Landis, Bell and the United States of ALEC

Augusta County residents, are YOU represented in the Virginia House of Delegates? Probably not. Delegates Dickey Bell and Steve Landes pay far more attention to ALEC than they do to YOUR interests. Oh, maybe you live in one of the precincts misrepresented by Ben Cline - not to worry, ALEC controls many of his actions too.

We should all weep that our "democracy" has become government of, by, and for the rich and powerful corporations and special interests. Our "representatives" are laughing about all us dupes as they strut to the bank.

Prior posts about the corrupting influence of ALEC in the Virginia General Assembly:

• April 14, 2012
• April 21, 2012

Death to ALEC

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a right wing lobbying group with ties to the Koch brothers, Exxon-Mobil, the NRA and others, has tentacles reaching deep into the Commonwealth and the Shenandoah Valley. But, ALEC isn't just your garden variety lobbying group trying to influence bills that legislators draft based on ideas from constituents; it actually writes the laws and recruits the legislators to sponsor and support them.

In Virginia alone, some 50 ALEC-drafted bills were introduced including ones designed to curtail voting; to change tax, environment, and education policy; and to end even the most reasonable and timid gun safety laws. Delegate Dickie Bell's Castle Bill is one modeled by ALEC as is the Stand Your Ground law that led to the tragedy in Florida.

So how deep is ALEC's influence in the Commonwealth? Among the findings of a recent report (download the full PDF report here):

• Speaker William Howell is a member of ALEC's national leadership team. In 2009, he served as the group's national chairman. Howell asked several of his colleagues to carry ALEC bills and approved the expenditure of taxpayer money to send his colleagues to ALEC conferences.
• Between 2001 and 2010, the Commonwealth spent over $230,000 of taxpayer money to send legislators to ALEC conferences in order to meet with corporate lobbyists behind closed doors.
• ALEC spent over $70,000 directly lobbying legislators (and who knows how much more paying for conferences, meals, etc.).

In the Shenandoah Valley, Delegate Dickie Bell has especially tight ties with ALEC. In addition to the Castle Doctrine bill, Bell has introduced legislation to allow charter schools to circumvent policies of local school boards, to reduce regulations on greenhouse emissions, and a vague bill about rights with the intent of undermining and privatizing public education. His predecessor in the 20th District, Chris Saxman, had ALEC conference and registration fees paid so he could attend meetings in Washington and Texas. Saxman was also reimbursed, with taxpayer money, for travel to those meetings.

Delegate Steve Landes (District 25) and Delegate Ben Cline (District 24) cosponsored many of the same bills as Delegate Bell including bills pushing privatization in public education, the Castle Bill, and the bill to give tax breaks to businesses that create scholarships for students to attend private school.

Senator Emmett Hanger (District 24) received an $800 "gift" from ALEC to attend an ALEC health conference and used campaign funds to pay his $250 ALEC dues.

These Shenandoah Valley legislators' monetary and corrupting ties with ALEC pale in comparison to some the General Assembly's big dogs - Speaker Bill Howell, Delegate Kirk Cox, Senator Steve Martin, and many others are nestled so soundly in the ALEC bed that they probably only have vaguely charming notions of something called "constituents." Some legislators are feeling the heat - earlier this week Speaker Howell got testy (1:32 into the video) with the executive director of PROGRESS|VA and found himself apologizing (sorta) yesterday.

The danger inherent in ALEC's behind-closed-doors influence has recently been exposed with a bit of cleansing sunshine, both nationally and in many states. Some corporate sponsors such as Wendy's, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Kraft Foods have cut support and distanced themselves from ALEC. But so far ALEC has little to fear - many in corporate America simply set up a shell game of nonprofit political groups that do not have to disclose sources of funds.

So how do we, the "constituents" who have lost our clout in Virginia's "citizen legislature" fight back? First, get informed and follow this story into the muck and slime. Second, if you patronize companies that support ALEC let them know your strong disapproval and take your business elsewhere. Third, sign PROGRESS|VA's petition to send a message to legislators to stand with constituents rather than ALEC. Fourth, join with Common Cause and the national campaign to expose the corrupting influence of ALEC and to boot ALEC from the behind the closed doors of our legislative halls.

Tea Party Terrorists

The actual, real, documented acts of violence by the tea party folks are a long long ways from patriotism... they are acts of domestic terrorism. Eric Cantor, John McCain, John Bainor and other Repugs are tiptoeing around condemnation of vandalism/violence and encouragement of broken glass and cut gas lines... not quite telling the wingnuts to stop while saying words like "target" and "reload" are appropriate in this heated political environment.

I ran into a tea party type at a local grocery this week. She was in her 70s and her car sported a variety of flags like "Don't Tread on Me" and bumper stickers calling President Barack Obama a "socialist." She pulled in close so I asked her why she had all those flags and stickers. Her answer - "healthcare reform is socialism, a government takeover." I asked if she was on Medicare and happy with it. "Yeah," she said, "and they're trying to take it away." Huh?? She said "it was time to eliminate Obama and those damn Democrats who support him..." Now I don't know what she meant by "eliminate" but it sounds like PalinSpeak. Hunt 'em from helicopters??

Do you see the hypocrisy and misinformation in her comments? Can you hear idiots like Glen Beck echoing in her shallow brain? Or maybe the hate spread for months by local yokel politicians. It is time for Repugs to move beyond hate and into real policy. Into solving problems instead of creating divisions. I ain't holding my breath.

