Today’s Downsizer-Dispatch . . .
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Quote of the Day:
“No man’s life, liberty or property are safe while the legislature is in session.”
— Judge Gideon J. Tucker (1826-1899)
Subject: Urgent Action Item
The Senate may vote today to replace or extend the “Protect America Act” (PAA), a law that legalizes warrantless spying on Americans.
There is a version of a replacement bill that some organizations describe as acceptable. For one thing, it does not grant immunity to the telecom companies that participated in spying on Americans when such spying was still illegal. However, we have stopped asking you to ask Congress to favor this bill because . . .
We think we are more likely to get what we want, or a better compromise, if we ask for what we want, which is the termination of PAA.
We think it is strategically unsound to ask for less than what you really want. Doing so sends Congress a message that it is safe to compromise in the wrong direction. By asking for what we want, even if it is not what Congress is likely to grant, we make it more likely that any resulting compromise will be in the right direction.
Now, this may be your last chance to influence what Congress does. Please ask Congress to repeal the PAA, or let it sunset out of existence.
Also, in other news, gold moved above $900 an ounce this morning. Investors are trying to protect themselves from the Fed’s inflationary interest rate cut from earlier in the week. You might want to send Congress a message urging passage of the “Honest Money Act,” and mention $900 gold in your personal comments.
Thank you for being a part of the growing Downsize DC Army.
Perry Willis
Communications Director
DownsizeDC.org, Inc.