Tag: American Legislative Exchange Council

50 Test Tubes of Competition and Democracy

50 Test Tubes of Competition and Democracy

Air Dates: January 30 & 31, 2015 | Jonathan Williams (ALEC)

When, Where, and How to Listen

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States are in constant competition for people and businesses — with businesses leaving high tax states and people voting with their feet. Find out why Socialism and “Tax Cronyism” drive people away.

One this week’s show, we give Bernie Sander’s voters a headache.

Over the past ten years New York State has lost millions of residents and thousands of businesses that had all had it with NY’s high taxes and moved to other states.  They’ve moved to find a better place to live where owning a business or property isn’t suffocated, to where they didn’t have to feel like they were being held up at gun point by their own state.

Funny how that works, isn’t it? Our entire history is one of moving to better economic conditions. Leaving the “old country” for the chance to make a better, more profitable life. Moving west on the Oregon Trail or the California Gold Rush. People are not chained to their states — and the moment they feel they are, they move.

Bernie Sanders voters don't understand economicsWhile Bernie Sanders’ voters may not like to think about economics or the consequences of raising taxes, there are 50 states that all have their own sets of economic policies that have consequences, of action and reaction. And shrewd consumers of democracy can make decisions on where and how they live based on a free market principal—competition is good because it reduces costs and drives efficiency.

In their 8th Edition of Rich States, Poor States, Jonathan Williams and his co-authors, Dr. Author Laffer, and Stephen Moore have once again captured how states make their economic decisions and the consequences of those policy decisions.  Policies that impact your pocket book and quality of life and that should influence who you’ll vote into office.

Tune in to find out:
•    What drives a state’s economic success or failure
•    Tax Cronyism and how it ruins free markets
•    Can states or the federal government be run more like a business?
•    Which states have changed their liberal ways to create a strong, pro growth environment

With state and federal elections coming up soon this is a show not to miss.

Links Mentioned

Related Links

Devolution – Public Lands Transfer to States

Devolution – Public Lands Transfer to States

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Air Dates: September 12 & 13, 2015 | Jonathan Williams & Karla Jones

Devolution is defined as “the transfer or delegation of power to a lower level, especially by central government to local or regional administration.” When it comes to the transfer of public lands here in the U.S., this means the federal government giving control of federally held public lands to the states in which those lands reside. Why is this important? Jobs.

With more than 98 million Americans continuing to be out of the workforce, the jobs resulting from a public lands transfer to states means more than ever that the federal government honor their promise to relinquish control of the public lands held in trust. At one time, Illinois and Missouri both had more than 50% of their land controlled by the federal government when they entered statehood. Now, the federal government holds only 1% and 4%, respectively. So why do they maintain control of so much public lands states west of the Rockies—on average, more than 50% of these states? Why should Illinois get to have 99% of their land and Oregon gets less than 47% of its land?

94 million Americans out of work - the U.S. economy as of September 2015 has clearly fallen off a cliff. Time for a public lands transfer to states.
US Economy off a cliff. Time for a public lands transfer to states.

We’ve talked in the past with Ken Ivory and it’s seemed a little theoretical at times: what would it be like if the states got their lands back? Now we some direct evidence of what it would look like from our neighbor to the north: Canada.

We’ll start by talking with Jonathan Williams of ALEC (American Legislative Exchange Council) about the continuing record numbers of Americans not working and the state policies that consistently work to put people to work; policies that ALEC advocates. We’ll then talk about a federal policy that needs to happen: a public lands transfer to states. Karla Jones, also with ALEC, walks us through the process. We’ll examine the roadblocks and hurdles to making this happen, astonishing examples of federal mismanagement to private land management, and then look at how this has unfolded in Canada.

Sorry, environmentalists; it wasn’t the end of the world.

Links Mentioned

  • If you’re not visiting American Legislative Exchange Council on a regular basis, you’re missing out on a huge amount of incredible information — policies that your state ought to be implementing if they want to be successful. Don’t you want your state to be successful? Of course you do! Then visit alec.org.
  • Read ALEC’s State Lands report, which we discuss with Karla Jones. (You can download a copy for easier reading; see the Download PDF link on the right-side of the page.)
  • Heritage Foundation article, “1,000 people per day: Why Red States are Getting Richer and Blue States Poorer
Show 5-24 Ken Ivory Attacked by Far Left Group

Show 5-24 Ken Ivory Attacked by Far Left Group

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Show 5-24 | Air Dates: June 13 & 14, 2015

The battle for control over federal public lands intensifies as Rep. Ken Ivory is attacked by a Far Left group and accused of fraud. Why is the battle so important?  Jobs. If you don’t live inside of a major city, you know that those in rural areas create wealth and jobs by getting their hands dirty. Blue collar, good paying, and living-wage jobs through honest, hard work.

Logging, mining, farming, ranching, all create additional jobs beyond loggers, miners, farmers, and ranchers. For instance, the logging industry would be meaningless if not for millwrights, saw operators, electricians, welders, engineers, and many others. We’ve previously had on guests from Center for America, which has pointed out there is a coming shortage of exactly these kinds of jobs — skilled workers.

American Jobs for America’s Heroes

American Jobs for American HeroesOur first guest, Brigadier General, Marianne Watson, of Center for America is spearheading their campaign “American Jobs for America’s Heroes.” Drawing on her background as Director of Manpower and Personnel at the National Guard, she is leading the effort to connect small business owners with National Guardsmen and veterans. This is a tremendous opportunity for small-business owners to hire America’s skilled service men and women. If you need a job filled, they have a job-posting site that will not only list your job but they will also act as your HR Department to match the right service personnel for it.

