Sep 17, 2012
A Thought about those who Quit ALEC – Editorial
I watch the numbers grow. It’s now 40 corporations, 4 non-profits, and 70 legislators which have quit ALEC. Those are some impressive numbers.
But to me, the most significant number here does not get enough emphasis—70 legislators.
We’ve read that many of the corporations quitting ALEC have either started working with another member of the Cabal, or have increased their ongoing efforts with other Cabal members such as CSL and NCCPR,among others. (I fear how many we don’t know about.)
For some, I suspect that ALEC had outlived its usefulness and the circumstances of public pressure provided great cover for them to quit and say how they didn’t know anything about ALEC’s political agenda. They were just content to admit to liking the ability to meet directly with legislators to discuss the issues. But hell, we know ALEC is a lobbying influence peddler. That’s kind of a given at this point–due, I must point out, to the efforts of the progressive coalition.
But the legislators who quit are people (corporations will never be human) who are facing their constituents with their political careers on the line. And that means a great lot. It takes a certain degree of courage as well as a finding of one’s inner core values.
I’d like to see the progressive coalition, which is getting so many well-deserved kudos for getting an increasing number of corporations to quit ALEC, intensify their efforts to get more legislators to quit ALEC. This will inject ALEC’s political agenda into election races where ALEC members are running–please, somebody tell Tim Kaine what this means–and make their members defend themselves for what ALEC has done, is doing, and plans to do.
