It seems like a sensible request that out representatives actually read the bills they vote on, before they vote on them (Berman Post: ReadTheBill.org and Berman Post: "Read The Bills Act" (RTBA)). Some of our representatives openly admit that they do not read the bills (Berman Post: Paul Hodes (D-NH) Admits to Not Reading The Bills Before Voting on Them and Berman Post: Specter Admits he Does Not Read Bills Before Voting on Them). Some even complain about the prospect of being forced to read the bills or make a joke out of the idea (Berman Post: Hoyer - "If Every Member Pledged to Not Vote For it if They Hadn’t Read it in Its Entirety, I Think we Would Have Very Few Votes" and Berman Post: Conyers - "What Good is Reading The Bill if it’s a Thousand Pages And You Don’t Have Two Days And Two Lawyers to Find Out What it Means"). They voted to not even let the public have enough time to read the bill before congress votes on them (Berman Post: Democrats Reject Amendment to Put Health Care Overhaul Online 72 Hours Before Vote). The above links are just the tip of the iceberg.
Instead of just asking nicely, or trying unsuccessfully to get measures passed forcing our representatives to read the bill, we could just prank them. How you ask? Relatively simply, get a provision placed in the middle of the bill saying; "anyone who votes yes to this bill without first mailing a letter to _____, agrees to donate 5% of their yearly taxpayer funded salary to be split evenly between everyone who sent the letter to the aforementioned address". I thought about a strait forfeiture of salary, but you want to incentivise the people who read the bill and find the provision to not tell others.
Ok, I am not actually calling for people to prank congress. I am not sure we could get anyone to add that line, and if someone did I do not want to be charged with treason. The real point is that if our representatives do not read the bills they vote on then someone could sneak something in and it may not be as harmless as a little prank.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
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I like this idea. There are certain things you can do that just really catch people's attention, and if it succeeded, the public humiliation would be huge.
ReplyDeleteAnd you might be able to find a Republican backbencher with a bombthrower mentality to try to slip it in.
Just blowing through from Linkiest.
Tennwriter
"We thought Rickrolling had been done to death... until right-wingers fell for this prank." How to Rickroll Republicans
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