Tag Archives: Americans for Prosperity

Granite State Progress Fires Back At Koch Funded Josiah Bartlett Foundation And Grant Bosse

  By Granite State Progress | March 23, 2013 - 8:34 am | ,
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Koch Brothers

The Scoop on Koch Funding of The Josiah Bartlett Center, Despite Denials by Charlie Arlinghaus & Grant Bosse

Dueling op-eds in the Concord Monitor expose the Josiah Bartlett Center for defending Koch web of influence, even as they receive funding from Koch family fortune

Concord, NH – In his Sunday column in the Concord Monitor last week, the Josiah Bartlett Center’s Grant Bosse attempted to discredit Granite State Progress and its work to expose corporate influence in the Granite State. That attempt instead landed Bosse and Josiah Bartlett Center President Charlie Arlinghaus in a public lie over whether they receive Koch funding.

In his column, “Obsession with the Koch brothers clouds the left,” Bosse ridicules Granite State Progress and others for concern over the vast influence of Charles and David Koch, owners of Koch Industries. Bosse also downplays the Koch-funded American Legislative Exchange Council, which allows corporations to vote on bills then introduced in state houses across the country. ALEC model legislation specifically seeks to benefit corporate bottom lines – generally at the expense of everyday Granite Staters.

Comparing concerns over such influence to conspiracy theories, Bosse writes:

“Of course, I could be so wrapped up the Kochs’ web that I don’t even know it. I asked Charlie Arlinghaus, president of the Josiah Bartlett Center – where I worked for the past four years and where I’m currently helping research New Hampshire budget issues – if he was part of the vast, secret Koch Empire. “They don’t give us money, but I wish they would,” Arlinghaus responded.” (Grant Bosse: Obsession with the Koch brothers clouds the left, March 17, 2013)

In an op-ed in the Monitor today, however, Granite State Progress exposes that the Bartlett Center does, indeed, receive Koch funding for the policies they promote:

“In the March 17 Sunday Monitor, the Josiah Bartlett Center’s own Grant Bosse derided Granite State Progress for being concerned about ALEC. A little background: When Granite State Progress first started talking about the Koch brothers and ALEC, we expected to get push back from Koch’s lead group, AFP. Instead, we were surprised to see the Josiah Bartlett Center rush to their defense. It didn’t take long to figure out why: The Josiah Bartlett Center is part of the conservative State Policy Network, which is funded by Charles and David Koch via the “Donor’s Capital Fund.” Financial filings show that the Bartlett Center also received direct funding from a Koch-run foundation – despite President Charlie Arlinghaus and Bosse’s assertions that it did not.” (My Turn: In fact, ALEC’s influence isn’t benign, March 22, 2013)

The Josiah Bartlett Center routinely weighs in on legislation with ties to the Koch brothers, both in policy discussions and in the media. Bartlett Center staff does not register as lobbyists and sometimes even goes so far as to represent themselves as journalists while publicly testifying at the State House.

Granite State Progress is a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of immediate state and local concern. Granite State Progress works as a communications hub for the progressive community to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems. Press releases and other information available online at www.GraniteStateProgress.org.

Telling the Truth About Unions And Hurricane Sandy

  By Liz Iacobucci | November 18, 2012 - 10:00 am | , , ,
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photo by Dan DeLuca via Flikr

photo by Dan DeLuca via Flikr
Have you heard the story about non-union utility crews getting turned away, after Hurricane Sandy?

The story isn’t true – but it’s still being spread.

It started before the election.  The story spread so far and so fast that five utility companies issued public statements saying it wasn’t true.

A full week later, the story was still being spread – by an anti-union newspaper, the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Does this remind you of anything?  Maybe Mitt Romney’s infamous allegations about Jeep moving production to China?  Again, that story was immediately and thoroughly debunked – by the company – but Romney’s campaign kept spreading it, through television and radio ads.

Truth? Romney’s pollster said it didn’t matter:  “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.”

