What is ALEC? How Model Legislation is Written by Corporations
Founded in 1973 by Paul Weyrich and other conservative activists frustrated by recent electoral setbacks, ALEC is a critical arm of the right-wing network of policy shops that, with infusions of corporate cash, has evolved to shape American politics. Inspired by Milton Friedman’s call for conservatives to “develop alternatives to existing policies [and] keep them alive and available,” ALEC’s model legislation reflects long-term goals: downsizing government, removing regulations on corporations and making it harder to hold the economically and politically powerful to account.
Peru Oil Pipeline to Endanger “Uncontacted People” in “Most Biodiverse Area in South America”
On July 22, Peru’s Energy Ministry gave the green light to Anglo-French company Perenco to build a pipeline in a remote part of the Peruvian Amazon that was described by one US scientist as, “the most biodiverse area in South America.”Perenco is operating in an area between the Napo and Tigre rivers known as Lot 67, the first oil concession created in that region and initially licensed to US-based Advantage Resources in 1995.
VIDEO INVESTIGATION: Gas Well Flaring in the Marcellus Shale
“Flaring” is a term used to describe the burning of natural gas from a well that has not yet been linked to a pipeline. When a well is “flared,”a huge flame lights up the sky, reaching higher than tree tops, accompanied by a noise similar to a 757 jet engine. The sight and sound of a flaring well are quite intimidating, but the practice is not a risk to public health according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, or DEP.
Air Pollution from Gas Drilling a ‘Huge Problem’
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a press release in May regarding an “air quality study near Marcellus Shale natural gas operations in Bradford, Lycoming, Sullivan, and Tioga counties.” Eight sites were sampled over three five-day periods to determine if specific pollutants were a threat to anyones air quality in acute amounts.
New Jersey Legislature Bans Hydraulic Fracturing for Natural Gas (Fracking)
“Today, New Jersey sent a strong message to surrounding states and to the nation that a ban on fracking is necessary to protect public health and preserve our natural resources,” said Senator Bob Gordon (D-Bergen). “Any benefits of gas production simply do not justify the many potential dangers associated with fracking such as pollution of our lakes, streams and drinking water supplies and the release of airborne pollutants. We should not wait until our natural resources are threatened or destroyed to act. The time to ban fracking in New Jersey is now.”
The Tax Strategy of General Electric (GE)
The next year, GE hired the senior IRS official who was overseeing the service’s transfer pricing program, under which large multinational companies like GE negotiate with the IRS about how to price products and services among subsidiaries. The subject is controversial because it can allow companies to shift profits to lower-tax countries.
Obama Doubles Spending on Conservation Fund to Buy Public Land
Backers of the fund say it’s important for Congress to keep pumping money into it as the nation loses roughly 3 million acres to development each year. They say it’s a race against time, noting that one out of every three developed acres in the nation was developed from 1982 to 2007. The National Park Service has identified 1.8 million additional acres that it wants to acquire, at a cost of $1.9 billion.
GOP Proposes EPA Cuts; Backs Oil Subsidies
Republicans unveiled a budget plan on Wednesday that proposed a $1.6 billion cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, an agency whose authority they have sought to curtail, while business trade groups have complained about the burden placed on them by agency regulations. Politico also reported that the GOP’s proposal would hit the Energy Department hard, with a proposal to cut energy efficiency and renewable energy programs in half.
Bankruptcy Reform: Enforceable Measures for Struggling Homeowners Reduced to Voluntary Programs
Bankruptcy judges have long been barred from lowering mortgage payments on primary residences, though they could do it with nearly all other types of debt, even mortgages on vacation homes. Obama promised to change that… But when it came time to fight for the measure, he didn’t show up. Some Democrats now say his administration actually undermined it behind the scenes.
Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) Issues Statement About “Food Safety Modernization Act”
While Senator Sherrod Brown’s office issued a press release regarding the Senate’s recent passage of what’s being called “The Food Safety Bill” or “Food Safety Modernization Act,” a lot is still unclear about how this bill may impact small processors or farms. The Erie Wire is seeking an interview with Senator Brown to answer the following questions we drafted after reading a comprehensive Small Business Guide (see PDF below) emailed to us from the Senator’s office:
*Accepting cases in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
