A majority of Visa shareholders recently  rejected an effort to require the company to provide more disclosure about its role in the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) and related lobbying activities. Boston Common Asset Management, an investment firm focused on socially responsible investing, and the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations (UUA), a religious organization, filed a resolution to require the company to disclose all payments used for lobbying purposes, including payments to groups like ALEC. In all, over 100 million votes were cast in favor of the resolution — 37% — good, but not good enough.

Boston Common’s Managing Director, Lauren Compere, noted that Visa’s underwriting of the controversial legislative agenda of ALEC creates “substantial risks to Visa’s brand posed by questionable forms of lobbying and political activity.”

The resolution by the Unitarians and Boston Common urged other shareholders to be wary of ALEC’s role “in Arizona style immigration bills, Stand Your Ground legislation and voter identification bills” and pointed out that other companies, including “McDonald’s, PepsiCo, Wendy’s and Kraft Foods,” had withdrawn their financial support for ALEC.

ALEC has boasted that nearly 1,000 of its bills are introduced each year and hundreds become law through its efforts. And, Common Cause, Clergy Voice, and the Voter Legislative Transparency Project have filed claims with the IRS about ALEC’s extensive lobbying activities despite its assertion that it does not lobby. CMD has also documented ALEC’s previously secret communications with legislators urging that bills be introduced and passed, the very definition of lobbying. (http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/01/11966)

Epicureans believe in the right of individuals and companies to lobby and protect their interests.  They are fiercely opposed to shady deals done through  semi-secret organizations like ALEC  to damage the interests of consumers.  Stalin, Mussolini and the numerous other corrupt dictators would love the idea of ALEC.

We must all do our small bit to kick back at these people who blather about love of country and, behind our backs, set about destroying  it.  At last ALEC and its paymasters are being exposed.