Why
the U. S. is victim to weak governance — local, state, federal elective officials
for sale
Excerpt,
minor editing by Carolyn Bennett
 |
| CRP Open Secrets' image |
Center
for Responsive Politics update: http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/09/alec-corporations-are-big-spenders.html?utm_source=CRP+Mail+List&utm_campaign=15780ed808-Newsletter_9_15_119_14_2011&utm_medium=email
Table below shows lobbying expenditures of 23 ‘ALEC’ companies since 2009.
Figures for 2011 through the end of June, the most
recently available data:
Organization
|
2009
|
2010
|
2011
|
Altria Group
|
$12,770,000
|
$10,360,000
|
$5,480,000
|
American Bail Coalition
|
$0
|
$80,000
|
$35,000
|
AT&T Inc.
|
$14,729,673
|
$15,395,078
|
$11,690,000
|
Bayer AG
|
$8,478,512
|
$4,903,640
|
$3,380,000
|
Coca-Cola Co.
|
$9,390,000
|
$7,352,795
|
$3,450,000
|
Diageo PLC
|
$2,250,000
|
$2,620,000
|
$1,100,000
|
Energy Future Holdings Corp.
|
$3,974,014
|
$4,731,228
|
$2,770,000
|
Exxon Mobil
|
$27,430,000
|
$12,450,000
|
$6,820,000
|
GlaxoSmithKline
|
$8,760,000
|
$6,070,000
|
$2,650,000
|
Intuit Inc.
|
$2,142,000
|
$2,249,000
|
$1,589,000
|
Johnson & Johnson
|
$6,560,000
|
$6,700,000
|
$3,106,000
|
Koch Industries
|
$12,450,000
|
$8,070,000
|
$4,060,000
|
Kraft Foods
|
$3,390,000
|
$3,000,000
|
$1,450,000
|
Peabody Energy
|
$5,835,000
|
$6,591,000
|
$3,727,000
|
Pfizer Inc.
|
$25,819,268
|
$13,380,000
|
$7,440,000
|
PhRMA
|
$26,150,520
|
$21,740,000
|
$9,290,000
|
Reed Elsevier Inc.
|
$2,130,000
|
$1,670,000
|
$810,000
|
Reynolds American
|
$4,556,215
|
$4,323,293
|
$1,728,305
|
Salt River Project
|
$1,170,000
|
$870,000
|
$370,000
|
State Farm Insurance
|
$3,420,000
|
$3,620,000
|
$1,540,000
|
United Parcel Service
|
$8,430,526
|
$5,587,349
|
$2,642,399
|
Wal-Mart Stores
|
$7,390,000
|
$6,160,000
|
$4,070,000
|
ALEC
“The
American Legislative Exchange Council or ALEC is an ideologically conservative
consortium of state legislators and business interests known to draft model
legislation for state lawmakers across the country.” Comprising ALEC’s ‘private enterprise board’
are 23 corporations (above chart).
|
| CRP Open Secrets' image |
According to a recent report by the Center
for Responsive Politics, the ALEC 23 “have been mustering a juggernaut of
lobbyists to target congressional initiatives” — and federal departments such
as “the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA).”
ALEC’s
influence also extends to campaign contributions for a number of candidates.
Table of top 20 political candidates receiving donations from the 23 ALEC companies in the 2010 election cycle
Recipient
|
Total
|
# of ALEC Co.'s
|
John Boehner (R-Ohio)
|
$368,247
|
18
|
Eric Cantor (R-Va.)
|
$328,148
|
17
|
Richard Burr (R-NC)
|
$257,001
|
19
|
Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)
|
$247,900
|
17
|
Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.)
|
$221,485
|
18
|
Pete Sessions (R-Texas)
|
$190,944
|
14
|
Dave Camp (R-Mich.)
|
$186,850
|
18
|
Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)
|
$181,300
|
17
|
Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.)
|
$176,150
|
19
|
James Clyburn (D-S.C.)
|
$167,248
|
15
|
Harry Reid (D-Nev.)
|
$160,700
|
14
|
Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska)
|
$138,000
|
17
|
Fred Upton (R-Mich.)
|
$136,648
|
17
|
James DeMint (R-S.C.)
|
$131,650
|
16
|
John Thune (R-S.D.)
|
$130,908
|
18
|
Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)
|
$125,782
|
11
|
Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)
|
$123,871
|
13
|
Mike Rogers (R-Mich.)
|
$123,450
|
12
|
Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)
|
$117,999
|
14
|
Rob Portman (R-Ohio)
|
$117,750
|
18
|
Source
“Corporations Represented on ALEC's
Private Enterprise Board Are Big Spenders in Washington” (Brad Hooker), September
12, 2011, http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2011/09/alec-corporations-are-big-spenders.html?utm_source=CRP+Mail+List&utm_campaign=15780ed808-Newsletter_9_15_119_14_2011&utm_medium=email
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| CRP Open Secrets' image |
Center for Responsive Politics research [report’s contributing
researchers Dan Auble and Sarah Bryner] reveals that people and PACs [political
action committees] associated with the 23 companies have donated —
- $916,100 to the National Republican Congressional Committee
- $859,700 to the National Republican Senatorial Committee
- $445,600 to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
- $324,900 to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
- $218,300 to the Republican National Committee
- $174,200 to the Democratic National Committee
___________________________
Bennett's books available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; The Book Den, Ltd.: BookDenLtd@frontiernet.net [Danville, NY]; Talking Leaves Books-Elmwood: talking.leaves.elmwood@gmail.com [Buffalo, NY]; Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza: http://www.bhny.com/ [Albany, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY]; LONGS’ Cards and Books: http://longscardsandbooks.com/ [Penn Yan, NY] • Articles also at World Pulse: Global Issues through the eyes of Women: http://www.worldpulse.com/ http://www.worldpulse.com/pulsewire
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