Saturday, April 7, 2012

Coke, Pepsi, Kraft Lift the Rock ALEC Has Been Hiding Under

ALEC: Ordinary Citizens Are Priced Out of Democracy


Giant trans-national corporations Coca-Cola, Pepsi and Kraft are dropping their memberships in ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, and so is Intuit, maker of Quicken and Quickbook accounting software.

ALEC charges corporations membership fees---it's $25,000 for the Jefferson Club level, but many corporations donate much more---which are tax-deductible, and for their money the corporate interests get to huddle behind closed doors with state legislators who get their marching orders for corporate-favored legislation.

Regular citizens do not have those many thousands to donate just to get access to politicians who are ostensibly representing those citizens, not corporate special interests.

In this system which is now in control of legislation in Washington and 50 states, regular people have been priced out of democracy. 

ALEC has until recently succeeded at hiding under a rock and having little light shining on its seedy, corrupt operation.  But the public has been hearing more and more about ALEC in the past year, and pressure on certain corporations has started a run to the exit led by Coke, Pepsi, Kraft and Intuit, with probably more to come.

Click here for a story at PR Watch

and here for another good story at truthout

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