Shut Down the Corporations! Occupy Groups Target ALEC
"Over 70 cities are participating today in a national day of action called by Occupy Portland to "Shut Down the Corporations." The group calls for non-violent direct action to "target corporations that are part of the American Legislative Exchange Council which is a prime example of the way corporations buy off legislators and craft legislation that serves the interests of corporations and not people."
The group explains the action on its website:
Occupy Portland calls for a national day of non-violent direct action to reclaim our voices and challenge our societys obsession with profit and greed by shutting down the corporations. We are rejecting a society that does not allow us control of our future. We will reclaim our ability to shape our world in a democratic, cooperative, just and sustainable direction."
"There has been a theft by the 1% of our democratic ability to shape and form the society in which we live and our society is steered toward the destructive pursuit of consumption, profit and greed at the expense of all else."
"We call on people to target corporations that are part of the American Legislative Exchange Council which is a prime example of the way corporations buy off legislators and craft legislation that serves the interests of corporations and not people. They used it to create the anti-labor legislation in Wisconsin and the racist bill SB 1070 in Arizona among so many others. They use ALEC to spread these corporate laws around the country."
http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/02/29
Bill USA
(6,436 posts)grahamhgreen
(15,741 posts)"ALEC gathers lawmakers and corporate interests together to draft model legislation, which is then sent back to state legislatures to be passed. But usually, the lawmakers remember to strip out the ALEC branding from it. Everything from stricter drug laws that help the private prison industry to anti-EPA laws that help the big oil industry to voter ID laws that help the Republican Party are produced by ALEC. Its become increasingly clear whats going on: we elect representatives and they represent corporations." - Thom Hartmann