While we are busy trying to find members of the American Legislative Exchange Council and trying to catch ALEC legislation before it gets implemented, ALEC has moved on to their next area of US destruction – their federalism focus. To put it bluntly and in ALEC’s words from their 2011 publication EPA’s Regulatory Train Wreck: Strategies for State Legislators:
Reclaiming State Sovereignty
With the growing threat of overbearing federal authority in a several areas, legislators are looking to new strategies to push back against the Leviathan and reassert Tenth Amendment authority. ALEC’s recent “Restore the Balance” initiative offers a series of model bills and proposed constitutional amendments to emphasize state powers.8 From interstate compacts to the so-called Madison Amendment, available tools have been thoroughly discussed
The topic for this diary was brought to my attention
by an excellent diary by Kossack War on Error that I strongly recommend you read – it’s short and to the point and gives you the background for where I am about to go.
The attack on Medicare is nothing new for the American Legislative Exchange Council. I believe they were the first ones to refer to it as an "entitlement" program going back over a decade ago.
In the 2005 State Legislators’ Guide to Health Insurance Solutions and Glossary ALEC makes this statement:
At present, the U.S. Medicare program for seniors operates like a single-payer system,
and follows with this:
In addition, seniors in the federal Medicare program are outside of state law. Thus, there are simply too many people whose health insurance plans are outside of state control
Those two statement are then reiterated in a 2009 ALEC press release that stated:
Washington, D.C.—Federal efforts to establish a Medicare-modeled “public plan” and a national health insurance exchange would trample states’ rights and lead Americans down the road to single-payer health care, said the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a nonpartisan organization of 1,800 state legislators nationwide.
ALEC is really afraid of this "single payer concept" and equally apalled at "growing threat of overbearing federal authority in a several areas". They are getting really serious about their state sovereignty agenda and we are starting to see the push now.
In a September 2008 ALEC Policy Forum the following statement was made:
States and local communities know best when it comes to managing their resources and deciding how to use them. Carefully designed local programs specifically tailored to solve community problems should not be displaced in favor of one-size-fits-all federal formulas.
ALEC means what they say and says what they mean
And it's becoming really evident that they want the state to reign supreme.
(For more and detailed information on this I recommend the diaries by Kossack Feltznook).
I can't help wondering what the total impact is of having ALEC Alumni in the US Congress in regards to ALEC's state sovereignty movement. How are they helping ALEC in regards to items such as this and pushing federal initiatives to the state level? That unknown factor compounds the absolute horror of this.
It's funny that they don't seek input on that agenda. I wonder how many of us would actually agree with them today?
But - today - doesn't matter - ALEC is probably still using the statistics from a November 1993 ALEC newsletter named FYI :
According to a CBS News/New York Times poll, most Americans are more than ready for a return to federalism and are confident that the states can effectively administer what are now federal programs. The proof is in the strong response to the following questions: Which do you feel has too much power, the federal government or state governments? Forty-eight percent said the federal government; 5 percent said state governments. Second question: If Medicare were administered by state governments and not the federal government, do you think the states would do a better or worse job? Fifty-seven percent said the states would do a better job; 29 percent said the states would do a worse job.
Well, folks – they are now going to give it a try and the ALEC “model legislation” is probably circulating in your state legislature as we speak.
And why would they do this – easy answer – ALEC led profitization for the private sector / corporate enterprise member.
In a July 2004 ALEC report titled: Medicaid’s Perverse Incentives the following statement is made:
It is widely acknowledged that Medicare significantly low-balls private sector insurers and self-pay patients.
Second question: If Medicare were administered by state governments and not the federal government, do you think the states would do a better or worse job?
Well it looks likes ALEC wants to find out the "real-time" answer to that - with the partnering that they have done with the Texas Public Policy Foundation.
And you and I - if you are my age - would be the guinea pigs of this new ALEC experiment on the American people.
Alexandria, Va. (Nov. 30, 2011)– The Health Care Compact Alliance today announced the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), the nation’s largest nonpartisan individual membership association of state legislators, has adopted the Health Care Compact as model legislation.
The concept of using interstate compacts to return sovereignty to the states was originally developed by the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), a non-profit, free-market research institute.
And the summary is
>>>HERE<<
Please note the last item
Withdrawal: Any member state can withdraw from this Compact at any time.
Translation: State leaves the program – people no longer have health/Medicare coverage – citizen gets screwed – while some ALEC corporation walks away with a pile of money that was put into Medicare by you and me every time we got a paycheck for working our fingers to the bone – mostly in the private sector.
>>>HERE IS THE WHOLE THING<<<<
But here is a snip:
The Health Care Compact
FINAL Version – 23 February 2011 Page 1 of 4
Whereas, the separation of powers, both between the branches of the 1 Federal government and between Federal and State authority, is essential to the preservation of individual liberty;
Whereas, the Constitution creates a Federal government of limited and enumerated
powers, and reserves to the States or to the people those powers not granted to the
Federal government;
Whereas, the Federal government has enacted many laws that have preempted State
laws with respect to Health Care, and placed increasing strain on State budgets,
Sounds more like a tenther resolution - similar to one that AELC has been trying to push since the late 1970's.
And a snip form InsideALEC, June 2011 by Spencer Harris - Texas Public Policy
Foundation
The Health Care Compact is an interstate compact between two or more states that is then sent to Congress for ratification as required by Article I, Section 10 of the U.S. Constitution. Once ratified, it becomes federal law, superseding all previous federal law. The Health Care Compact currently under consideration in a number of states is a non-prescriptive compact that would allow member states to administer health policy in whatever way the people and legislature of that state decided was best.
…
The Health Care Compact presents an opportunity for states to rewrite their role in health care policy and reap the benefits of government reform for decades to come
.
God help us!!!!
Just what I want – ALEC members in charge of my long-term healthcare coverage!
I'd rather die than have to seek help for my health under an ALEC directed healthcare system.
A little bit about the Texas Policy Foundation
The Texas Policy Foundation is a member of the American Legislative Exchange council and ALEC’s Public Safety and Elections Task Force.
Texas Public Policy Foundation
The Texas Public Policy Foundation’s mission is to promote and defend liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise in Texas by educating and affecting policymakers and the Texas public policy debate with academically sound research and outreach.
WELL – through ALEC’s help – they aren’t just in TEXAS anymore.
ALEC poster boy Scott Walker (R-KOCH) was the Keynote Speakerat the Texas Policy Foundation this past January.
Funding sources for the Texas Policy Foundation include about a half a million dollars over the last 10 years from the ($100,00 alone just two years ago):
Claude R. Lambe Charitable Foundation
Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation
Claude R Lambe – being a Koch foundation also.
Other funders include
Armstrong Foundation,
Castle Rock Foundation
Exxon Mobil
Jaquelin Hume Foundation
Roe Foundation
State Policy Network $135,000
AND ALL have been affiliated with ALEC – either as a funder or a contributing member.
Now tell me folks - do you want your ALEC legislator making decisions for you? I think we can agree we've had enough of those egomaniacs and their ALEC pro-business, anti citzen mumble jumble.
And you and I - if you are my age - would be the guinea pigs of this new ALEC experiment on the American people - a life and death experiment.
It's starting to feel like the entire universe has been taken over by ALEC.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE
Do not elect or re-elect any ALEC members to the state or federal government.
We have to get this democracy destroying infection out of of country.