Yes, there’s a connection here.  Romney’s campaign was funded by many of the same people and corporations that have invested millions in the “union avoidance” industry.  Take a few minutes and read this analysis of the 2010 elections.  It’s the very same players, now:

  • Karl Rove, of election night meltdown fame, toured the country in 2009 opposing the Employee Free Choice Act;
  •  “Americans for Job Security” is a secretive group run out of a mail-drop box in a UPS store, but they spend millions on false advertising attacking candidates who support labor unions;
  •  “Americans for Prosperity” is run by the Koch brothers, spends tens of millions on misleading ads; and in 2009 sponsored a multi-state publicity tour opposing the Employee Free Choice Act;
  • and the list goes on, and on.

The “union-avoidance” industry doesn’t care about the truth – it just cares about results.  Haven’t heard of the industry before?  Read more about it here and here.


Looking for the truth about how labor unions responded to Hurricane Sandy?  Read more here and here, and updates on the Teamster’s blog here.

 

[Top image of ConEd workers is by Dan DeLuca via Flickr/Creative Commons]

 

Can I Tell You How Sick I Am Of The Super PACs!

  By Matt Murray | October 31, 2012 - 10:00 am | ,
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Carol Shea-Porter_Official.2010-300x288

In the 2010 Elections, NH saw a significant shift in political presence in the media due to the Super Pac’s.  They blasted their attack ads on the television, radio, and direct mailings.  This year it seems to have gotten even worse.

This year I have received no less than five anti Shea-Porter mailings from the Republican Congressional Committee.  All of them are pushing for Congressman Guinta, and not one refers to him as the CURRENT Congressman.  They all hint that Congressman Guinta is running to change the gridlock that Washington has become.  Even though he is a part of the problem in Washington.

This is just one of the reasons I have great respect for Carol Shea-Porter, she refuses to take any money from these Super PACs.  Carol Shea-Porter even called on Congressman Frank Guinta to sign a joint statement to ask Super PACs to stay off the air and out of ads here, and let New Hampshire voters decide without undue influence. She said that if Mr. Guinta wanted to go even further and ask all Super PACs and all 501(c)(4) groups such as the Koch Brother-funded Americans for Prosperity to stay out totally, to include any field work, she would happily sign that agreement.  Her statement was, “Mr. Guinta and I have an opportunity to start cleaning up campaigns, as the voters want us to, but he has so far refused. I hope he changes his mind.”

Mr. Guinta tried to dupe people at New England College into believing he isn’t thrilled by the outside millions pouring into the district. “In comes an outside group and has a negative ad on your opponent,” he lamented, “and it reflects poorly on you as the candidate.”

In fact, Guinta’s own campaign ads have attacked Carol Shea-Porter just as viciously as the outside ads now flooding New Hampshire stations.  Congressman Guinta is right—the negative ads do  ’reflect poorly’ on him.

A new $2 million dollar ad buy launched on Guinta’s behalf against Carol Shea-Porter comes on the heels of the revelation that he is struggling to raise money as the campaign enters its final stretch.  If Congressman Guinta finds this outside money troubling, why doesn’t he denounce it?

“Outside groups have rushed in to bail out Frank Guinta’s failing campaign,” Naomi Andrews, Campaign Manager for Carol Shea-Porter noted. “While he may not be able to afford his own attack ads anymore, voters should expect his campaign’s negativity and hypocrisy to continue.”

Congressman Guinta’s attack ads are getting blasted by the media fact checkers.  His attack ad on Carol Shea-Porter’s record on supporting small business has been labeled as ‘FALSE‘ by the Nashua Telegraph.

The more he throws mud, the dirty he gets.  By now his thousand dollar suit is covered in it.

Money, Money, Money!

  By Liz Iacobucci | October 30, 2012 - 2:26 pm | , ,
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Two years ago, the Supreme Court decided that corporations could spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections.

And that’s exactly what corporations are doing.

The advertising industry estimates that almost $10 billion will be spent on political advertising this year – 40% more than was spent in 2008.