Ken Ivory Attacked by Far Left Group

Via Ken Ivory - map showing extent of federal public lands
Lands held by the federal government. Note the difference between east and west of the Rockies

Here on I Spy Radio, we don’t like it when our friends come under attack. We especially don’t like it when the attackers are well-funded, hypocritical leftist organizations. Such is the case with Campaign for Accountability, which filed allegations against Ken Ivory and his nonprofit organization, American Lands Council. Campaign for Accountability alleges fraud on three fronts: that Ken Ivory knows the effort to turn ownership of federal lands to the states is a “fool’s errand;” that, knowing this, he defrauded counties who paid for membership in his organization; and that American Lands Council exists primarily to enrich Ken and his wife.

What’s interesting is that most of those “reporters” in the press who covered this, didn’t bother asking, “Just who is this group accusing Ken Ivory? Are their accusations even valid?” So we did.

On their “about us” page, Campaign for Accountability says, “Millions of Americans’ lives are negatively impacted by decisions made behind the doors of corporate boardrooms, government offices, and shadowy nonprofit groups.”

You’d think an organization that calls itself “Campaign for Accountability” might want to, you know, be accountable and transparent. Especially when they accuse Rep. Ken Ivory of using his nonprofit to “primarily” enrich himself and his wife. So how much does the Executive Director for Campaign for Accountability get paid? Or the rest of their staff? What percent of their revenue goes to salaries — “enriching themselves” to use their terminology.

We asked. They refused to answer.

We also asked who their major donors were, so they wouldn’t be perceived as a “shadowy nonprofit group.” Again, they refused to answer. So much for accountability. And they accuse Ken Ivory of fraud?

Ken Ivory’s Responses

Tune in to hear Ken not only defend himself against the accusations of fraud but respond to what we found out about Campaign for Accountability. He is joined by Montana State Senator, Jennifer Fielder, who was part of the commission Montana assembled to examine the management of public lands.

Links Mentioned

  • Center for America’s website
  • Are you a small-business owner? Need staffing but don’t have an HR Department but want to find skilled workers? Find out more about American Jobs for America’s Heroes
  • Ken’s organization, American Land’s Council. You can see what’s happening in your state in the effort to take control of federal public lands.
  • Campaign for Accountability’s website. You can download a copy of their accusations of fraud here.
  • An investigation into Campaign for Accountability suggests a tie to George Soros (I Spy has not been able to confirm ties between CFA and Soros)
  • Campaign for Accountability appears to be a spinoff of a Far-Left “nonprofit” funded by George Soros. While CFA is only a few months old and hasn’t filed tax forms yet (for nonprofits, these are known as “990s”). However, CREW has. Check out CREW’s tax filings for 2011, 2012, and 2013.
  • Feel free to compare these to Ken Ivory’s American Lands Council’s 990s for 2012 and 2013.

 

Show 5-17 Why Oregon Fails at Economics

Show 5-17 Why Oregon Fails at Economics

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Air Dates: April 25 & 26, 2015

This week, it’s about economics. Yeah, yeah. Don’t groan. You need to know this stuff. Otherwise, you’ll be boondoggled into thinking raising taxes is good. Or that raising minimum wage doesn’t impact businesses. Or big government works. Or any number of progressive ideologies. Next thing you know, you’ll be believing global warming and then it’s all down hill from there.

With guests Jonathan Williams of American Legislative Exchange Council and Jan Meekcoms of National Federation of Independent Businesses.

Links mentioned

  • ALEC – American Legislative Exchange Council. One of the good guys. You can tell, because the political Left hates them so much they think one of the Baldwin boys needs to rename himself.
  • NFIB – National Federation of Independent Businesses. Here’s the state chapter for Oregon (have you joined yet??) and the national organization.
  • Download your own copy of Rich States, Poor States and take a look at how your state is doing (you might want your legislators’ number on speed dial)
  • A quick one-sheet verview from ALEC on Oregon’s outlook (this link opens a PDF)
  • NFIB-Oregon is holding its Day at the Capital on April 29. More info.
  • Both of these fine organizations offer memberships. Why not join them and add your voice to the chorus of conservative voices trying to safeguard your economic freedom?

Additional Links & Info

  • Talk to liberals? Not sure how to answer their unicorns-and-fairies myths about the minimum wage? Here’s a great Forbes article (by an NFIB economist no less) that debunks progressive myths.

 

Rally ‘Round the Flag Event

When: Saturday, June 20, 2015, 10am – 4pm
Where: Fairgrounds, Cottage Grove, Oregon
Cost: Free!

Here in Oregon, we have a strong heritage of using our natural resources wisely. But well-intended yet weak-minded “environmentalists” believe they are “protecting” the environment by not touching it–or allowing anyone else to harvest them. Worse, our lands are being controlled by people out east who’ve never set foot on them and have no idea about how to manage them; people who’ve been persuaded by the well-funded environmental lobby that we should never touch these lands.

Oregon Citizen’s Lobby invites you to join them for a fantastic day of speakers, networking, and fun! And a chance to learn more about the effort to transfer control of the federal lands to the people who know best how to manage them: Oregonians.

The event will feature prominent leaders in this effort, booths, networking opportunities, and a panel discussion to answer your questions.

Featured Guests:

  • Rep. Ken Ivory (UT) of the American Lands Council
  • Noah Wall, FreedomWorks Grassroots Director
  • Jeff Kropf, Oregon Capital Watch
  • Mark Anderson, host of I Spy Radio
  • David Hunnicutt, Oregonians in Action
  • Dennis Linthicum, former Klamath County Commissioner