Conference back40::soapbox

    The following is excerpted from the sample publication they
    sent to me:
    
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                            PROJECT VOTE SMART
    
    129 NO 4th St, #204, Corvallis OR 97330
    (503) 754-2746  Fax: (503) 754-2747
    PROJECT VOTE SMART/Center for National Independence in Politics
    
    U.S. Government Owner's Manual
    
    It's Time to LOOK IN on the Hired Help!
    
                 On common ground, a unique and unlikely gathering
            is taking place.  Thousands -- citizens and statesmen,
            conservatives and liberals, traditional enemies with
            vastly different backgrounds and points of view -- are
            joining for battle.  If successful, Americans will
            experience a re-emergence of political power unknown to
            them for many decades.
    
                It is a battle for that most essential and precious
            element in our struggle to self-govern:  honest and
            accurate information about those who represent us or
            wish to replace those who do.
    
                Shortly before he died James Madison, in a letter to
            a friend, wrote:
    
                    "A popular government, without popular
                    information, or the means of acquiring it,
                    is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy...
                    a people who mean to be their own governors
                    must arm themselves with the power which
                    knowledge gives."
    
                Project Vote Smart is an effort to provide that power,
            at the whim of any and every American.
    
                If what we propose succeeds, tolerance will no longer
            be the only weapon available to Americans tormented by the
            issueless, mudslinging campaigns that now dominate the
            nation's elections or the often misleading statements made
            by their elected representatives.  Designed to manipulate us
            emotionally instead of informing us intellectually, these
            campaigns eat at the very heart of our democracy.
    
                Project Vote Smart's goal is simple:  turn the same
            slick, high technology used by candidates and elected
            officials around to the citizen's advantage instead.
            Allow each individual citizen to decide for himself or
            herself what information is important and then provide
            instant access to it.  In our democracy no power is more
            decisive, no political weapon more potent, than dependable
            accurate, factual information.
    
                With funds provided by Project Vote Smart members, our
            volunteers and students are gathering the facts on our
            elected officials and those who seek our support during
            elections.  They gather together their biographical history,
            voting records, campaign finances, campaign promises,
            performance evaluations, and provide it to citizens on-line,
            through publications, or instantly over our Voter's Research
            Hotline.  What you want to know, when you want to know it,
            and who you want to know it about.
    
                                    TRY IT!
                                1-800-622-SMART
    
                Much is at stake.  The Voter's Research Hotline and this
            Manual are two of five elements (outlined on inside of front
            cover) in our effort to radically reverse the flow of
            information and re-arm ou citizens with its awesome power.
    
                Every prior American generation has labored to preserve,
            protect, and ennoble this endless struggle to self-govern.
            If ou democracy is to survive for the generations beyond the
            21st century, it is going to need help from those of us
            ending the 20th century.  Please help us if you can!  Become
            one of our supporting members, but even if you can't, don't
            hesitate to use our free services.  We contribute our efforts
            in order to provide this sytem free to our fellow Americans.
    
                                                    Richard Kimball
                                                    Board President
    
    Honorary Co-Founders:
    
            Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford
    
    Founders:
    
            Barry Goldwater, George McGovern, Mary Dent Crisp,
            Geraldine Ferraro, William Proxmire, Jim Leach, Peggy Lampl,
            Claudine Schneider, William Clinger, Edward Brooke, David
            Boren, Harry Pachon, Morris Udall, Sonia Jarvis, Bill Frenzel,
            Ronals Dellums, Richard Kimball
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    SOME FACTS ABOUT PROJECT VOTE SMART THAT WILL SURPRISE YOU
    
            Some PVS supporters are well known politically.
    In order to join our Founding Board, they must join with a
    political enemy.  Members include Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter,
    George McGovern and Barry Goldwater, etc.
    
            PVS inaugurated its efforts in 1992.  Lacking funds
    to advertise, only 1% of the citizens know it exists.
    
            Over 90% of those working at PVS are volunteers and
    student interns.  The few salaried staff members accept only
    minimal wages.  Regardless of advanced degrees and experience,
    those who join the PVS staff receive only a $5.54 starting
    salary.
    
            PVS interviews, reviews and collects information on
    over 1,500 candidates.
    
            PVS does not lobby for any legislation, nor support
    or oppose any candidate.  The organization is both non-
    partisan and non-profit.
    
            To insure absolute independence and integrity the
    Project refuses all corporate and special interest group
    contributions.
    
            During election years all candidates, whether they
    be presidential incumbents returning for reelection or
    third party candidates on the ballot for the House of Reps,
    are researched with equal vigilance by ou students and
    volunteers.
    
            PVS has two university sites:  Oregon State
    University and Northeastern University in Boston.  Two
    additional sites will open in 1996.
    

