Just when you thought that the mainstream media had forgotten how to do investigative journalism, along comes a surprise.
In Atlanta, local NBC channel 11 station did an exposé of the secretive far-right group called the American Legislative Exchange Council, ALEC. Under the aegis of ALEC, Georgia legislators met in a posh resort with corporate lawyers to decide their priorities for the next session.
Except for Bill Moyers on PBS, this is a topic the mainstream media won’t touch.
For a thorough and chilling review of ALEC’s plans to privatize education, see ALEC Exposed. ALEC loves charters and vouchers, hates unions, loves profits.
ALEC has model legislation, which legislators introduce into their states. It even has tax credit legislation, similar to the one that Governor Cuomo introduced in Néw York. It has already been adopted by several states to benefit private and religious schools.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
This is progress. The video has already gone viral on Facebook.
Outstanding! You don’t have to log in to facebook to view. Here’s the original report on the Atlanta Channel 11 website. Please forward link to everyone you know. Make America a democracy again where legislators answer to the people, not corporate interests! (And write a letter of thanks to Channel 11 for its brave reporting.)
http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/investigations/2015/05/21/investigators-legislators-and-corporate-lobbyists-meet-in-secret-at-georgia-resort/27695105/
Thanks for the suggestion. Channel 11 has an easy to use e-mail form, to send a “thank you” comment. It’s on the same screen and to the right, of the news tip form,.
The KNoxville News had a four part series on these cretins a couple weeks ago. There is always a journalist trying to get the word out…but hey, this is Blood Red Tennessee.!
!
http://nashville.suntimes.com/nash-news/7/118/151921/koch-bros-backed-group-outsize-influence-tennessee
http://www.knoxnews.com/decodedc/koch-brothers-first-they-bought-their-way-into-politics-but-now-theyre-in-march-madness
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/state/outofstate-interests-shape-public-policy_81752026
Reblogged this on History Chick in AZ and commented:
ALEC got a lot of attention because of the Stand Your Ground laws were linked to them, but in the end nothing changed. Please watch the clip linked to in this blog post! Thanks for sharing this story Diane!
Living in Ohio, fighting the horrendous SB5 back in 2011, we saw the comparisons between legislation being offered in Ohio, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, etc. The connections were there, but the exposed situation and source were not made evident. Anyone with a grain of sense could see that the words were the same and that the intent was to see privatization of public services. John Kasich is said to have been one of the originators of ALEC. He thinks he’d be a great President. He is a terrible governor.
Hyatt Regency Savannah had the reporter leave! From 11Alive.com reporter
“I’m a guest of this hotel,” I said. “I’m actually staying here at this hotel.”
“You are staying at this hotel?” Meierling asked.
We decided to ask our questions.
Keefe: “Why can’t the people who elected them see the process?”
Meierling: “This is a private meeting.”
Keefe: “A private meeting paid for by whom?”
Meierling: “By our members and donors.”
Keefe: “..are lobbyists, correct?”
Meierling: “No.”
Keefe: “They’re not lobbyists, the ones that we recorded in the bar last night aren’t lobbyists that are here as members?”
At that point the ALEC vice president clasped his hands, closed his eyes, and let out a sigh. He then called over the pack of four deputies without saying another word.
Sheriff’s Deputy: “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Keefe: “Alright, I’m a guest of the hotel sir.”
Sheriff’s Deputy: “Not for long. Not for long.”
Keefe: “I’m a paying guest of this hotel sir.”
Sheriff’s Deputy: “We’ll take care of that.”
Second Deputy: “We’ll escort you up to your room and you can get your things.”
The deputies called for the hotel manager who ultimately kicked us out of our hotel room for “taking pictures in the hotel.”
I asked the deputies, “did we violate some law or something? I mean are we violating a law?”
The first deputy ignored my question and turned to the second deputy telling him, “Don’t say nothing.”
As parents and teachers plan summer vacations all across the country, I hope they will think twice about booking at the Hyatt.
Privateers making strong push in Texas, for control of schools and the valuable real estate they sit on in Dallas, Austin, Houston, etc.
Excellent revelation, though it remains to be seen what impact it will have.
ALEC doesn’t like unions – but that is exactly what they are!
If the Savannah off-duty police in the video, knew ALEC’s agenda for public pensions, they (out of self-interest), would be hassling the Council’s lobbyists and state legislators.
The research of PRWatch, part of the Center for Media and Democracy,”helped support” the content for the news program, that exposed ALEC’s meeting in Savannah. Donations to CMD will be matched, if made in May. Also, the Center is in a competition for $100,000, from activists at Credo cellular and credit cards. To vote requires no money, just a signature on a Credo petition, which makes the signer, an “active member” and voter.
How embarrassing for everyone (except the reporters)! How embarrassing to watch the police! Humiliating.
Cross posted at Oped News
http://www.opednews.com/Quicklink/Amazing-Atlanta-TV-Expose-in-Best_Web_OpEds-Corporate_Diane-Ravitch_Education_Legislative-150603-863.html#comment547802
with this comment which contains ALL the LINKs for the posts listed below.
Scott Walker’s War on Public Education in Wisconsin More Privatization in Wisconsin: Legislators Propose Additional Charters
Jeannie Kaplan: How Denver Reformers Lost Nearly $1 Billion
The Big Business of Charter Schools
Peter Greene: Kevin Huffman Sells Tennessee Snake Oil in Pennsylvania
Jon Pelto: Connecticut Governor Malloy Says No State Budget Without Money for New Charters
Larry Lee: Follow the Charter Money in Alabama
Innovation Ohio: E-Schools Are Terrible Schools with Politically Powerful Sponsors
and these are but a few of what is happening in the 50 states as the public watches th corruption in FIFA and the debacle of the primaries, and worries about ISIS.
Go to my quicklinks series
http://www.opednews.com/author/quicklinks/author40790.html on education, 15,880/50, and The WAR ON PUBLIC EDUCATION or follow it yourself at the Ravitch Blog. Get the feed… nothing is more important than this!