Much of that money is being spent by SuperPACS, in what one observer calls “a conscious outsourcing by Republicans of the single biggest undertaking and expense of any presidential campaign.”

“American Crossroads, Restore Our Future, Crossroads GPS and Americans for Prosperity: Four Republican organizations that have so dominated their party’s presidential advertising that their collective efforts surpass those of their own nominee.  These groups kept the race tight for four months and, for the most part, continue to boost Romney today. Americans for Prosperity did its heavy lifting for Romney back in August and early September; the other three are still on the air in a big way.”

Read “How Super-Group Advertising Kept Romney in the Race” in Advertising Age here.

In these final days of the campaign season, SuperPAC money is also being used to hire paid “field workers” to go door-to-door to get out the vote.

“Conservative groups, most notably Americans for Prosperity, are spending millions of dollars to ensure that as many supporters as possible cast a ballot.  Americans for Prosperity, founded by the industrialist Koch brothers, says it now has more than 100 paid field workers nationwide and about 5,000 volunteers to go door to door. The group plans to spend $130 million this year on all activities. That makes it one of the biggest conservative interest groups involved in the election, boosting the combined get-out-the-vote effort of Mitt Romney’s campaign and the Republican National Committee.”

Read “Activists Pour Cash Into Voter Turnout” in the Wall Street Journal here.

Most of us don’t have unlimited money to spend on political campaigns.  The only way for us to counteract corporate money is by using our voices and our feet. 

Help get out the vote!  Call the AFL-CIO at 603-623-7302 for more information about GOTV phone banks and canvasses.

The Americans For Prosperity Are Back Pushing Right to Work for Less In NH.

  By Matt Murray | July 5, 2012 - 9:50 pm | , ,
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After all we went through this last two years I thought we were done talking about Right To Work.  Well I guess I was wrong.  Now it has even become a part of the Americans For Prosperity Pledge.  Well it is not like anyone takes this “pledge” thing serious right?

Wrong! On the first day that AFP published the 2012  pledge many people were standing line to sign it.
 Among the big names who signed the 2012 “Tax and Right To Work pledge” were
Ovide Lamontagne.  Candidate for New Hampshire Governor.

Ovide is well known in New Hampshire as a TEA Party extremist. He has been pushing Right To Work for less in New Hampshire for the last few years along with his friend, NH Speaker Bill O’Brien.   O’Brien was also there to sign the pledge.

Speaker O’Brien has already vowed to bring Right To Work back again next year.  Right to Work was one of the biggest holes in his TEA Party agenda.   Even with the help of the Cornerstone Action group.  Cornerstone, a TEA Party extremist group pushed for Right to Work laws along with a handfull of other anti-worker, anti-women, and anti-homosexual legislations.   Cornerstone was lead by now NH Governor candidate Kevin Smith, who also signed the pledge?

So as the election gets closer and close be sure to watch the AFP website to see who has publicly signed the pledge?   But why wait until November to take action against Right To Work.  The NH AFL-CIO has started an “Ovide Watch” to keep you up to date on Ovide Lamontagne’s actions as he campaigns throughout NH.  Remember it was Ovide Lamontagne who sid that he would be “Scott Walker On Steroids”.  We cannot allow Ovide or any of these AFP/ TEA Party extremist back into our State Legislature and definitely not in the Governor’s seat.  So sign up now and help keep New Hampshire, a free bargaining state and keep RTW for less laws out.

NH Labor News 3/1: PFF-NH Pres Lang Talks of New Firefighter Rule, Budget Surplus Sparks Debate, Occupy NH Clash With AFP, and more….

  By The New Hampshire Labor News | March 1, 2012 - 1:27 pm | Uncategorized
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The New Hampshire Labor News Daily Clips 3/1/12

‘Fireman’s Rule’ needs a rewrite | Concord Monitor: “David Lang, president of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire fears that the court’s decision could lead people to delay or decide against calling for help in an emergency. We share that fear.”
LGC to fight release of meeting minutes in N.H. high court | SeacoastOnline.com: “The statewide firefighters union is scheduled to appear before the N.H. Supreme Court on March 13 in an effort to obtain unredacted minutes from the Local Government Center.