    Here is the table of contents:
    
    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    
                    FOR OUR FELLOW AMERICANS
    
            from the 30,000 members of Project Vote Smart
    
                            CONTENTS
    
    A Word of Advice
    Manual Statistics
            United States Senate
                    Addresses/Phone Numbers
                    Performance Evaluations
                    Campaign Finance
                    Key Votes
                    Campaign Issue Positions
            United States House of Representatives
                    (Same categories as for the senate)
    
    What They Are Saying
    Some Facts Abou Project Vote Smart
    Please Help Us
    Special Services
    

    
    From page 1
    
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    
            You own the government.  Treat your senators and
    representatives and the candidates who wish to replace them with
    respectful consideration but remember they are the hired help.
    
            They work for you.  Their cmapaigns are their applications
    for employment.  Project Vote Smart's volunteers and students are
    forcing them, with or without their help, to fill ou a detailed
    resume.
    
            It requires endless hours of research, data entry and training,
    and whether you are a conservative or a liberal, young or old, you will
    find their work powerful and effective.  It will enable you to
    supervise those you hired to represent you on the concerns you feel
    are important.
    
            It is easy to use the Voter's Self-Defense system we designed
    and maintain.  You will find this Manual full of useful documented
    facts, and ou Hotline researchers friendly, helpful and able to access
    instantly an enormous array of additional information in our computer
    database.
    
            To get started, just imaging you are hiring someone for a job.
    What would you want to know?  Their work history, education, past
    performance evaluations, who their references are?  This information
    is all available on the following pages of this Manual and through our
    Hotline researchers.  Their phone numbers and addresses are included
    in case you want to give them some instruction.  During elections we
    will even interview the candidates for you, with questions that are
    issue oriented and afford no "wiggle room."
    
            The information is honest, fair and always accurate.  Best
    of all it is free, subsidized by those of you who can afford to
    contribute.  NEVER hesitate to use Project Vote Smart's services and
    materials as you seek to find the truth about those who wish to
    govern us.
    

    A few samples of the data in the manual.  If you want more data
    on specific individuals or states, let me know which ones, which
    info, and I'll type it in.  - Dick
    
    --------------------------------------------------------------
    PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
    
    Performance evaluations by special interest groups:  These
    evaluations are in percentage form.  They represent the percentage
    of time that the incumbent voted with that organization's preferred
    positions on a number of votes they identified as key in their issue
    area.  Remember, by definition, these ratings by special interest
    groups are biased.  They do not represent a non-partisan stance.
    In addition, some groups select votes that tend to favor members
    of one political party over another, rather than selecting votes
    based solely on issue concerns.
    
            In this manual there are 14 evaluations for each incumbent
    who served in the Sanate prior to 1993, balanced on competing sides
    of a number of issues.  This represents a diverse sampling of the
    evaluations available in the data base -- over 70 organizations all
    across the political spectrum.
    
            The clearest way to read these percentages is, "In 1992 the
    XYZ organization gave Senator X an 80% rating.  That means senator
    X voted the way they liked 80% of the time on their key issues.
    
            The exception to this is the evaluation done by the National
    Taxpayers Union, which represents how often a representative or
    senator voted to decrease, or not increase, spending.
    
    Evaluation keys:
    
            1.  American Conservative Union (1992) Conservative
            2.  Americans for Democratic Action (1993) Liberal
            3.  American Security Council (1991-2) Defense/Foreign plcy
            4.  Council for a Livable World (1993) Defense/Foreign plcy
            5.  National Right to Life Committee (1992) Abortion
            6.  National Abortion Rights Action League (1992) Abortion
            7.  National Council of Senior Citizens (1992) Seniors
            8.  Consumer Federation of America (1992) Consumers
            9.  NAACP (1991-2) Civil Rights
            10. Christian Voice (1991-2) Morals/Family Issues
            11. League of Conservation Voters (1992) Environment
            12. National Taxpayers Union (1992) Taxes
            13. U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1992) Business
            14. AFL-CIO (1993) Labor
    
    
            Massachussetts
    Category:    Seat 1  2  3  4  5   6   7   8   9 10  11 12 13 14
    ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Kennedy (D)  Sr   0 90 40 62  0 100 100 100 100  0 100 25 20 82
    Kerry (D)    Jr   0 90 40 62  0 100 100  92 100  7  92 30 10 82
    
            New Hampshire
    Category:    Seat 1  2  3  4   5  6  7   8  9  10 11 12 13 14
    -------------------------------------------------------------
    Gregg (R)    Jr  -- 10 --  8  -- -- --  -- --  -- -- -- --  0
    Smity (R)    Sr  96 15 70  8 100  0  0  17  0 100 25 82 90  9
    
    
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    CAMPAIGN FINANCE HISTORY
    
            Shows where their campaign money came from and how much.
    
