Rhode Islanders taxpayers are funding legislators’ memberships in ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council, said House spokesman Larry Berman. He said the state paid $800 in January for eight new members (more than 20 percent of the legislature are members) that Rep. Jon Brien, a conservative Democrat from Woonsocket who was recently put on the group’s national board of directors, recently signed up.
“A payment is made annually,” Berman said.
Brien said he doesn’t have an issue with taxpayers funding legislators’ membership in the group that pairs corporate interests with state lawmakers.
“Why is this any different than paying for a membership to the NCSL,” Brien said.
The National Conference of State Legislatures, according to it website, “is a bipartisan organization that serves the legislators and staffs of the nation’s 50 states. NCSL provides research, technical assistance and opportunities for policymakers to exchange ideas on the most pressing state issues.”
According to ALEC’s website, the group “works to advance the fundamental principles of free-market enterprise, limited government, and federalism at the state level through a nonpartisan public-private partnership of America’s state legislators, members of the private sector and the general public.”
Two of the new ALEC members said they didn’t sign up for ALEC. Rep John Edwards, a moderate Democrat from Portsmouth, said Brien signed him up and Rep. Sam Azzinaro, of Westerly, said he didn’t know he was a member of ALEC, even though he was on a list provided by Brien. Brien said he would provide their membership forms that will show otherwise.
John Marion, of Common Cause Rhode Island, said taxpayers shouldn’t be funding ALEC memberships.
“There is no reason the General Assembly should paying for these memberships in the first place, and paying for people who may not even want to have joined is almost comical,” he said. “Clearly there need to be better controls in place for these sorts of requests from legislators.”
Rep. Brien should schedule a meeting with constituents as soon as possible to explain his connection to ALEC and how taxpayers are paying for legislators’ memberships. Even more importantly, he should look constituents who are reeling financially in the eye and explain to them why he isn’t backing an effort to raise taxes on the wealthy in the form of the Cimini Tax Equity Bill. Woonsocket would be one of the first recipients of money raised from this new tax.
Do you think that Brien is capable of being truthful about anything? Do you think he has any measurable level of personal integrity? Do you think he gives a sh*t what his constituents think about him? Do you think that there is anything Brien wouldn’t do for a few dollars of graft? Do you think his friend Lisa Bald-Hunt is any different (other than being a little dumber)? I am just asking.
“It turns out that Rhode Island taxpayers are funding their legislators’ memberships in ALEC, the far right wing group that pairs corporate interests with local lawmakers. ”
“far” right wing? Who would be just the “right wing” Bob? Is there such a thing or are all conservatives “far” right wing?
To be precise the far right wing are the fundamentalists and neo-facists, all other conservatives are Crony Capitalists, just like most Democrats.
The whole world is crazy or corrupt! Only Bill Monroe speaks truth and is incorruptible!
I can’t believe anyone actually goes through life thinking this way.
Bill, I think its time Brien held a constituent forum to explain himself and his votes. However, I don’t believe he’ll do that since he thinks he’s entitled to his seat in the General Assembly and needn’t answer to anyone. It’s truly sad the media doesn’t cover how corrupt he is and how all he cares about is promoting his agenda and not what his constituents need or want.