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ALEC's insidious activities on behalf of the tobacco, pharmaceutical, petro-chemical, insurance and banking industries are intended to do harm to economic, environmental, educational, health and judicial fairness interests of every American. The net reult of their activities is to simply increase their bottom lines without concern for social consequence. For this group to be considered a tax-exempt enterprise is mind-boggling. What they do is mass-market lobbying which should not be protected under our tax laws. Furthermore, legislators who promote ALEC's model bills word for word should be exposed as not representing the best interests of their constituents, but as shills for their corporate bosses. And the reimbursements legislators receive from ALEC for their attendance and that of their families at ALEC conferences in places with palm trees should be subject to income tax and investigated as violations of ethical rules and those concerning gifts to public officials.

As an American, I am disgusted by this sale of our government to corporate interests. Of course, all of this is being facilitated by the US Supreme Court in its ludicrously outrageous and shameful Citizens United decision unleashing corporations to do what they wish under the sheep's clothing guise of "freedom of speech". The only way of reversing this dangerous slide down the slippery slope toward changing the Republic into a corporatocracy is to shine a strong light on the activities of ALEC and its sponsors to reveal the true nature of their legislative initiatives, none of which are intended to benefit the average American. The Center for Media and Democracy and groups like Common Cause are to be applauded for leading the way.