The Professional Fire Fighters of New Hampshire seeks unredacted minutes from LGC meetings, during which topics of discussion included health insurance rates and the LGC’s “strategic plan,” which is currently under fire in a pending legal complaint by the Bureau of Securities Regulation.”

State ends 2011 with surplus | Concord Monitor: “A report released yesterday shows the state of New Hampshire ended the 2011 fiscal year $17.7 million in the black, as the governor and legislative leaders clash over what to do with the leftover money.

Last month, the Republican-controlled House passed a bill that would move the surplus into the state’s rainy day fund, which currently sits at $9.3 million.

Democratic Gov. John Lynch argues the surplus should instead be used to balance the budget for fiscal year 2012, which he said could be accomplished if a dispute is resolved with the state’s hospitals over how much they owe under the state’s Medicaid Enhancement Tax.”

Bradley: Reform school funding | SeacoastOnline.com: “The House and Senate have gone back and forth on the wording of the amendment. The House version gives the Legislature “authority and full discretion” to define reasonable standards for elementary and secondary public education, to establish reasonable standards of accountability, and to mitigate local disparities in educational opportunities and fiscal capacity.

Bradley said the Senate has amended CACR 12 to give the Legislature “full power and authority and the responsibility” to do all of those things. “That is the key ingredient, if you will, that I think Gov. (John) Lynch insisted on to win his support,” Bradley said.”

Welcome to N.H., Mr. President – Fosters: “On Thursday, President Barack Obama will visit Nashua as he continues to campaign for reelection and promote his plan for improving the American economy.

I want to be among the first to welcome President Obama to our great state.

Granite Staters, like all Americans, want to see the country’s economic engine roaring. They want to see new jobs being created, not new reports of rising unemployment numbers. And so, we look forward to hearing what the President has to say about how we can get American working again.”

The Americans For Prosperity a well know Koch Brothers funded PAC is hosting a rally in Downtown Nashua today. Members from Occupy NH will also be holding a rally at the same time, same place in response to AFP trying to steal their “Occupy” brand. For more information click here

John DiStaso’s Granite Status: “A COUNTER RALLY:
After President Barack Obama leaves Nashua today, the conservative groups We the People and Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire plan to hold an “Occupy Jobs Now” rally at Norton’s Diner on Main Street in Nashua. It’s scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

Local business owners and workers are scheduled to attend. GOP candidates for governor Smith and Ovide Lamontagne have confirmed they will also attend.”

“Occupy New Hampshire” criticized the two conservative groups for co-opting their “brand,” saying, “This is yet another dirty tactic by the 1 percent to use and exploit the rest of us for their own political gain.”

What Have Unions Done For Me Lately?: “Private working citizens may ask themselves “What has a public union ever done for us?” Weekends off, a minimum wage, the eight-hour work day and overtime compensation are just a few examples of what organized labor has fought for and won for more than a century. Here at UMass Boston, the Labor Studies program and the Labor Resource Center (LRC) continues to keep the fight alive for workers.

“Many students in the Labor Studies program are leaders – either stewards, presidents, treasurers or even just organizers in their union,” he said. “That allows [them] to analyze as well as learn and participate, so that [they] can effectively serve the working and middle class.”

Workers’ unions may be out of mind for most students but we depend on unions every day, from those who fix our roads to those who serve our food. Currently, the university relies on Ironworkers Local 7 to build the new Integrated Science Complex.”

This is a video created by the NH Labor News in partnership with many of the local unions in New Hampshire.  This video focuses on the effort put forth by the American Federation of Teachers (AFT-NH) .

National News

Occupy Takes Aim at ALEC Today in 70 US Cities | Truthout: “The Occupy movement, since its inception in September 2011, has been against corporate greed. And in 70 cities across the country, it’s found one target that best shows the rampant corporate control of our judicial system that Occupiers see as a central grievance: the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).

