Government Up for Bids

As I referenced in an earlier blog much of our legislation actually takes place outside of the statehouse and the halls of Congress. Funded secretly by the likes of Big Tobacco, Blue Cross-Blue Shield, the NRA and Exxon, ALEC was dreamed up by the "Movement Conservative", Paul Weyrich and the Heritage Foundation to basically bribe our elected officials. The Citizens United decision was ALEC"s cherry on top. Now its sponsors, multiplying like a massive virus, are free to attack our civil rights, environment laws and our few remaining workplace and consumer protections. All while retaining sufficient anonymity for plausible (if improbable) deniability.

The Health Care Bill is a prime example of the duplicitous strategy. On the surface Blue Cross Blue Shield fully supported health reform. In fact, it is secretly funding right-wing groups to attack it. Behind closed doors ALEC members are working with Republican lawmakers to declare the health care reform "unconstitutional". 'Pay to play' means corporate wet dreams often drive public policy.

Arizona's new immigration law is a blatant example. As NPR reports, it's not all about the policy, it's about the money.

The bill's big winner was the Corrections Corporation of America. If signed into law company executives expect to make a bundle from the federal government for detaining undocumented immigrants.

Let the Bribing Begin!

Thirty of the bill's 36 co-sponsors received donations from prison lobbyists or prison companies: Corrections Corporation of America, Management and Training Corporation and The Geo Group. Two of the Governor's top advisers, her spokesman as well as her campaign manager Chuck Coughlin were all former lobbyists for the private prison complex.

So it is in 'free-market' 'liberty-loving' America. The rich write the laws and we the people pay the piper.