    Keys:
    
            1. Total contributions
            2. Total from individuals
            3. Total PAC contributions
            4. Political and Ideological PACs
            5. Lawyers and Lobbyists PACs
            6. Health PACs
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    KEY VOTES
    
            Shows how they voted in 16 different issue areas -- a
    sampling of the information available.
    
    Key vote areas:
    
            1.  Abortion
            2.  Abortion
            3.  Banking
            4.  Budget
            5.  Defense
            6.  Defense
            7.  Environment
            8.  Foreign Aid
            9.  Foreign Policy
            10. Gun Control
            11. Gun Control
            12. Health
            13. Homosexuality
            14. Program Spending
            15. Program Spending
            16. Trade
    
    
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    CAMPAIGN ISSUE POSITIONS
    
    Categories:
    
            Taxes, Drugs, Education, Health Care, Revenue Priorities,
            National Debt, Program Spending, Environment, Defense
            Trade, Abortion, Anti-crime, Unemployment, Gun Control,
            Candidates' top two legislative priorities (in their
            own words).
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    SAME INFO AS ABOVE, FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
    ...
    
    -----------------------------------------------------------------
    QUOTES SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE MANUAL
    
    "Give me some information on those Presidential dudes."
    
                            - Young MTV viewer calling the Hotline
    
    "It's pretty irresponsible to answer a questionnaire on issues
    that aren't up for a vote -- how does the Senator know what his
    stance is if it's not up for vote yet?"
    
                            - Aide to a senator refusing to answer
                                    Project Vote Smart's questions
    
    "I am 42 years old and this is my first time voting.  I want
    to do it right."
                            - Call to Voter's Research Hotline
    
    "How can I un-register to vote?"
                            - Caller disgusted with political process
    
    "Could you please tell me where the electoral collete is?"
                            - Young caller to the Hotline
    
    "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!"
                            - Letter from member
    

    
    geez, imagine that.  lib special interests rank kennedy and kerry
    high and gregg and smith low.  
                          
    

    
    No!!!
    
    {Shock!!}  {Horror!!}
    

    Check out the home page on www.  They have many more categories of
    ratings by organizations.  A lot of these organizations have put in a
    great deal of research on candidates so they can tell their members
    whom to vote for, and now everyone can use their research for free.  
    
    It's a bit of delicious irony to be able to use a right-to-life group's
    hard work and research, resulting in a rating of 0, as an indication that 
    that candidate is definitely on *my* side in that issue, for
    example...   :-)

    Sounds nice in theory.  Vote smart has been around for a while.
    Only problem is what you say don't matter anymore.
    
    For example: The Mexico bailout.  You're being pissed on and you
    think voting will fix it.  People have short memories.  
    
    MadMike   

    The point of vote-smart is just that:  What they say doesn't mean a
    thing if they vote differently after they get elected.  So vote-smart
    give us a way to see what they actually do.  We can ignore all their
    rhetoric and BS.  Vote for what they have done, not what they claim.
    
    Speaking of NAFTA, there was an article in the paper that claimed that
    NAFTA has cost the US 38,000 jobs so far.  Could it be that Perot was
    right after all?  (Not that I really had much doubt about Perot :-)

RE: 535.9 by RUSURE::GOODWIN "We upped our standards, now up yours!"

> Speaking of NAFTA, there was an article in the paper that claimed that
> NAFTA has cost the US 38,000 jobs so far.  

Unemployment is down,  and NAFTA has cost us "jobs"  Consistency check, 
please.

Free trade WILL cost us "jobs" where we are at a competitive disadvantage: 
places like broom making.  Bet this article counted these at least once.

Free trade WILL gain us "jobs" where we are at a competitive advantage: 
places like computer software and hardware,  telecommunications equipment, 
toothpaste,  automobiles,  etc etc etc.  Bet the author of the article 
missed many of these.


Phil

    I have no idea what the author of the article based the statement on; I
    just reported it as I read it.  They didn't elaborate, so I can't
    either.

That great sucking sound doesn't come from Mexico.  It comes from Dan Killoran.

    
      I oppose this organization.  If we, the stupid citizenry, voted smarter
     than we actually are, we would not get the government we so richly
     deserve.
    
      By the way, Congress, the Prex, and the SCOTUS are slinking back to
     DC this week.  Hard to believe we survived their absence for weeks.
    
      bb  

    You mean they were gone?  
    
    8^)

    >>  By the way, Congress, the Prex, and the SCOTUS are slinking back to
    >>  DC this week.  Hard to believe we survived their absence for weeks.
    
    How long was Clintron's vacation, anyway?  It seems like he's
    been out for at least four weeks.  Not that it matters; he might
    as well get used to that "lazy day" feeling.
    
    Chris

    
    > That great sucking sound ....

    Why thank you Gerald !  That is most generous of you, but what should I
    expect from such a man as yourself?  Always willing to help other ....
    ...etc,etc,etc....

    :-)