Today’s Downsizer-Dispatch…
Below my signature are three media announcements — two for TODAY (Friday) and one for Sunday. But today’s message is about demands: Your demands.
Over the next couple of months, we at DownsizeDC.org plan to implement some important new things. These things all have one thing in common. YOU ASKED FOR THEM.
The Downsize DC approach is unique. We seek to be transpartisan and populist to reach the broadest numbers of people possible. We seek campaigns and approaches that work because they reach people emotionally first. We seek to be realistically ambitious and relentlessly incremental.
We seek to be non-partisan and balanced, committed to principles, not personalities and parties. And strategically, we prefer a friend or a bill already in Congress that is doing or would do the right thing.
We also strongly prefer to find an “Archimedes Lever” that, with a simple push, could move the world. The Read the Bills Act combined with the One Subject at a Time Act, for example, would dramatically reform how Congress does business. And those simple, transpartisan, and populist procedural reforms would change the number and size of bills coming out of Congress — even the ultimate size of the federal government. They are, levers.
Some issues really interest us and, if we could push a button to make those certain things happen, we would. But we’re not going to be Don Quixote about it. We’re ambitious enough to stand on a principle and suggest bold action yet realistic enough to frame it in a way that gets attention and has a long-term possibility of success.
Since before we launched DownsizeDC.org, we’ve been hearing from folks concerned about two pressing issues: The printing of fiat, inflationary, debt-inducing currency via the Federal Reserve and the truth about September 11.
We have reviewed, literally, hundreds of requests to deal with these issues. Sure we had concerns and a desire to do something on these issues (just like we do countless others), but the ideal and essential DC Downsizer strategic approach, as outlined above, wasn’t immediately evident to us. Nearly everything we’ve seen and heard on both of these issues is too conspiratorially oriented and/or too quixotic.
So we waited. From the perspective of the people writing to us, we’ve waited a very long time. We believe it was worth the wait.
In June, we will act on these issues in a unique, Downsize DC way — unlike anything you’ve seen before. And in each case, we will have real proposals, with real Capitol Hill politician’s names attached to them that can make a real, progressive difference.
And in one instance, we will test a brand new weapon for inclusion into our arsenal of tactics to “persuade” Congress. If it works, you’ll be seeing a whole lot more of this tactic.
And that’s just the beginning of our Summer plans. With your support, a new Downsize DC Agenda item is already in the works, and there’s so much more coming behind that. It promises to be an exciting season.
Unfortunately, we hobble into this new month, having missed budget in May by more than $3,000. I’m determined we will not miss budget for a third month in a row. And so, I start today, by asking for your support.
Are you excited to learn that we’ll be tackling the issues of the Federal Reserve and 9-11 during the month of June? If so, please, give generously.
We are approximately 25 pledgers away from being able to launch the One Subject at a Time Act. At $7,500 per month in pledges, we’ll release the bill and start demanding that Congress introduce it. Our three largest monthly pledgers give $250, $200, and $152 each month. The average is $16 per month. Would you consider becoming a new monthly, credit card pledger at the $3, $5, $8, $10, $15, $25, or $35 level?
We’re also looking for persons eager to put forth a $500, $1,000, or more challenge pledge for June. In February, James Marquart, and then in March, Steve Dasbach, put forth challenges for other donors to match their contributions. They helped us make budget those months. Can you issue such a challenge? If so, please hit reply to this message and let us know.
Thank you for your support of DownsizeDC.org,
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
MEDIA ANNOUNCEMENTS
This afternoon, I’m on the radio again for my regular Friday appearance with Jerry Hughes.
And then I’ll be guest-hosting Kevin Shannon’s show late this afternoon. And then, back on the air Sunday for my own show.
We want you to participate in these shows. I want to hear from you.
1) Let’s start with Jerry’s show today. If just four people would commit to call the show today, you’d keep Jerry hopping. And you’d create buzz that DownsizeDC.org guests are great guests to have (AND THEY ARE!).
And surely you have a question about Downsize DC . . . or a challenge for me.
The toll-free call-in number is: 1-866-222-2368
The email is: Jerry at AccentRadio dot com
Time: 3:05 PM Eastern, 2:05 PM Central, 1:05 PM Mountain, 12:05 PM Pacific
Length: 1 hour
Host: Jerry Hughes
Show: Straight Talk w/ Jerry Hughes
Internet: www.accentradionetwork.com/chooseplayer.htm
Click Winamp or Windows Media Player, as appropriate.
You can listen to the show in more than 20 markets. A complete list of “affiliates” is available here.
2) Next up is Kevin Shannon’s show. Today, I’m GUEST-HOSTING his show with his Friday co-host William Grigg, who edits the Pro Libertate blog and ezine, as well as contributes to The American Conservative, LewRockwell.com and Anti-war.com.
The toll-free call-in number is: 1-800-259-9231
The email is: Call at DownsizeDC dot org
Time: 6:06 PM Eastern, 5:06 PM Central, 4:06 PM Mountain, 3:06 PM Pacific
Length: 1 hour
Host: ME!!
Show: The Right Source w/Kevin Shannon
Internet: www.gcnlive.com/listenlive.htm
CHOOSE Channel 1 or 3
The show is heard on a couple of terrestrial stations as well, but the list wasn’t available as of the time we’re sending out this message.
3) SUNDAY at 4:06 PM Eastern, I’ll be back behind the microphone for my own show, the Downsize DC Conference Call, sponsored by DownsizeDC.org and Gun Owners of America, also on GCNlive.com. We’ll have more details in Sunday’s Dispatch.
Happy Listening!