Insidious threat | The Salt Lake Tribune

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The secretive cabal called the American Legislative Exchange Council may be the most insidious threat to the cherished ideal of government by the people, for the people since the country was founded.

ALEC is composed of America's largest corporations, including Big Oil and tobacco, right-wing institutions such as the billionaire Koch brothers and the Heritage Foundation, and Republican legislative hacks from legislatures all over the country, including Utah's favorite extremists.

Who is behind the push to privatize public lands? Who is pushing stand-your-ground and other dangerous gun laws? Who is writing legislation for voter-suppression laws? Who is behind the war on unions? Who is behind the demonization of health care reform? Who is leading the campaign impugning climate change science? Who's behind privatizing public education? Who is behind Citizen's United, the Supreme Court decision giving corporations First Amendment rights?

Ask Sen. Curt Bramble, R-Provo, who ALEC named "legislator of the year" in 2008.

Turn on the klieg lights — the fabric, the very premise of our country is being rotted away by this group. Our state leaders are prioritizing this cartel's agenda above their sworn duty to work in the best interests of the citizens. The stakes have never been higher.

Michael J. Bodell

Midvale