Letter: These politicians march like robots to corporate programing

The Republicans controlling our state government insist they’re working for everyone’s good. Unfortunately, their real purpose is to obey ALEC.

ALEC stands for the American Legislative Exchange Council. It consists of hundreds of corporations as diverse as General Motors and Walgreens that create “model bills” to guide conservative state legislators who enact laws favoring big business.

Many of these legislators attend ALEC conventions and help corporate officials create the models.

When the legislators return to their respective states, they receive thousands of dollars from ALEC for passing the “right” kind of laws. (In Wisconsin, 12 senators and 38 assembly members — all Republicans — are ALEC participants.)

Nearly every extreme business-based law passed by Walker and his Republican supporters is patterned closely after an ALEC model. (See www.alecexposed.com).

The models are rejected only when they’re so outrageous that even Gov. Walker can’t defend them.

In May 2011 Walker vetoed a bill authored by Sheila Harsdorf and three other Republican senators calling for tax breaks for companies wanting to increase tobacco sales to young people.

ALEC recommends that lawmakers use deception to ensure success. Our Republicans followed this suggestion when finalizing 41 bills April 6.

Many of the bills dealt with obscure issues and contained confusing language that diverted attention from two devastating laws that repealed the Equal Pay Enforcement Act and made it extremely difficult for women to receive abortions.

Passing these laws just before the long Easter weekend gave the Republicans time to “lie low” before the public discovered how badly it had been victimized.

It’s almost impossible to fight against ALEC because it receives millions of dollars from corporations and consistently evades laws that should control its operations.

We can help break its stranglehold on Wisconsin, however, by defeating the Republicans in the upcoming recall elections.

Tags: opinion, letters, politics