Thursday, September 1, 2011

Congressman Issa Markets His Reform Bill

Congressmen Darrell Issa Dennis Ross have raised the ante over Postal Reform by creating a website and video (see below) designed to promote their postal reform bill.  The website and the video both follow the form used by lobbyists to promote passage of a bill or influence government policy.    The website and video, along with the committee's use of social media illustrate how sponsors of controversial bills are changing how they will promote their positions.

  
The website promotes the Committee's bill on a page entitled "Our Plan: Just the Facts," in language  that has previous been included in press releases from Congressman Issa and Ross as well as videos of previous hearings.   The page also includes videos of previous hearings that the Committee has held on the Postal Service.

The "In the News" page lists news stories and editorials that support the bill or the changes that the bill proposes.  

The "Can You Fix it?" pop-up lays out the options as the committee Republicans see them.  Options proposed by others in the House or in the Senate are described as a taxpayer bailout.  A description that many stakeholders and other members of Congress would disagree with.

The video on the website. is slickly produced and presents an unflattering image of the prospects of the Postal Service, and for that matter the idea of a national postal operator.  More importantly for the private sector postal industry, that generates $1.1 trillion in sales and employs more than 8 million, it puts their business in an unflattering light by association.  From a Washington perspective, all that it is missing from the video is the disclaimer naming a sponsor, which provides little information as to who actually paid for the ad.



The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Website follows creation of websites that propose alternative solutions.  These include Save the Post Office and ones developed by postal unions and postmasters.  Soon others will sprout up to support and oppose the bill that Congressmen Issa and Ross presented

The questions for postal stakeholders are:
  • Does this effort of the Republicans on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee move finding a solution forward or does it just raise the temperature of the debate?
  • How will this effort to promote a particular postal reform bill influence Republicans from the moderate through conservative wings of the party who have already expressed a preference for a different solution to the Postal Service's problems.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

this guy issa , is a fool, he wants to do away with the postal service and the middle class workers his bill is a killer to the middle class and is not needed, the postal service would be fine if the bill ms collins would move threw committee and pass the bill is 1351 that deals with the pre funding and over payment , if i lived in california i would make sure mr issa was voted out next election

Anonymous said...

Although I agree with many suggestions of Mr. Issa, I do not feel it is the right of government to change a negotiated contract with anyone. Sure his suggestions can be brought to the table and negotiations but no congress should be allowed to break a contract. I wish congress will hurry and do something as this situation has gone on to long.

Anonymous said...

Let's not forget Mr Issa stands to make a fortune by privatizing the postal service, via his buddies the Koch brothers, and their mailing business.

Anonymous said...

My god Mr. Issa you are such a liar. What dont you understand about the word overpayment? How much money do you people need? I fear the real problem is you and your ilk have already spent the money that was deposited in the funds. Which would figure considering you people have always used the p.o. as a cash cow. The p.o. has its problems, but they are nothing that cant be solved from within. They dont need a bailout sir,just a refund of some or all of the overpayment while they reorganize. Im sure a businessman like yourself would understand this.