Organizations founded by the Kochs: Americans for ...



Grandparents Against Gun ViolenceMeeting MinutesDecember 5, 2016President Judy Sherry convened the meeting at Colonial Church in Prairie Village at 4:00 pm.Secretary Charlotte Davison gave the membership report. GAGV has:637 Contacts143 Individual members 47 Family memberships (94 individuals)243 – Total membersJudy made announcements:Sandy Hook Vigil/Demonstration, Wednesday, December 14, 5:00-6:30 pm at the Plaza Fountain, 47th and JC Nichols Parkway.The Heartland Coalition, a program of GAGV, is joining our 38 co-sponsors to focus the community’s attention on this issue. We will be joined by many community organizations and faith groups as well.?PLEASE plan to attend – we will be there with our banner and encourage our members to come and wear orange and wear your pins. Make any signs you want, such as “We Support Background Checks” or whatever you want to say.There are a few copies of the book Grant Park by Leonard Pitts for sale at the registration desk for $12.50 along with GAGV orange t-shirts, $10.00.As mentioned in our recent newsletter, the article from the Dallas Morning News is powerful and worth reading: Dallas Morning News.11.16.pdfThe next meeting is January 23, 2017, 4 pm at Colonial Church in Prairie Village. The topic is yet to be determined.Barbara Holzmark introduced today’s speaker, Steve Lopes, who has a long history of community organizing most recently Field Organizer for the Davis/docking campaign; Field Coordinator for ACLU of Kansas; and JO Votes Coordinator. The name of his speech was: American Legislative Council (ALEC) and the Koch’s, who love them!Highlights of Steve’s talk:ALEC is a?secretive group that drafts legislation for states across the country, i.e. a corporate bill mill. It brings together major U.S. corporations and right-wing legislators to craft and vote on "model" bills behind closed doors. Legislators and their families are invited to expense-free meetings at resorts where they attend seminars with corporate lobbyists to tell them how to “plug in” their states name in model bills. Since they are a 501c(3), is it lobbying? They say no, it is education. ALEC has come under increasing scrutiny for its role in promoting "stand your ground" gun laws, expanding concealed carry rights, voter suppression bills and other controversial legislation. Charles G. and David H. Koch, “the Koch brothers,” are the sons of Fred C. Koch, who founded Koch Industries, the second-largest privately held company in the United States. Having bought out two other brothers' interests, they remain in control of the family business, the fortune which they inherited from their father, and the Koch family foundations. They are Libertarians who want unlimited freedom, zero government involvement, and think the private sector is the best way to go. They have supported Pro-choice, same sex marriage, and criminal justice anizations founded by the Kochs: Americans for Prosperity, Cato Institute (Libertarian think tank), Heritage Foundation, The David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research At MIT.Five Myths About the Koch Brothers: (more on this subject can be found in # 9 of the links listed at the end of the notes) The Koch network is a recent reaction to the Obama presidency. Starting in the 1970s, Charles and David Koch founded and provided sustained funding for an array of free-market and libertarian think tanks and academic research entities. David Koch became active in Libertarian Party politics and even ran for vice president on the party ticket in 1980.The Koch network is virtually a third US political party. Actually, they need the Republican party like a parasite cannot survive without the host. The Koch network has penetrated the GOP to advance its electoral and legislative priorities.The Koch network is a corporate front. Koch leaders and organizations seek a radical reduction in the role of the government in American society; they aim to dismantle not just Obama’s achievements but most federal government activities dating back to the Progressive Era, i.e. Medicare and Social Security.The Koch network scatters big money to hundreds of conservative groups. The Koch network contributes to itself. The grants it makes are temporary and tiny.The Koch network is a personal pet project of the brothers themselves. Charles and David have succeeded in rallying hundreds of other wealthy conservative families to support their strategic political operation. For years, many wealthy donors — including husbands with their wives — have gathered at swank resorts for the twice-a-year Koch seminars, where they listen to presentations about conservative politics and ideas and pledge funds to support the Koch political organizations.Gun laws backed by ALEC:Guns on College CampusesOppose bans for semi-automatic firearmsOppose waiting periods for criminal and mental health background checks for firearm purchases.Support concealed carry gun laws.Prohibit local counties or cities from enacting firearm restrictions, or emergency measures that could be abused.To learn more about ALEC, Steve recommends the following links:Center For Media and Democracy PR Watch Best source for following ALEC. It is a national watchdog?group that conducts in-depth investigations into corruption and the undue influence of corporations on media and democracy.? Bill Moyers “The United States of ALEC” (31 min) September 28, 2012. This is the original expose of ALEC, updated by Moyers. Moyers “The United States of ALEC- Revisited” (60 min) June 21, 2013 Brothers Exposed: 201 Documentary Film by Robert Greenwald (56 min). Early doc on the early Kochs. They have expanded their reach with their twice-yearly gatherings of billionaires. Exposed. CMD resource page is a good start. Exposed ALEC politicians listed ALEC politicians listed Myths About the Koch Brothers March, 2016. An important update on mistaken understandings about the Koch empire.: Jane Mayer, Dark Money: Daniel Schulman, Sons of Wichita submitted by:Charlotte Davison, Secretary ................
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