http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/04/29/971593/-Breaking!!-First-ever-demonstation-against-an-ALEC-event-in-CincinnatiFri Apr 29, 2011 at 08:54 PM PDT
Breaking!! First ever demonstation against an ALEC event in Cincinnati
by Ohiodem1 for KasichWatch
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We Kossacks should give a very hearty Well Done! to the organizing group Seeyouincincinnati, who only one month ago today had absolutely nothing, and in only one month, organized, got demonstration permits, located housing, and in general, organized a terriffic rally to begin the long process of shining the light on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) the right wing shadow government who has a major hand in writing our 50 state's draconion laws that do everything from privatizing prisons and making prisoners slave labor for corporate interests, to union busting bills OH SB5 and Wisconsin Senate Bill 11, to legislation introduced in 31 states to attempt to implement unneeded and expensive Voter ID requirements with the final goal to supress Democratic voters.
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ALEC hides behind its 501(c)3 tax exempt status, influences legislation (actually writes legislation) which is introduced in 50 state capitols, gets our state legislators to travel to its "educational" conferences on our taxpayer's nickel, and does this behind a shroud of secrecy.
In Cincinnati, we began to peel back that shroud, and some of the legislators began to squirm. It turns out, because of walks Bob Sloan and others took around the hotel where the conference was held, that legislators entered and exited the building through a back door, and the corporate CEO's, CFO and other executive types entered and exited through a side door. It is not known who came and went through the front door.
Mr. Sloan engaged three unidentified legislators who insisted to him that they didn't support a lot of the ALEC agenda, including, if I recall the conversation with Bob correctly, the Union busting legislation. It is very hard for me to believe that this is really the case. Our small demonstration succeeded in making some Republican legislators and possibly some corporate types feel a bit uncomfortable, which is exactly what our intention was. Our goal for a first event was not set unrealistically high, and in my view, it was a successful event. In one month, the organizers had workshops, somewhere between 100 and 120 protesters from Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Lousiana, who were there to help organize the ALEC Annual Convention protest in New Orleans in August. I am sure that folks from Kentucky and some other states were there as well, but I cannot confirm that. I think I may have heard Pennsylvania as well.
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Some of the legislators began to squirm... They should -- what they're doing is shameful.
This diary also thanks others who were in Cincinnati, including Hector Solon, who posts here at DU as well as at Daily Kos and has posted lots of helpful information in the compilation topic on the
American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
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