#Alec

Heading 3

"Do not seek to follow the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."

Basho

Welcome to our neighborhood.

Established in 2005, Back on the Block is a progressive publication whose mission is to educate, enlighten, entertain and sometimes challenge. Often critical, sometimes cynical, sometimes irreverent – but always hopeful that what we say and the information that we provide touches the heart and mind.

Feel free to make our Block your Block. Please leave your comments and be sure to visit some of the hot spots in the neighborhood. Where you’ll find news, social commentary, music, politics, poetry and other stuff for grown folks.

Back on the Block – your place in cyber space for the most unique blend of music, news and conversation on issues and events that impact our community.

Peace,

Back on the Block is a publication of the

GLE Media Group.

News and Opinion Channel

ALEC Floats Legislation Chipping Away At The 17th Amendment

Jay Murdock

Nov 17, 2013
5 min

ALEC Floats Legislation Chipping Away At The 17th Amendment

WASHINGTON — The conservative American Legislative Exchange Council is wading back into election issues, as it considers supporting a bill that would increase the role of state legislatures in the election of U.S. senators, chipping away at the powers vested directly in the people under the 17th Amendment. ALEC circulates model legislation to state legislators, and its bills have resulted in states passing laws related to voter ID, so-called Stand Your Ground issues and the e

Exposing ALEC’s Agenda to Defund and Dismantle Public Education

Jay Murdock

May 7, 2013
3 min

Exposing ALEC’s Agenda to Defund and Dismantle Public Education

Dennis Van Roekel – President, National Education Association Posted: 05/07/2013 11:52 am Iron Man 3 just opened this past weekend, followed soon by more would-be blockbusters. I’m sure a lot of these movies will be entertaining, but none will be more important or relevant than a half-hour documentary I recently watched: The United States of ALEC. This film, featuring Bill Moyers, does a masterful job of explaining how the closed-door manipulations of the American Legislative

ALEC Covering Tracks in Advance of Oklahoma Meeting

Jay Murdock

May 1, 2013
4 min

ALEC Covering Tracks in Advance of Oklahoma Meeting

by Brendan Fischer — May 1, 2013 – 8:18am – Topics: Corporations, Democracy, Politics Projects: ALEC Exposed, Wisconsin Protests What’s on the agenda for this week’s meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in Oklahoma City? Hard to say. Despite ALEC trying to spin itself as a “transparent” organization, ALEC records have miraculously been disappearing from legislative offices and the organization is engaged in a box drop dodge to avoid disclosure. But whi

From Capitol Hill, Rep. Hank Johnson Highlights ALEC Connection to MI Right to Work Law

Jay Murdock

Dec 13, 2012
2 min

From Capitol Hill, Rep. Hank Johnson Highlights ALEC Connection to MI Right to Work Law

Brendan Fischer – PRWatchDecember 13, 2012 – 8:42am Topics: Corporations, Democracy, Politics Projects: ALEC Exposed U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) took to the floor of the House of Representatives Wednesday night to criticize the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) for pushing “Right to Work” in Michigan, describing it as politically motivated “crush-the-union legislation” and noting the identical language between the ALEC model and Michigan’s law. Michigan Legisla

Jay Murdock

Dec 6, 2012
3 min

The Law and Unintended Consequences

D.L. Hughley – Actor and stand-up comedian Posted: 12/05/2012 3:06 pm Last week, Florida made headlines once again in the worst possible way. The backstory was not an altogether surprising one: A group of five black teenagers were sitting in their SUV, blasting their music far too loudly. If I had to guess, I’d bet they were probably using foul language as well and generally acting the fool. I have no doubt that it was a complete nuisance to everyone around them. This time, t

Inside ALEC’s Education Task Force: Private Players Manipulating Public Education

Jay Murdock

Dec 6, 2012
8 min

Inside ALEC’s Education Task Force: Private Players Manipulating Public Education

AlterNet / By Sabrina Stevens December 6, 2012 The author infiltrated ALEC’s inner sanctum — and what she saw was chilling. December 6, 2012 | EDITOR’S NOTE: On Monday. we published this video of educator-activist Sabrina Stevens confronting members of ALEC’s education task force over their destructive plans for America’s schools. Below, she shares more about her experience inside the doors of ALEC’s highly secretive proceedings. “When plunder becomes a way of life for a gro

Why is State Farm Involved in Education Policy? Conservative Think Tank Exposes ALEC as Exchange of

Jay Murdock

Nov 30, 2012
3 min

Why is State Farm Involved in Education Policy? Conservative Think Tank Exposes ALEC as Exchange of

