I received an email from a group that asked people to thank Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton for vetoing a tenth ALEC-sponsored bill. ALEC is the American Legislative Exchange Council. Adam Smith predicted the problems of working against such groups.
I sent the following to Gov. Dayton via web form:
Thanks for vetoing ALEC created and sponsored bills. Who elected them anyway?
"The member of parliament who supports every proposal for strengthening this monopoly, is sure to acquire not only the reputation of understanding trade, but great popularity and influence with an order of men whose numbers and wealth render them of great importance. If he opposes them, on the contrary, and still more, if he has authority enough to be able to thwart them, neither the most acknowledged probity, nor the highest rank, nor the greatest public services, can protect him from the most infamous abuse and detraction, from personal insults, nor sometimes from real danger, arising from the insolent outrage of furious and disappointed monopolists." - Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations
Find more interesting excerpts from Adam Smith at http://magree.blogspot.com
- End of email to Gov. Dayton
If you live in Minnesota, you can send your own comments to Gov. Dayton at http://mn.gov/governor/contact-us/form/. Also, wherever you live, be sure to vote in each and every election. Groups such as ALEC depend on voter apathy. Or they even work to reduce the number of eligible voters.
