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SAFE’s “hit nail on head” blog
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2/6/12 – Spreading the word and achieving impact
Following last week’s entry, SAFE sent a one-page call for action to every member of Congress. http://www.s-a-f-e.org/contacting_legislators_2012.htm#020112
Our letter was timely, and we would like to think it makes sense. Some 50 reviewers got a shot at the draft before it was sent, and the responses were supportive.
•SAFE members – great letter – I am fully on board – looks good – looks fine – looks great – let’er rip – go ahead – thanks – looks “right on”
•Conservative Caucus – a grand slam – excellent letter
•Citizens Against Government Waste –hits the nail on the head
•National Taxpayer’s Union - We don't get involved in presidential appointments generally, but all the other points are right on target with what we've advocated. I think the tax reform message is especially key. We could obviate the need to extend the Bush tax cuts by passing a good revenue-neutral tax reform that lowers rates and broadens the base before the end of the year.
But here’s the big question: Will SAFE’s letter be read by enough people to have an impact, either in isolation or in combination with other communications, on what Congress does this year?
Realistically, the members of Congress are a tough sell, our mode of delivery was imperfect, and many conflicting messages are in play.
In short, we are fighting an uphill battle. A positive outcome would be tough under any circumstances, and without sustained follow-up it looks to be impossible. So here’s what we propose to do . . .
Tough sell – Pollster Scott Rasmussen perceives a growing divide between the thinking of Americans in general and members of what he calls the “Political Class.” The general public feels they are overtaxed already and want something done about ever-rising government expenditures, according to his surveys, while politicians want to raise taxes and keep growing the government.
In a just published book, Rasmussen predicts that voters will save the day by lowering the boom on the politicians. The People’s Money, Scott Rasmussen, Simon & Schuster (2012)
Voters are the solution, not the problem. There is a way out of the fiscal crisis: their way. It’s a path that the Political Class won’t want to take, but voters shouldn’t be too concerned with what the politicians want. If every member of Congress gave up in disgust and quit tomorrow, it wouldn’t be hard to fill the members’ shoes.
http://www.s-a-f-e.org/peoples_money.htm
Is Rasmussen right? We are not so sure this story will have a happy ending, as noted in our review of The People’s Money, but his description of the Political Class mindset is spot on.
Politicians have for decades placed their bet on the belief that they could someday convince voters to support tax increases big enough to support their view of the world *** [they] always lag behind the public *** [they] are more likely to hear complaints about change from donors and lobbyists than they are to hear from entrepreneurs about the benefits of change *** the Political Class is now isolated in a fantasy world where it thinks the credible policy options run from defending the status quo to increasing the role of government and government spending.
For all the discussion in Washington lately about the dangers of massive deficit spending and the rapidly growing National Debt, there has been remarkably little accomplished in terms of actually cutting spending – with the sole exception of proposals to slash spending for the US military. Cut defense spending with care, 1/23/12.
As the latest case in point, consider SAFE’s suggestion (item 3 in our letter) that Congress should follow its own rules and approve a budget for fiscal year 2013.
Approve a budget for fiscal year 2013, hopefully cutting spending in the process. We cannot imagine why Congress has stopped complying with its own budget rules and seems to have so little concern about running up the National Debt.
To us, this seems like common sense, but Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid evidently thinks otherwise. Reid says he won’t bring budget to floor this year, Philip Klein, Washington Examiner, 2/3/12.
His argument is that last summer's debt ceiling deal already set the spending levels for the year, so there's no need to pass a resolution that is non-binding anyway. Money is typically spent during the year through the appropriations process.
Mode of delivery – It’s easy to send e-mails to the members of Congress and cost-free as well, but the messages may or may not get read – especially if sent from outside the state or district of the member in question. As an illustration of Congressional reactions to unsolicited communications, consider these acknowledgments that we received:
We receive thousands of e-mails from all over the country every day and cannot read all of them. We do read all e-mails from the San Fernando Valley or those with business directly affecting our office. *** If you do not have an address in the San Fernando Valley, but have business that affects the people of the 27th District, please send a postal letter [which can take weeks due to screening procedures instituted after 9/11] or call my office. – Rep. Brad Sherman (CA, 27th district).
