Boycott Koch Brothers

Six Extreme Right-Wing Attacks by ALEC in State Governments

Posted on August 3, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

“Model” bills voted on by corporations through the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) touch almost every aspect of American life. The Center for Media and Democracy has analyzed and made available over 800 ALEC model bills to allow other reporters and the public to track corporate influence in state legislatures across the country (and in Congress) at ALECExposed.org. Six of the many “hot” topics on the ALEC corporate-politician agenda this year.

• Disenfranchising American Citizens Through Voter ID
• Union-Busting
• Undoing Efforts To Address Climate Change
• Filling For-Profit Prisons Through Anti-Immigrant Bills
• Opposing Health Insurance Reform
• Privatizing K-12 Education

Read details at PR Watch

Posted in ALEC, Exposing the Kochs | Leave a comment

ALEC Love-Fest In The Big Easy

Posted on August 3, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

They’re getting ready for another round of imposing the plutocrats’ will on America:

Today, the American Legislative Exchange Council kicks off its annual meeting in the Big Easy. State legislators from across the country will arrive in New Orleans to be wined and dined by corporate lobbyists. R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, for example, has invited legislators to a big smoke at its cigar reception on Bourbon Street. But the meeting is not all fun and games. Legislators will be sitting down with some of the biggest corporations in the world – Koch Industries, Bayer, Kraft, Coca-Cola, State Farm, AT&T, WalMart, Philip Morris and more — behind closed doors. There, they approve one-size-fits-all changes to the law that ALEC legislators take home and introduce as their own brilliant policy innovations.

pr-watch

Posted in ALEC, Infiltration & Influence | Leave a comment

ALEC Protest Planned

Posted on August 3, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

According to the “Protest ALEC” website (which is not affiliated with CMD), advocates will hold a number of workshops devoted to examining the ALEC agenda, corporations, and politicians. The session will culminate with a program followed by a “March to the Marriott” from the Hale Boggs Federal Building. Scheduled speakers and performances include Jordan Flaherty, journalist and community organizer; Bob Sloan, prison industry investigative consultant and author; David Rovics, musician; and representatives from the AFL-CIOand Interfaith Worker Justice.

The story

Posted in Exposing the Kochs, Protests | Leave a comment

Wisconsin Man Files Complaint Against Americans For Plutocrats

Posted on August 2, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

After receiving an absentee ballot form mailed to him by AFP (The Kochs’ Americans For Plutocrats), a Wisconsin man has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board charging voter suppression by AFP. His complaint:

I received an absentee ballot request form from Americans For Prosperity. It intentionally listed to return up to Aug. 11. The date of the election is Aug. 9. If I followed their instructions, my ballot would not be legal. I think they purposely intended to discount my vote. I understand such activity to be against the law. I believe I was targeted by this group because I am a Democrat and a senior citizen.

The story

Posted in AFP: Americans For Plutocrats, Politics | Leave a comment

Kochsters Brag About “Defining The Debate” In The Disgraceful And Disgusting Budget Cap Battle

Posted on August 2, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

They have the audacity to claim bragging rights:

“We defined the contours of the debate and made it impossible to raise the debt ceiling without achieving serious spending cuts,” said Phil Kerpen, head of policy at the prominent Tea Party group, Americans for Prosperity.

Kerpen estimated that of the 66 Republicans in the House of Representatives who voted against the final compromise, on the grounds that it does not cut public spending enough, about a half were Tea Party affiliated. The group included Michele Bachmann, a candidate to be the Republican presidential nominee.

The story

Yeah, the Kochs must be smiling and sipping champagne.

Posted in AFP: Americans For Plutocrats, Attacking working Americans | Leave a comment

Kochs Lose Their Toilet Paper Lawsuit

Posted on August 1, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

Yeah, they sued another toilet paper manufacturer for making toilet paper with a “diamond quilted” design — like their “Quilted Northern” TP.

They sure know how to gang up:
670,000 pages of documents and a dozen witnesses.

The judge tossed out the case, saying the design is functional and therefore can’t be trademarked.

Posted in Koch Industries | Leave a comment

Do The Kochs Own A University’s Economics Department

Posted on August 1, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

“Free market economics”: Government bad. Rich people good.

The Kochs promote “free market economics” in several ways. One of them is by paying money to university economics departments, sometimes in return for having an influence in who gets hired. Koch involvement at Florida State University has previously been uncovered. Now it’s Utah State:

“Free market economics”, for example, promotes for-profit schools (“charter schools”) and for-profit prisons. The Kochs would like to popularize their brand of “free market” thinking. Influencing teaching staff at universities is one way to do that.

News sources noted that a free-market thinker (one of several in recent years) joined the John M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University. Some of these are earning salary supplements provided by the conservative Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation.

Full story

Posted in Free Market Promotion, Infiltration & Influence | Leave a comment

Kochs Buying Property, Spending Money, In Iowa

Posted on August 1, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

There’s some curiosity in Iowa about the Kochs’ buying and spending spree in Iowa:

Land records on file in 20 Iowa counties reveal that Koch Industries or its subsidiaries now own 18 commercial and industrial facilities valued at nearly $90 million, including four ethanol plants purchased earlier this year.

As the Kochs’ business holdings here have grown, so, too, has their interest in Iowa politics. KochPac, the company’s political action committee, has contributed more than $130,000 to candidates for the Legislature and statewide office since 2003, records show.

The story

I believe the Kochs have discovered the best way to get their far-right ideology imposed is at the state level.

Posted in Infiltration & Influence, Koch Industries | Leave a comment

Kochsters Accused Of Engaging In Deception In Wisconsin

Posted on August 1, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

Americans For Plutocrats is doing what it can to keep its Republicans in office.

Upcoming Republican recall elections:

Americans for Prosperity is sending absentee ballots to Democrats in at least two Wisconsin state Senate recall districts with instructions to return the paperwork after the election date.

The fliers, obtained by POLITICO, ask solidly Democratic voters to return ballots for the Aug. 9 election to the city clerk “before Aug. 11.”

Politico

Posted in AFP: Americans For Plutocrats | Leave a comment

Who Needs Government? Kochsters Hold Their OWN “Town Hall” Meetings

Posted on August 1, 2011 by DamnedLiberal

Given the success of ALEC in getting right-wing legislation introduced in state legislatures, it’s obvious the best way to shape government to your liking is to take control of it.

Here’s another way: Hold your own “town hall” meetings.

Americans for Prosperity-Ohio kicks off a statewide series of Taxpayer Town Halls on August 16th in the Greater Cincinnati Area. AFP-Ohio is partnering with Tea Parties, 9-12 Groups, and other liberty organizations to host these town halls

The story

Posted in AFP: Americans For Plutocrats, Infiltration & Influence | Leave a comment