Today’s Downsizer Dispatch . . .
Subject: Have we tried yet? (Plus, a media announcement about “I am not afraid.”)
Schools, newspapers, talk radio, TV news — they all sing the same song — the solution to every problem is a new or different law, new or different government program, new or different government policy.
This is what everyone, everywhere, sees and hears, every day.
Given this reality, it shouldn’t be surprising that government grows and grows. If you only hear what you’ve always heard, you’ll only get what you’ve always had.
But what is surprising, given the universality of Big Government propaganda, is that so many millions of Americans still favor smaller government.
It really is incredible. Ask people if they think the government is too big, too small, or about the right size, and an overwhelming majority will always say that the government is not just too big, but way too big.
And this isn’t just a vague opinion that breaks down on specifics. We see it constantly in the coalitions we work with — groups that you would expect to be Big Government advocates on most issues turn out to favor smaller government on a surprisingly wide array of subjects.
The downsizing message is almost completely invisible from the mass public debate, and yet it remains strong at the grassroots level. So we are led to ask . . .
What would happen if this grassroots strength could be translated into mass visibility, so that the downsizing idea was heard by everyone, everywhere, every day, just like the Big Government message is?
Wouldn’t the Big Government Potemkin Village collapse under the pressure?
It seems to us that achieving universal visibility and overwhelming pressure is the untried, main chance. Over the years, so many different things have been tried by so many different groups, with minimal, if any, success. But when it comes to achieving universal visibility for our ideas . . .
Have we really tried yet?
We don’t think we have tried yet. Our side has done everything but try to achieve universal visibility and overwhelming pressure. Therefore . . .
Is apathy really warranted? Can we really despair that everything is inevitably “going to hell in a hand-basket” when we haven’t really focused on the main chance of achieving universal visibility and overwhelming pressure?
DownsizeDC.org is trying. We’re working to reach that goal — universal visibility and overwhelming pressure. And our efforts are clicking right along. We’re having a strong recruitment month, and we may set another new mark for pressure on Congress this month. But this relentlessly incremental growth is only the beginning.
- We need to do more, faster. That’s why I will be leaving town at the end of this month to meet with some major donors. After that, I’ll be meeting with more. We’ve reached the point where an infusion of capital could make a major difference in our rate of growth. If I’m successful, as I expect to be, we could start seeing the first results this Fall.
- But that isn’t all — we’ve also been making major investments in our infrastructure. It’s taken us far longer than we had hoped, but I’m confident the results will be worth the effort. We will have a new website, and more robust software to which we will attach (in the near future) exiting new tools that will help us go further, faster.
- Meanwhile, thanks to investments in the new website and major donor development programs, we’ve been burning money at a rapid rate. This will pay-off. But right now our reserves are at their lowest point in two years. There are things I want to do right now, but I can’t because we don’t have the cash flow. For instance . . .
Our “I am not afraid” has been very popular. We’ve had requests to produce t-shirts and bumper stickers to help spread the word about “I am not afraid.” I REALLY want to do that, but I lack the cash. We’ve focused on pressure this month, and done little fundraising. Before we make any other investments, we need to make budget. Thus, today’s message . . .
We still have a box of the DVD, “9-11: Press for Truth.” There are less than 30 DVDs left. I encourage you to get one while supplies last. If you can make a contribution or start a new monthly pledge we’ll mail a “9/11: Press for Truth” DVD to your home. Here’s how to get yours . . .
If you’re an existing monthly credit card pledger in good standing as of June 15, 2007, all you have to do is increase your monthly pledge by at least $1, and we’ll send one to you.
If you’re NOT an EXISTING monthly credit card pledger then you can start a monthly credit card pledge of at least $6, or make a one-time credit card donation of $35 or more, and we’ll send you the DVD. (Sorry, for technical reasons we cannot make this offer for PayPal pledges or donations).
You can make your contribution here.
See the “I am not afraid” media announcement below my signature.
Jim Babka
President
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.
P.S. I will be a guest tonight Thursday, August 16 on Free Talk Live sometime after 7 PM Eastern (6 PM Central, 5 PM Mountain, and 4 PM Pacific). The show broadcasts in several markets and on the Net. To learn if the show airs on an Affiliate near you, or to Listen live — or even later to get their popular podcast — go to FreeTalkLive.com