ALEC brings legislators and corporations together in a “public-private partnership” to draft model legislation that Occupy groups say serves the interests of the 1 percent.

Today, legislators and companies including Pfizer, Bank of America and Wal-Mart, that benefit from ALEC’s power in the legislative system will be the target of demonstrations, direct actions and various public shows of anger across the country under the banner of Shut Down the Corporations.”

A Civil Right to Unionize – NYTimes.com: “FROM the 1940s to the 1970s, organized labor helped build a middle-class democracy in the United States. The postwar period was as successful as it was because of unions, which helped enact progressive social legislation from the Civil Rights Act to Medicare. Since then, union representation of American workers has fallen, in tandem with the percentage of income going to the middle class. Broadly shared prosperity has been replaced by winner-take-all plutocracy.”
This is great video about how Facebook is using IBEW workers to build their new data center in South Carolina.

Breaking: AFP, Koch Brothers Attempt to Buy NH’s Occupy Movement Ahead of Obama’s Visit

  By The New Hampshire Labor News | February 28, 2012 - 10:46 pm | Uncategorized
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Media contact:
Zandra Rice Hawkins, (603) 892-2150

AFP, Koch Brothers Attempt to Buy NH’s Occupy Movement Ahead of Obama’s VisitIf you can’t beat ‘em, co-opt them
CONCORD, NH – Failed NH Congressional candidate Jennifer Horn and Koch-funded Americans for Prosperity have a new venture: leading the Occupy NH movement.

In a media advisory released today, Horn’s We The People and Americans for Prosperity-NH announced they are hosting an “Occupy Jobs Now” Rally in Nashua immediately after President Obama speaks to a crowd there Thursday.

Organizers of the Occupy NH movement were caught off-guard by the announcement.

“We had a General Assembly just this past weekend and never once has Jennifer Horn or Corey Lewandowski ever been a part of those meetings or discussions,” said Mark Provost of Manchester, who has been involved in Occupy actions all over the state. “Americans for Prosperity is a Koch brothers funded corporate interest group that puts special interests over middle class families.”

“This is yet another dirty tactic by the 1% to use and exploit the rest of us for their own political gain,” Provost said. “The highly successful Occupy the NH Primary event our state hosted focused on people and policies, not politics. That is what we will continue to do.”

For further comment, Mark Provost can be reached at (603) 540-3845. Occupy NH can be found online at www.OccupyNH.org or on Facebook under “OccupyNH”.
###

Granite State Progress is a progressive advocacy organization that addresses issues of immediate state and local concern. Granite State Progress works as a communications hub for the progressive community to provide a strong, credible voice in advancing progressive solutions to critical community problems.

The actual press release:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28 , 201 2
Contact:
Jennifer Horn
603-440-3070

We The People and Americans for Prosperity-NH to Host
“Occupy Jobs Now” Rally

Rally Will Immediately Follow President Obama’s Remarks in New Hampshire

WINDHAM – We The People and Americans for Prosperity New Hampshire will host a rally on Thursday to coincide with President Obama’s appearance in the state to discuss the economy. The event titled the “Occupy Jobs Now” Rally will take place at Norton’s Diner, 233 Main Street in Nashua at 5:30PM.

“We The People is dedicated to preserving freedom, limited government and unlimited opportunity in America. Barack Obama ‘s failed policies crush all three. We must send a loud, clear message that NH rejects his “change” and demands a return to fiscal sanity,” stated Jennifer Horn, President of We The People.

“While President Obama is occupied touting the alleged success of his economic policies, we will be hosting a discussion with New Hampshire business owners and unemployed workers whom the President’s policies have bailed on instead of bailing out,” said Corey Lewandowski, State Director of Americans for Prosperity-New Hampshire. “The ‘Occupy Jobs Now’ Rally will give the people of New Hampshire a forum to discuss the President’s failed policies as well as solutions to get us back on the path to prosperity.”

The Occupy Jobs Now Rally will include remarks from local business owners who are struggling under the Obama Administration policies and New Hampshire workers who are underemployed. Republican gubernatorial candidates Ovide Lamontagne and Kevin Smith have also been invited to attend.

