Yesterday’s Downsizer-Dispatch . . .
First, some good news, and then a very important action item about attempts to regulate groups like DownsizeDC.org.
The Good News
Our media campaign got off to a great start last week. We booked two radio talk shows and Jim Babka scored for us on both of them.
We’re confident this is only the beginning. Things will be a little quiet this week on the media front as Jim travels to the West Coast to speak at a convention, and meet with supporters in several cities. But while he’s gone we’ll be getting ready to book him on more shows.
We also hope to have other good news on another front to report this week. Meanwhile, Congress-critters are up to no good (again) which brings us to the following very important action item.
Action Item
First they regulated campaign finance to keep challengers from competing with them at the ballot box. Now they want to regulate grassroots lobbying organizations to make it harder for constituents to lobby Congress.
As usual, Congress is using a scandal of their own making – the Abramoff affair — to regulate you, and protect themselves. As with campaign finance, the main tool they are using is to require groups like us to file elaborate and complicated reports. Reports about our supporters (you!), and reports about our spending, which will be on top of the financial reports we already file with the IRS.
Reports, reports, reports, forms, forms, forms.
These kinds of reporting requirements have a chilling effect on activity. They waste time, cost money, and make taxpayers think twice about doing things that could result in their names and contact information being published in government reports.
Congress wants to hide from everyone. They want to be accountable to no one. They have already rigged elections in a host of ways, to ensure that incumbents are constantly re-elected. And now they want to hamper organized communications from taxpayers too.
A few people in Congress appear to have broken the law. So why are you the one they want to regulate. The existing bribery laws appear to have worked. So why do we need new laws?
We must not allow them to freeze out grassroots lobbying in the same way they have frozen out financial support for non-incumbent candidates. To send your message to Congress opposing these new laws, click here
:Thank you for being a DC Downsizer.
Standing in for a traveling Jim Babka . . .
Perry Willis
Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.