Archives

Today’s Downsizer-Dispatch . . .::::::

We’re turning up the heat on Congress to pass the “Read the Bills Act.” (RBTA):::

• Thanks to the financial support of many DC Downsizers, we now have someone to book interviews. Two more have just been booked, and more will follow quickly. Stay tuned for details. :::
• Our volunteer created media list now has 87 entries, and we’ll be asking for your help soon to make it even larger. :::
• Our first RTBA letters-to-the-editor campaign was a success, and we’ll be doing this on a regular basis. Get your “pens” ready.:::
• Most of the background work for our RTBA Coalition of talk show hosts, blogs, and organizations has been completed and we’re hoping to launch this next week, Murphy permitting.:::
• We’re also hoping to launch our MeetUp groups for the Congressional Invasion and the “No Legislation Without Representation Conference” the week after next. Again, Murphy permitting.

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All of these are steps on a path that will make RTBA visible to everyone, everywhere, everyday. And the next step we want to take begins now . . .:::

Direct More Firepower at Congress:::

We want to send more messages to Congress about RTBA this week, than ever before. We want to dramatically increase the number of Downsizer-Dispatch subscribers who are registered to use our lobbying system. We want more-and-more people badgering Congress about RTBA.:::

We’ve already sent 26,322 messages to Congress about RTBA. This has been enough to prompt many members of Congress, and some members of the media, to start talking about weak, substitute reforms like a “two-day waiting” period. But there are enough people on this list to send 60,000 RTBA messages to Congress in a single day. If only we will do it. It only takes 2 to 3 minutes to register to use the system. Please do it. Please help. :::

If you’re already registered to use the lobbying system, send a message to Congress right now asking them to sponsor and pass RTBA. You can send your message by clicking here.

REAL ID ACT, Grudge Day

A caller opened the show – Randy had never heard of DownsizeDC.org but said he was going to check it out right away. He wanted to know how to overcome discouragement about all the things government was doing to us. How did I answer him? Well, if you’re still unsure, you’ll want to listen to the archive — the attachment to this blog entry (see below). ::::::We also did our first MPP Update for the Marijuana Policy Project. MPP is joining us as an official sponsor in March. They are launching a campaign that could,

During my trip to California in late January, one of the people I met with told me that the Read the Bills Act (RTBA) was mentioned during a FoxNews show the previous Sunday night . . .

Today’s Downsizer-Dispatch . . .::::::The drumbeat for the “Read the Bills Act” is growing…::::::

:::
• We’re busy booking me onto radio talk shows (details soon):::
• The software needed to organize our MeetUp groups for the “No Legislation Without Representation Conference” is nearly ready to launch:::
• We’re about to unveil materials for an RTBA Coalition of talk show hosts, blogs, and organizations. Plus…:::
• We’re going to start using other new weapons to harass Congress to pass RTBA.:::

:::Starting now…::::::TODAY’S ACTION ITEM:::

:::
• Write a letter to your local newspaper promoting RTBA:::
• When you send your letter-to-the-editor post it as a comment on the DownsizeDC blog under the item “Your RTBA Letters-to-the-Editor”:::
• Final step, send a message to your Representative and your Senators asking them to sponsor RTBA, and paste in the text of the letter you sent to the newspaper! (You can do this by visiting http://action.downsizedc.org/wyc.php?cid=27.)::::::That will make them nervous! Plus, more people will hear about RTBA. Here’s an example of an excellent letter-to-the-editor written by DC Downsizer Mel Pinney of San Diego. You can use it as a model for your letter…:::
  

$2.77 Trillion

Brenton Simpson and Max Schneller made their own independent film to promote DownsizeDC.org. I think their point is, DownsizeDC.org doesn’t make empty promises. ::::::What do you think? (You’ll need QuickTime to view this vignette).:::

We’ve worked with the Marijuana Policy Project in the past. And MPP is joining in sponsoring the Downsize DC Conference Call. They have the following position available. ::::::Congressional Campaigns Manager::::::The Marijuana Policy Project is seeking a full-time coordinator to recruit candidates in targeted congressional districts to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. This is an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and organized individual to play a key role in a groundbreaking political effort.:::

Should truth be required at tax time?

I spoke last weekend to the San Diego Libertarian Party. Sue was with me. We made new friends. We put faces to names of friends I’ve only corresponded with. We connected with old friends: Several DC Downsizers were there. ::::::I thought my speech went quite well. The questions were awesome. And I’m pleased to see this letter to the editor. ::::::This letter to the editor of the San Diego Union-Tribune is concise and on the mark!::::::February 3, 2006::::::Make legislators read their legislation::: :::Recent editorials have identified some of the many problems with Congress. While these editorials are long on rhetoric about special interests, earmarking, K Street lobbyists, etc., they all lack any workable solutions. ::: :::An innovative approach proposed by DownSizeDC.org is the “Read the Bills Act.” Under RTBA, every senator and representative would be required to attend sessions where bills would be read to them in their entirety. If RTBA were to come to a vote, it would be political suicide to vote against it because any member of Congress doing so would be taking the position that they don’t want to know what they are voting on. ::: :::Imagine how concise bills would then become. Huge omnibus bills would likely become a thing of the past (who would want to listen while 1,000-plus pages are read to them?). And if bills containing earmarks and special-interest concessions were exposed to the light of day, it’s less likely that they would be passed as well. Perhaps then we would truly no longer have “legislation without representation.” ::: :::MEL PINNEY :::San Diego::::::THANKS MEL!::::::OK DC Downsizers, now it’s your turn!