ALEC is not OK!

[Mikemarsh51]

Oklahomans elect legislators to work together to bring laws for Oklahomans!
ALEC is big business writing Oklahoma's laws!

Check out Alec Rock on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXUPDAMc_6o

[Larry OKC]

I don't know anything about ALEC but why reinvent the wheel if you don't have to? As long as it is good for the State, does it really matter where it came from? Just like I don't care if it is a Rep or Dem idea. Take the good, toss the bad... find common ground and move forward.

[Wambo36]

Larry, please go check out what ALEC is before making a final judgement. It was created as a way to get corporate leaders to help politicians incorporate business principles into running the government. That was an admirable idea. The bastardized version that exists today is what happened when the corporate leaders realized they could use the organization to push legislation to lessen worker rights and increase corporate influence over every level of government. Not such an admirable idea. They are a "legislation mill" that creates legislation that leans heavily to corporate interests and then gets one of their legislator minions in whatever state or states they think they can get it passed to sponsor it as their own. Hell, last year there was a bill passed through our legislature that still had another state listed in the place "Oklahoma" was supposed to be. They had to correct it after the fact. Not exactly how you get laws that are in the best interest of our citizens IMO. Unfortunately, since our state is presently under the control of a Republican monopoly, we are one of their big targets.

[Mikemarsh51]

Larry, why are we electing anyone? Why don't we just have ALEC write all of our laws? The reason is, we are Oklahomans and we don't need cookie cutter laws from someone else.

[Jchaser405]

Very interesting.

[Steve]

I do believe that regardless of the issue at hand, the news media needs to be giving more scrutiny to the law mills...

[LakeEffect]

I do believe that regardless of the issue at hand, the news media needs to be giving more scrutiny to the law mills...

::like::

Why isn't this in the Politics section though - it's not a OKC civic issue, more state level?

[Wambo36]

I do believe that regardless of the issue at hand, the news media needs to be giving more scrutiny to the law mills...

I agree. As the only person in this conversation with media ties, what do you have in mind? What needs to be done? Apparently a national alliance of corporate and government leaders holding one of their meetings in OKC didn't warrant mention from our media yesterday. Maybe, as was said in the video in the above post, they're more comfortable in their endeavors without the attention. Go figure.

[Bunty]

::like::

Why isn't this in the Politics section though - it's not a OKC civic issue, more state level?

Because the politics section is too emotional and polarized.

[Bunty]

Oklahomans elect legislators to work together to bring laws for Oklahomans!
ALEC is big business writing Oklahoma's laws!

Check out Alec Rock on YouTube

ALEC Rock - YouTube

It's simply class war. Rich people have to do something to protect their best interests, too.

[CaptDave]

I'd like to see a list of Oklahoma elected officials who are members of ALEC. I bet the vast majority have (R) after their name and/or claim to be Constitution and freedom loving "conservatives".

[onthestrip]

I'd like to see a list of Oklahoma elected officials who are members of ALEC. I bet the vast majority have (R) after their name and/or claim to be Constitution and freedom loving "conservatives".

Saw it listed somewhere the other day but don't remember the exact number. However I do remember it being a very significant amount

[CaptDave]

[Larry OKC]

Larry, why are we electing anyone? Why don't we just have ALEC write all of our laws? The reason is, we are Oklahomans and we don't need cookie cutter laws from someone else.

One reason we "elect anyone" is because we live in a republic and/or representative democracy. The main job function is to appropriate money and to vote on the bills that are presented, hopefully they vote according to their constituents desires (House of Representatives) and the common good/statesmanship (Senate). If you don't like ALEC, fine. Don't vote for the person in elected office that you consider to be their puppet.