Curren/Bell to debate... sort of

Erik Curren and Dickie Bell will finally debate, although not before a live audience of voters as most of us probably anticipated. Sponsored by The News Leader and WHSV, the debate will air live on TV3 at 7PM on Tuesday, October 6 and will stream online at newsleader.com and whsv.com.

You may recall that Curren proposed, and Bell accepted, the concept of four debates with one in each of the jurisdictions within the 20th District. Since then Bell has adopted a strategy of weaving, bobbing, and delaying so there may not may never be debates that bring the candidates face to face with voters. So, the televised debate may be as good as it gets.

Over in the 25th District, Del. Steve Landes has inexcusably bailed out of the debate with Dr. Greg Marrow because of his "concerns of the (News Leader) editorial board not being fair and balanced...." Landes said he wanted a different moderator before the format and moderator were even discussed, according to Cindy Corell at The News Leader [emphasis added]. After getting thrashed by Marrow in a debate last week, Landes has apparently gone into hibernation mode.

With strong Democratic challengers for the first time in several election cycles, Valley Republicans don't quite seem to know how to proceed. Suddenly hollow records and bankrupt ideas are being challenged. It seems most Valley Repubs have adopted a strategy of keeping their mouths shut and laying low. If voters remain complacent, that strategy could work, but it could just as easily backfire in the last weeks of the campaign as people awake to the GOP evasion. Nobody likes candidates who hide from their own record, views, and voters. You are supposed to run for something, not from yourself.

Back in the 20th District we find Erik Curren proposing a well thought out plan to create jobs. Dickie Bell, as seems to be his mode of operation, was caught flatfooted and could only react to reporters' questions. Think we need more debates?

So let's see. In the 20th District we have a forward thinking candidate like Erik Curren who is putting ideas on the table OR we have Dickie Bell who is kicked back on his heels blindly reacting to Curren's proposals with generic talking points. What the hell do you expect, he didn't even think ahead enough to deal with his employment issues. And in the 25th, Del. Landes is hiding from Dr. Greg Marrow and the voters, apparently refusing more debates and blaming the media, his opponent... anybody but himself for his woes.

Election Day is but a month away. Tick Tock. The choices get clearer by the day.

Another empty chair?

The News Leader and TV3 were working on an early October debate between Dr. Greg Marrow and Del. Steve Landes. According to good sources, Landes has now bailed out of that commitment. Hard to have a good debate when one chair is empty.

Multiple choice quiz. Pick your favorite reason Del. Landes doesn't want to debate:

(a) feared another shellacking

(b) no good answer on the jobs issue

(c) doesn't have a new folder to hand Dr. Marrow

(d) he is still "POed"

(e) all of the above

Seems to be the Republican strategy in the 20th and 25th House districts - dodge debates and discussion of issues and hope voters in the Valley don't notice.

Marrow - Landes Debate

Steve Landes and Greg Marrow, candidates for the 25th House of Delegates, squared off in their first "debate" of the fall campaign at Kate Collins Middle School in Waynesboro at 6:00 PM on Thursday night. Given that it was during the dinner hour and it didn't get an abundance of publicity except perhaps in The News Virginian, turnout was fairly good but not great. It was a fairly typical debate format with questions posed by a moderator and none allowed from the audience. Nevertheless, at least those in attendance, and the rest of us through local media (NBC29, TV3, The News Virginian, The Daily News-Record, and The News Leader), got to see the two men side-by-side and compare their answers, their demeanor, and take the measure of each.

I won't dig into specific questions and answers, but like many, I left there with some impressions that may be instructive as voters make up their minds.

First, both campaigns were well represented by signs, and greeters, and by approximately the same number of folks sporting stickers (well, Marrow may have narrowly won this straw poll). I bet the campaigns, more than the news media, are responsible for getting people there. Usually incumbents have organizational advantages, except perhaps Del. Landes has lost the touch since he's frequently had little serious opposition. Apparently the campaigns have about an equal amount of energy and organization, which could keep this brawl competitive through Election Day.

Second, Dr. Greg Marrow more than held his own on knowledge about the issues against Del. Steve Landes, who has been in the House 13 years. Such is often not the case as incumbents have experiences and resources from which to draw. I imagine this comes across as Dr. Marrow goes door-to-door and meets voters.

Third, Del. Landes is usually a mild mannered person... some might even say nice, but kind of boring. At the debate's end, in response to jabs about jobs from Dr. Marrow, Del. Landes proclaimed he was "POed" about the jobs issue which Dr. Marrow has been pressing for several months. Flashing "anger," Landes blasted Marrow for not knowing his record and made a show of handing Marrow a binder with the Landes record and biography. Whew! Two things came to mind as I watched and listened: (a) Landes feels a bit uneasy on the jobs issue and is going to great pains to justify his past actions (inactions?); he's even moved ever so slightly to talking about green jobs, and (b) his angry response appeared canned and artificial - was he coached to show he has a little fire in his belly?

So, no knockout in this one (as in most debates). Many in the audience probably thought their guy was better on the specifics of the issues. But from my roost looking behind the campaign's facades, the Marrow folks have good reason to cheer. They have a smart candidate who is up to speed on the issues with an energetic organization to deliver his message. And they can take heart in the feeling that's been expressed by some neutral observers: Del. Landes' heart is not 100% in the campaign. Or in serving? Landes seemed to verify that he came to the debate angling to dispel that perception, telling the DNR afterwards, "I think I made it clear that I have a passion to serve...." Hum, if ya gotta say it...?

Links to media coverage are below. Always interesting to compare them!

NBC29

TV3

Daily News-Record

News Virginian

News Leader