Real Estate "Flopping" The New Corporate Screw Job

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Thursday November 14, 2013 · 6:49 AM PST

2013/11/14 · 06:49

Ever waited by your phone for hours waiting for that exact minute when you could buy tickets to a concert for you favorite artist? Your phone is programmed with the number of the box office so you could just hit redial when the clock struck the proverbial, high noon - - you were prepared to get the best seats? Then it's time - you hit redial - you get the box office and all the really good tickets are gone - cause a corporate entity with pull and lots of money robo-d all the best seats so they could resell them. Pissed you off right?

Well, a similar thing is happening now in the real estate markets. A scam that leads me to mistrust any statements made in the press about the current state of the real estate market. Most people have never heard of this - so let me build you the story below the squiggle.

MNDem999

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Saturday November 02, 2013 · 8:56 AM PDT

2013/11/02 · 08:56

For the past 3 years I have written that you have to be careful about everything that ALEC writes - that they intentionally mislead the press and the public.

For years, the ALEC group here are DK has tried to warn readers that ALEC was out to destroy our democratic representative government - of, for and by the people.

The message of warning, has become much more critical and foreboding with the drop of the ALEC 2012 - 990 last night.

MNDem999

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Monday August 05, 2013 · 7:48 PM PDT

2013/08/05 · 19:48

Just a little update and some info.

The protests against ALEC started today

Moral Monday Coalition drops banners, risks arrests to protest corporate-authored legislation
Chicago--(ENEWSPF)--August 5 - The Chicago Moral Monday Coalition, an alliance of Chicago clergy, lay people, unions and community organizations, has just taken over the lobby of the Palmer House Hilton, at 17 E. Monroe St., to protest the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which is slated to meet at the hotel this Wednesday for its 40th annual national conference. The Coalition is demanding that the Palmer House rescind its invitation to ALEC. Numerous Coalition members intend to risk arrest should the hotel not meet their demand, in order to raise awareness of the backroom deals ALEC makes with legislators, and demand ALEC be held accountable. A press conference will immediately follow the action, at the Monroe Street entrance.

MNDem999

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Saturday August 03, 2013 · 8:30 AM PDT

2013/08/03 · 08:30

August 7 - 9
Chicago, IL
ALEC Annual Meeting
ALEC 40th Anniversary

The union rally against ALEC on August 8 is getting the most press.

I just want people to be aware that there are three days of action planned.
I've heard a group is planning an OLB.

Follow both - on their webpages linked above.

If you don't know why you should be in Chicago to protest ALEC - please read my reprint of an earlier diary - below.

MNDem999

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Friday July 19, 2013 · 7:37 PM PDT

2013/07/19 · 19:37

In 2011 Durbin called out ALEC's roll in voter suppression in a senate hearing on state voting laws

Chairman Durbin. Do you dispute my premise that the
American Legislative Exchange Council has played an active role
in the promulgation of the State laws that we are discussing
here today?

Last month at the NALEO meeting while presenting on a panel (sitting right next to an ALEC member) - some of the attendees tweeted out the following

Sen Durbin from IL asks NALEO to ask their sponsors if they continue to fund right wing ALEC
Thank you Senator Durbin for speaking truth to power at NALEO event today. Investigate ALEC and their financial supporters.

Today - again he had the guts to call out ALEC. Read More

Now, ALEC Doesn't Support It's Own Legislation.

MNDem999

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Tuesday July 16, 2013 · 11:43 AM PDT

2013/07/16 · 11:43

ALEC Doesn't Support It's Legislation - when the press gets too bad.

Ever had one of those moments when you did exactly what the boss told you to do - it went badly and then the boss lets you take the fall for it? Most of us refer to it as getting the shaft - kicked to the curb or ....

Many of us have had that experience.

ALEC legislators go to ALEC meetings - pick up legislation written by corporations and distributed to them by ALEC - to implement in your state.
We all know the schtick.
And it's worked pretty well for ALEC legislators - up 'til now.

Now, ALEC legislators are going to find out what happens
- when you do what you were told
- and then you are left blowing in the wind
- cause there is no one to support you,
no one to put out press releases for you ,
no one to cover your rear or come to your rescue

- when all they were doing - was what ALEC/NRA told them to do.

MNDem999

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Saturday July 13, 2013 · 8:43 AM PDT

2013/07/13 · 08:43

This morning while reading the comments in a diary about what happened in Texas last night - I saw people mentioning ALEC and trying to connect the dots for others that there was a connection between ALEC and the war on women legislation we are seeing play out in legislatures across the United States.

There is.

But some may not be aware of the connection - so I am republishing an edited and very slightly modified version of a much longer diary I posted 18 months ago.

MNDem999

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Friday June 21, 2013 · 8:47 AM PDT

2013/06/21 · 08:47

Two years ago I wrote my first DK diary and it started out with

I didn’t know about the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) until about 8 weeks ago. Since that time it has basically consumed my life. The fact that our State legislators are sitting at the table with companies such as Koch, WalMart and AT&T drafting, deliberating and approving “model legislation” for our states and our country - makes me sick. The fact that our legislators think this is okay, is revolting to me.
The fact that all the companies that belong to ALEC have the money to lobby our US government and in addition, have the ability to affect the legislation at the State level through ALEC state legislative members, makes me sick. The fact that our legislators at the state and federal government condone this, is revolting to me.