WHO: We The People and Americans for Prosperity (AFP) New Hampshire

WHAT: “Occupy Jobs Now” Rally

WHEN: Thursday, March 1 at 5:30PM

WHERE: Norton’s Diner, 233 Main Street, Nashua, NH

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HB 474 Veto is Sustained: A Win for New Hampshire Workers

  By The New Hampshire Labor News | December 1, 2011 - 1:38 am | Uncategorized
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HB 474 Veto is Sustained:
A Win for New Hampshire

Today marks another win for the Workers of New Hampshire.  Our voices have been heard and the Right To Work is over (for now).  Legislators from both sides of the aisle listened to the workers not the corporations about what they want.  Today in spite of all the trick Speaker O’Brien tried to pull he just could not twist enough arms to overturn the Governors Veto.   Once again he used the GOP Primary candidates as pawns in his push for Right To Work.   The Speaker even got help from his friends Americans For Prosperity.  For those who do not know the AFP is largely funded by the Koch Brothers who are pushing to perserve the 1% over the 99% in NH.  The AFP paid over $25,000 dollars to run media advertising directing people to call specific legislators who oppose Right To Work.   These ads were running on talk radio stations from Boston to Concord.

For years the Right To Work Legislation has been proposed in New Hampshire.  Time and time again it was rejected.  In prior years when the GOP controlled the legislature they still rejected Right To Work. It has been proven this is not a partisan issue.  In fact today during his speech to sustain the veto Rep Quandt (R-Exeter) said (Unions) “supported Republicans in the last elections, this is not a Party issue).  Rep Quandt was not the only Republican who opposed RTW.  Reps and Senators for both sides know that RTW will only hurt working families.  It has been proven time and time again that Right To Work will hurt the middle class workers in New Hampshire.  New Hampshire is proud to have one of the lowest un-employment rates in the United States.  Many RTW states cannot make the same statements.  In fact 8 of the top 12 states with the highest un-employments are RTW states.

Labor leaders, community activists, and even the faith leaders in New Hampshire banded together to fight the corporations attacks on the middle class.  For now we can breath easy.  This fight is far from over.  As soon as the votes were counted and the session had ended Speaker Bill O’Brien released a statement:

“We have not seen the end of this matter. Right-to-Work will be priority legislation before the House next year. As such it will become a top issue for in both the Governor’s race as well as in primaries elections across New Hampshire.”

“Furthermore, the many companies who have expressed their interest in considering moving new jobs toNew Hampshire if we are a Right-to-Work”

This is the same statement Bill O’Brien has been making since HB 474 was introduced.  I am still waiting for him to produce any sort of list of companies who will move their operations to New Hampshire if we pass RTW.  Why, because there is none!

Americans For Prosperity are spreading Lies about Right To Work!

  By The New Hampshire Labor News | November 30, 2011 - 3:31 pm | Uncategorized
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Once again the Koch Funded Americans for Prosperity are spreading the their lies about Right To Work laws.  First they are saying that People are “forced to join unions or be fired”.  As we all know this has been illegal for over 70 years.   These ads have been playing on multiple radio stations in New England over the last few days.  I wonder how much they paid for each one of these ads to run for five days $5,000 per station or $10,000 per station?  I would love to know exactly they paid.  I would guess that they spent at least $30,000 dollars to push their lies.

AFPR-02+Americans For Prosperity+Not Free 11-21-11+S by mhoefer
AFPR-02+Americans For Prosperity+Unfair 11-22-11+S by mhoefer
NHAC+NH Advantage Coalition+Protect 11-23-11+S by mhoefer
AFPR-01+Americans For Prosperity+Stand Up 11-21-11+S by mhoefer
Earlier this year, the Protect New Hampshire Families organization put out their own radio ad about HB 474. Talking about Businesses that oppose Right To Work.  They say the polticans are not listening to their voters
Radio Ad for Protect NH Families Against RTW (nh labor news) by nhlabor