Your browser does not support modern web standards implemented on our site
Therefore the page you accessed might not appear as it should.
See www.webstandards.org/upgrade for more information.

Whatcom Watch Bird Logo


Past Issues


Whatcom Watch Online
The Hijacking of Our Democracy


February 2013

Occupy Bellingham

The Hijacking of Our Democracy

by written by members of Occupy Bellingham

Occupy Bellingham, in unison with the global occupation movements taking place in hundreds of cites across our nation and in over 80 countries worldwide, is working to end corporate personhood, to get money out of politics, and to promote complete transparency on finance and government. To learn about upcoming events: www.occupybellinghamwa.org

On Friday November 16, Occupy Bellingham sponsored a screening of the Bill Moyers’ report “The United States of ALEC.” Forty-five concerned citizens showed up for the viewing and for the ensuing discussion and action planning. Participants attending most events of this sort leave the event with no way to stay connected to it. Occupy Bellingham, grounded in education and community involvement, invited participants to sign up so we all can continue to plan and act around this issue.

So what is ALEC? The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is both a state lobbying organization and a corporate front group. It trains legislators to write legislation favoring the interests of large corporations. It operates in secret meetings with legislators to draft “model bills” and get them introduced in statehouses across the country. To do this, ALEC disguises itself as a membership organization for state lawmakers, who pay a nominal fee of $50 per year to sit alongside representatives of corporations and vote on “model legislation.”

Because ALEC has closely guarded its secrecy, the public was not aware of this organization until a whistle blower leaked over 800 internal documents in July of 2011 to the Center for Media and Democracy. Examples of ALEC sponsored legislation include the privatization of state prisons. “Mandatory minimums,” “three strikes” and “truth in sentencing” laws spread across the country as ALEC approved bills, sending four times more people to prison since 1980. ALEC is involved in eliminating collective bargaining rights. Locally the DMV has been privatized and cashiers at Yorky’s are now doing post office jobs. New hires are not offered pensions.

How dangerous is ALEC? A major role ALEC is playing in these times is the privatization of everything. One danger is the secretive nature of corporate control of our democracy. Another danger is that the legislation coming out of ALEC benefits corporations at the expense of citizens. This allows the corporate model, with its profit motive as a guiding principle, to infiltrate our public institutions and spaces. Currently in the 40th and 42nd legislative districts, Doug Eriksen is the only known ALEC member, but other legislative members are supported by the same corporations that make up ALEC.

How are citizens reacting to information about ALEC? Occupy Bellingham heard concerns from many people that our society is being hijacked by corporations. Yet, we have also met people who know nothing about ALEC, others who are passive about the implications and others who might think privatization of our democracy is good. You can explore this topic further:

• www.alecexposed.org

• www.prwatch.org

• www.commoncause.org

• www.alicelaw.org

• www.sourcewatch.org


Back to Top of Story