Representatives
My duly elected state representatives refuse to directly supply me, their constituent, with information about what they are doing in the legislature. They simply will not do it.
Normally, I'd think that's ground for voting against them in the next election. But in this case, they don't do it because state law says it is illegal.
Because WA voters are hypersensitive about all things related to elections, in 1992 they voted into law a proposition that forbids most electronic or postal mail sent to constituents by legislators during the 12-month period before a general election.
Now, they can respond to direct personal requests -- in person, or by e-mail, apparently -- but no unsolicited or mass correspondence. This is, however, what many people rely on to actually get information about what their representative is doing, because the press doesn't do a very good job of covering most things in the state legislature.
I think this doesn't extend to the legislator's web site. Which means they could in theory have an RSS feed, which is not significantly different from e-mail anyway, so the law isn't even effective.
Oh, but they do have an exception for sending correspondence to award winners. (/me rolls his eyes)
Normally, I'd think that's ground for voting against them in the next election. But in this case, they don't do it because state law says it is illegal.
Because WA voters are hypersensitive about all things related to elections, in 1992 they voted into law a proposition that forbids most electronic or postal mail sent to constituents by legislators during the 12-month period before a general election.
Now, they can respond to direct personal requests -- in person, or by e-mail, apparently -- but no unsolicited or mass correspondence. This is, however, what many people rely on to actually get information about what their representative is doing, because the press doesn't do a very good job of covering most things in the state legislature.
I think this doesn't extend to the legislator's web site. Which means they could in theory have an RSS feed, which is not significantly different from e-mail anyway, so the law isn't even effective.
Oh, but they do have an exception for sending correspondence to award winners. (/me rolls his eyes)
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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