Brendan Fischer — November 30, 2012 – 8:54am Topics: Corporations, Education, Politics – Projects: ALEC Exposed A press release from a conservative think tank criticizing the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) provides crucial insight into how the organization works — and helps illustrate that ALEC does not facilitate an exchange of “practical, state-level public policy issues,” but instead sells policy and access to the highest bidder. The release documents how the

ALEC’s Economic Policies Do More Harm Than Good, New Report Shows

Jay Murdock

Nov 28, 2012
5 min

ALEC’s Economic Policies Do More Harm Than Good, New Report Shows

by Rebekah Wilce – November 28, 2012 – 7:51am, Topics: Economy, Politics Projects: ALEC Exposed Corporate lobbyists and right-wing legislators of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) will be gathering in Washington, DC today for ALEC’s annual States and Nation Policy Summit. Today also marks the release of an in-depth report on the failure of ALEC’s economic recommendations for the states. The report claims that “states that were rated higher on ALEC’s Economic Ou

“Won’t Back Down” Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal

Jay Murdock

Nov 21, 2012
10 min

“Won’t Back Down” Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal

Mary Bottari and Sara Jerving – Center for Media and Democracy’s PRWatch Well-funded advocates of privatizing the nation’s education system are employing a new strategy this fall to enlist support for the cause. The emotionally engaging Hollywood film “Won’t Back Down” — set for release September 28 — portrays so-called “Parent Trigger” laws as an effective mechanism for transforming underperforming public schools. But the film’s distortion of the facts prompts a closer exami

ALEC: The Scheme to Remake America, One State House at a Time

Jay Murdock

Sep 26, 2012
1 min

ALEC: The Scheme to Remake America, One State House at a Time

Bill Moyers – Managing Editor, Moyers & Company Posted: 09/26/2012 11:09 am This week, we report on the most influential corporate-funded political force most Americans have never heard of — ALEC, the American Legislative Exchange Council. A national consortium of state politicians and powerful corporations, ALEC presents itself as a “nonpartisan public-private partnership”. But behind that mantra lies a vast network of corporate lobbying and political action aimed to increas

The Stealing of America: The Incestuous Relationship Between Government and Corporate America

Jay Murdock

Apr 18, 2012
6 min

The Stealing of America: The Incestuous Relationship Between Government and Corporate America

“The only difference between the Republican and Democratic parties is the velocities with which their knees hit the floor when corporations knock on their door. That’s the only difference.” — Ralph Nader The U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2010 decision in Citizens United v. FEC not only gave unfettered free speech rights to corporations but paved the way for unlimited amounts of money to be poured into election campaigns, especially those of presidential candidates. However, w

ALEC: The Behind the Scenes Player in the States’ Fight Against the Middle Class

Jay Murdock

Mar 8, 2011
6 min

ALEC: The Behind the Scenes Player in the States’ Fight Against the Middle Class

It is no coincidence that Republican legislators and governors — not just in Wisconsin, but in Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, Tennessee and many other states — are rushing to pass laws to undermine the collective bargaining rights of both public sector and private sector unions and pass budgets to drastically cut funding for education and other services that serve the broad middle class. It is part of a concerted corporate-funded campaign to continue shifting power and wealth from midd

Heading 3

"Do not seek to follow the footsteps of the wise. Seek what they sought."

Basho

News and Opinion Channel

ALEC Floats Legislation Chipping Away At The 17th Amendment

Exposing ALEC’s Agenda to Defund and Dismantle Public Education

ALEC Covering Tracks in Advance of Oklahoma Meeting

From Capitol Hill, Rep. Hank Johnson Highlights ALEC Connection to MI Right to Work Law

The Law and Unintended Consequences

Inside ALEC’s Education Task Force: Private Players Manipulating Public Education

Why is State Farm Involved in Education Policy? Conservative Think Tank Exposes ALEC as Exchange of

ALEC’s Economic Policies Do More Harm Than Good, New Report Shows

“Won’t Back Down” Film Pushes ALEC Parent Trigger Proposal

ALEC: The Scheme to Remake America, One State House at a Time

The Stealing of America: The Incestuous Relationship Between Government and Corporate America

ALEC: The Behind the Scenes Player in the States’ Fight Against the Middle Class

Back on the Block

Music, News and Conversation for Grown Folks

Coming to you from the heart of the 330

RadioActive1 WBOB

Your place in cyber space for the most unique listening experience on the internet.

Now Playing

Music, News and Conversation for Grown Folks

COntact us