Staff of Koch-funded Northwood University co-authored MI op-ed piece with ALEC task force director

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http://www.ourmidland.com/opinion/article_56136bfb-09ef-5257-b37e-2b86e8dc3e1d.html

Policies that fuel economic performance outlined
By Timothy G. Nash, Keith A. Pretty, Jonathan Williams and John O. Young
Posted: Sunday, April 17, 2011

What public policies drive job creation and economic growth? It is a critical question for states such as Michigan, which has had one of the poorest performing state economies in the U.S. over the last decade. While most economic development initiatives involve targeting certain industries, we recently suggested five broad reforms for Michigan designed to energize the state's economy. The reforms ranged from tax cuts and labor reform to privatization and reduction of public sector jobs.

-snip-

This op-ed piece, which to a casual observer would look like something put forth by unbiased academics, is based on ALEC's "Rich States, Poor States" study and recommendations. Williams co-authored "Rich States, Poor States."

Nash, Pretty and Young work for Koch-funded Northwood University, which specializes in training entrepreneurs and managers. Northwood's stated mission, on their website, is to "develop the future leaders of a global, free-enterprise society" and they have campuses in China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, England and Switzerland, as well as the US. Nash directs their Koch Scholars Program. Northwood's featured speakers have included a past president of the Charles G. Koch Foundation:

http://focusdailynews.com/northwood-university-hosts-worldrenowned-economist-prolific-author-p3349-1.htm

Of course the op-ed doesn't mention the connection to the Kochs. (Which includes ALEC, since the Kochs help fund ALEC.)

I've seen Jonathan Williams' name a lot in news stories recently as he testifies in support of ALEC's model legislation around the country, but this is the first time I've seen him pen an op-ed with the help of university staff members whose connections to the Kochs aren't revealed.

This op-ed piece makes several of ALEC's usual arguments, and one that's new to me (and that I can't find in "Rich States, Poor States").

The usual arguments are against unions, against the minimum wage, and against corporate income tax, and in favor of lower personal income taxes.

The new item is the suggestion that states do better if the state legislatures are only part-time and have small staffs (hence lower costs).

Of course part-time state legislators with small staffs have even more need of convenient "model legislation" of the sort ALEC offers.

So ALEC not only wants to increase the power of state governments vis-a-vis both the federal government and local governments, they'd also like to reduce the ability of state legislators to focus on problems in their own individual states -- which increases ALEC's influence.


See the long compilation topic, with hundreds of replies and links, for more information on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

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