Moyers & Company~United States of ALEC 2012 09 28

Moyers & Company~United States of ALEC 2012 09 28

223mb/56mn/mp4


Moyers & Company presents ΓÇ£United States of ALEC,ΓÇ¥ a report on the most influential corporate-funded political force most of America has never heard of ΓÇö ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council.

A national consortium of state politicians and powerful corporations, ALEC presents itself as a ΓÇ£nonpartisan public-private partnershipΓÇ¥. But behind that mantra lies a vast network of corporate lobbying and political action aimed to increase corporate profits at public expense without public knowledge.

Using interviews, documents, and field reporting, the episode explores ALECΓÇÖs self-serving machine at work, acting in a way one Wisconsin politician describes as ΓÇ£a corporate dating service for lonely legislators and corporate special interests.ΓÇ¥

In state houses around the country, hundreds of pieces of boilerplate ALEC legislation are proposed or enacted that would, among other things, dilute collective bargaining rights, make it harder for some Americans to vote, and limit corporate liability for harm caused to consumers ΓÇö each accomplished without the public ever knowing whoΓÇÖs behind it.

ΓÇ£All of us here are very familiar with ALEC and the influence that ALEC has with many of the [legislative] members,ΓÇ¥ says Arizona State Senator Steve Farley. ΓÇ£Corporations have the right to present their arguments, but they donΓÇÖt have the right to do it secretly.ΓÇ¥



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

shunster