a possibility.

      Reply
      • Linda says:

        November 25, 2014 at 2:47 pm

        http://www.alterpolitics.com/politics/watch-new-1-minute-video-series-breaks-down-how-the-worst-of-the-1-exploits-america/

15. Sad Teacher says:

    November 23, 2014 at 9:35 am

    I think what you describe, Robert, is unavoidable. We are in the midst of our country turning into a 3rd world country. There are not enough jobs and resources for the people in the United States. So many people have lost hope. There is poverty in middle class homes now, and the middle class is disappearing as we speak. I’m on the way to church right now, and I pray for our country. I am scared to even think of what our country will be like even within five years.

    Reply
    • Robert Rendo says:

      November 23, 2014 at 9:52 am

      There are PLENTY of resources and jobs. You’re wrong about that. The problem is that the concentrated wealth does not trickle down any more because those in private sector and politicians in government will not allow it to.

      Our resources and human capital are not the problem.

      Our willingness to redistribute wealth is a problem.

      Don’t be sad, Sad Teacher. Pray to god all you want, but do consider using some of that spiritual energy on being pro-active in case you are not already. You sound like you are . . . . .

      Reply