ALEC takes away affordable housing

Are there still any doubts that ALEC - the Far Right's self-anointed shadow legislature - is for big government? Certainly not if you believe that small government means maintaining local autonomy.

I notice that one of ALEC's "shadow bills" is called the Rent Control Preemption Ordinance. I knew right away what this is, and another website has what appears to be the bill's brief text:

http://www.newcoalition.org/Article.cfm?artId=6253

ALEC is out there yelling about "states' rights!", but their support of states' rights only seems to apply when the states run roughshod over the powers of the cities. You never hear ALEC talking about cities' rights. ALEC's bill would specifically bar cities from enacting ordinances to rein in high rents. Not only would ALEC's bill outlaw direct rent control, but it would also prohibit cities from having any policy that has the effect of keeping rents reasonably low.

At least 2 states have enacted a law that copies ALEC's bill almost verbatim.

Lovely. So ALEC is out there intentionally driving up housing costs just for the purpose of keeping the poor out of entire states. ALEC isn't just a shadow legislature for the rich. It's for rich folks who harbor such bias against the poor that they don't want them coming anywhere near.

And ALEC got its way on this issue in at least 2 states. They're an influential little bunch, and I'm exposing them.