Based on my research I have come to the opinion that ALEC is subverting American democracy and the democratic (small d) process, at all levels of the government, in the name of free markets and federalism (which in this case is a truly horrible thing).

Over the course of the past two months I have spent my nights and weekends trying to find out as much as I could about ALEC. I wanted to know who their members were. I wanted to look at the legislation they were proposing. I wanted to know exactly which of their “model legislation” was passed as law. I wanted to know what their “real” philosophy was. I wanted to know what their “true” purpose was. So I started doing research. Doing research on ALEC is difficult as they “scrub of the web” quite often, now-a-days.

I can now amend that by saying,
Since that time it has basically consumed my life.
Over the course of the past two years I have spent my nights and weekends trying to find out as much as I could about ALEC. Read More

ALEC - What's Your Breaking Point, People?

MNDem999

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Wednesday June 05, 2013 · 5:27 AM PDT

2013/06/05 · 05:27

This morning driving in to work I heard a repeat of a Democracy Now broadcast - an interview with Ralph Nader where he pointed out:

So we’ve got a real problem here. It’s not too extreme to call our system of government now "American fascism." It’s the control of government by big business, which Franklin Delano Roosevelt defined in 1938 as fascism. And they control the government and turn the government to their favor—subsidies, handouts, giveaways, deferred prosecutions, non-prosecutions—and against the American people. And minimum wage is just one. You have full Medicare for all, which a majority of doctors and the American people want, with free choice of doctor and hospital. That’s the only—we’re the only Western country that doesn’t have it. Eight hundred Americans a week die because they cannot afford diagnosis and treatment for their ailments. That’s 800 Americans a week, 45,000 a year. Who says so? A study, peer-reviewed, out of Harvard Medical School. So, we have the lowest minimum wage in the Western world. We have the greatest amount of consumer debt. We have the highest child poverty, the highest adult poverty, huge underemployment, a crumbling public works—but huge multi-billionaires and hugely profitable corporations.
I say to the American people: What’s your breaking point? When are you going to stop making excuses for yourself? When are you going to stop exaggerating these powers when you know you have the power in this country if you organize it?

Then less than an hour later I read that Missouri voters sent another ALECer to Congress yesterday in a special election.

State Rep. Jason Smith (R) easily won Missouri’s 8th district special election Tuesday, outpacing three other candidates in a heavily conservative district.
With 78 percent of the vote counted, the Associated Press called the race for Smith, who was leading Democratic nominee Steve Hodges 68 percent to 27 percent.

In addition to being one of the youngest members of Congress (he’s 32 years old), Jason Smith is Missouri’s state Chairman for the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

Fascism - being expanded one vote at a time.

I say to the American people: What’s your breaking point? When are you going to stop making excuses for yourself?

With that in mind I re-post an entry from a couple a months ago.
A post that is just as important today as it was then -a nd in a few weeks, it will be too late, to be important. Read More

Alex Gibney, "Park Avenue"

MNDem999

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Thursday May 23, 2013 · 7:21 PM PDT

2013/05/23 · 19:21

I did a search and did not find this.
I did find a great diary by Puddytat on how David Koch blocked this.
I apologize if this is a repeat - but need to post it in case it is not.

A must see for everyone

“Money is used to buy results – that is the problem.”
“America's became a place where money buys everything.”

The Alex Gibney Movie

Version One
104,000+ views as of tonight

59 minutes

Park Avenue: money, power and the American dream - Why Poverty?

Version Two
They are almost identical in parts - I watched both - but there are major differences.

Here's the link to the 54 minute version. This is the one that would have broadcast on public television's "Independent Lens".
13,000+ views

Park Avenue - Money, Power & the American Dream [HD]

Wish there was a way that a bunch of us could watch it at the same time and liveblog our reactions.

Nothing below the squiggle.

R U Ready 4 Your 15 Minutes of Fame?

MNDem999

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Friday May 10, 2013 · 11:22 AM PDT

2013/05/10 · 11:22

The downside of this idea is that your email box will be inundated with Republicon propaganda from Representative Stockman and anyone else he sells your email address to.

MNDem999

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Thursday May 09, 2013 · 4:44 PM PDT

2013/05/09 · 16:44

I have been waiting patiently for someone to post this - cause I wanted to see what your response and reaction was.

To be frank - I have not been able to wrap my head around the TOTAL impact of what I am about to tell you - so I come to you, looking forward to your comments and reactions.

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Real Estate "Flopping" The New Corporate Screw Job

ALEC "Limited Representative Government" About to Be Launched

ALEC Protest Started as a Chicago Moral Monday

Chicago ALEC ProtestS - this week

Durbin to hold hearing on 'stand your ground' laws

Now, ALEC Doesn't Support It's Own Legislation.

Connecting the Dots - ALEC & the War on Women

The USA is Not OK with ALEC

ALEC - What's Your Breaking Point, People?

Alex Gibney, "Park Avenue"

R U Ready 4 Your 15 Minutes of Fame?

ALEC Gives FoIA the Finger