The legislature is considering banning the
robo-call. Lots of people, it seems, don't like getting a lot of computer-generated political calls. I LOVE them, but if you are reading this you already know that I'm not exactly normal when it comes to politics.
Many people don't understand why they get these calls even though they may be on the "do not call" list. To date, these calls have been protected as political speech. This is as opposed to the commercial speech that "do not call" is supposed to suppress. We have held political speech in a class of its own--as more important than a solicitation to re-finance your house or buy a timeshare.
So why should the
robo-call be saved? I'll tell you why: MONEY.
Robo-calls are cheap. Really cheap. You don't need a huge volunteer or paid staff to generate the calls. You need, like, eight cents. So isn't this just an invitation for any joker with a dime to call your house? Well, yes. But it's an important way to get a message out. This isn't Boston circa 1770. You can't go to the public square and stand up on a box and share your thoughts with the whole town. If the 21st-century version of the public square is the shopping mall, it gets even worse. Malls are private property and one cannot exercise political speech there without permission from the man.
If you think back to the Mayoral race of 2003, Andre
Bundley took about a third of the vote from Martin
O'Malley who at the time was seeking a second term. That's a lot of votes. And he did it almost 100% with
robo-calls. The fact that a guy with no organization and no money could send a message like that is reason enough to preserve the
robo-call.
So who really wants to kill the call? Who would really have a reason to do so?
Hmmm. We are being told that the public is screaming for action. But I don't really hear much screaming. Elections don't happen that often. Who would benefit from silencing the little guy in the election? INCUMBENTS. The people who are already sitting pretty in office. The people with the fundraising and organizational advantage. The people who most desperately need and deserve a wake-up call at the ballot box.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a mad, anti-incumbent lunatic. Good people serving us in office deserve to be re-elected. But even they deserve a stiff challenge. It keeps them sharp. It makes the work for it. It makes them accountable.
Save the
robo-call. Read the Sun article on what is happening
HERE, and then email sponsor Delegate Dan
Morhaim HERE. And try to learn to love that stupid
robo-call.
