An enthusiastic welcome to everyone visiting H.R. 1475, the Federal Prison Work Incentive Act of 2009 this week.
By your numbers, you have toppled the equine cruelty issue from the top of the “active bills” list. Bills float to the top of this list based on the number of visits, and the horse people have kept [...]
I’ve written here a few times about the work of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation to educate YOU on national debt issues. Well, they’re still at it – because you don’t know enough yet.
Little did you know, you’ve retained the accounting firm of Owen & Payne to handle your financial issues. And boy [...]
Try to count the number of grammar errors, misused words, and inelegant turns of phrase in this letter arguing for a workplace English-only policy. Going to restaurants, the author reports, “I walk inside and almost forget we are in America, where there is English speaking.”
One can’t tell whether the letter is a work of [...]
I was flipping through the channels on a DirecTV setup yesterday when I spied a most interesting campaign put together by the satellite TV provider itself. On the unused channels, there was an important message aimed at subscribers.
Big Cable companies are encouraging states across the country to charge satellite subscribers, like you, higher state [...]
A little over a month ago, I wrote here about the debate on oil speculation.
One of the commenters on S. 3268, The Stop Excessive Energy Speculation Act of 2008 had pointed to a Web site called Stop Oil Speculation Now. I speculated (ahem) that this commenter might be a spinmeister for that campaign.
Whatever the [...]
A staple of modern lobbying is the self-identified consumer group. Claiming to represent the interests of consumers, these groups send letters to Congress and issue press releases to create the appearance that a large cross-section of people actually feel strongly about an issue. They often front for different interests than actual consumers, such [...]
The Congressional Management Foundation has issued an interim draft report on communicating with Congress. Here’s their summary of the problem they seek to address*:
For nearly a decade, the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) has been working to improve communications between citizens and Members of Congress. We have found that the Internet has made it easier and [...]