This mailbox is public and monitored daily by my staff. In an effort to better serve you please submit all comments and casework online through my website [to do this for all 535 members of Congress would take a lot of time and effort; also, member Websites are typically programmed not to accept e-mails from non-constituents] – Rep. Dale Kildee (MI, 5th district)
I receive over a thousand phone calls, letters and e-mails every day. While I make it a point to read every contact that comes through my office, I cannot always respond to each one, but I certainly will do my best. Rep. Pete King (NY, 3rd district)
Thank you for taking the time to get in touch and share your views with me. *** Unfortunately, due to the large amount of correspondence, I can only respond to constituents. Rep. Jan Schakowsky (IL, 9th district)
Bottom line, few of our e-mails actually reached the intended recipients. The best that can be hoped for is that they caught the attention of some Congressional staffers.
Other messages – Members of Congress receive a high volume of messages, no doubt, and the predominant theme is probably not fiscal responsibility. Even if Scott Rasmussen is right and a majority of Americans want government spending cut, the advocates of this, that and the other program are vocal and persistent.
Consider the experience of SAFE directors Jerry Martin & Bill Whipple at a listening session organized by Senator Tom Carper on the then-proposed GovCare legislation. SAFE Newsletter, Fall 2009.
Two representatives of the Delaware Tea Party provided welcome support, but most of the invited guests [about 15] seemed to view the desirability of the president’s healthcare plan as a given (and some of them urged additional benefits).
http://www.s-a-f-e.org/nwsltr/nwsltr55.htm#DIRECTORS
There is no way we can outdo the other side in quantity, nor are we offering campaign contributions (other than on a personal basis once in a while). Our only hope is to submit messages that are more coherent and convincing than the requests from our intellectual opponents for more, more, more.
Perhaps SAFE’s Feb. 1 letter met that test, and with luck some readers realized it. But even if this is so, one e-mailed letter from a grassroots advocacy group cannot be expected to have an impact without lots of reinforcement.
Follow-up – Whatever one’s message, repetition can help to sell it. We need to find ways to keep reminding people of the action points SAFE has proposed for 2012.
Shortly after sending the letter to the members of Congress, we posted it on the Website. That will make it easy for SAFE members and others to access the letter, and hopefully bring it to the attention of contacts in their respective networks.
We sent a letter to the editor suggesting that even though it is an election year, Congress should get cracking on a budget and tax overhaul. http://bit.ly/xlxYJq
We will cover the letter to Congress in the next SAFE newsletter, and provide updates on the four action items in this blog as the year progresses.
We will send follow-up letters to Congress as developments warrant.
We will keep networking with contacts at like-minded groups in hopes that they will support our efforts or help to upgrade our ideas.
We would love to receive suggestions from readers as to how this campaign can and should be conducted.
The one legal thing we do not intend to do is give up!
Additional Blogs Below:
1/30/12 – SOTU finesses fiscal responsibility
Did a White House speechwriter stumble across SAFE’s “to do” list for Congress (see our 1/16/12 entry) and decide to contradict every point in the State of the Union (SOTU) address?
1/23/12 – Cut defense spending with care Read Replies
It is a myth that conservatives agree about everything, ask anyone who has attended a SAFE board meeting or two, particularly when it comes to defense spending.
1/16/12 – SAFE offers DC a “to do” list for 2012
The nation’s legislators are returning to Washington, but it appears unlikely that Congress will get down to business before, say, the week of February 6.
1/9/12 – About those recess appointments
As anyone who has been paying attention knows, the president saw fit to appoint four individuals to high-ranking positions while Congress was out of town for the holidays.
1/2/12 – Happy 2012, and why it’s time to focus on taxes Read a Reply
Our last entry (12/19/11) counseled fiscal visionaries to disdain “grandiose plans for future action” and “start demanding real corrective action in the here and now.”
More in our "Archives"