DownsizeDC

Ron Paul supporters may want to consider joining DownsizeDC. This organization is non-partisan. Indeed, it is anti-partisan. I do not want to mischaracterize their position, but it is certainly fair to say that one of their co-founders, Jim Babka, supports Ron Paul's presidential run.

DownsizeDC takes a different approach to trying to reduce the size and scope of the federal government. They see that the political route--trying to elect the right people to politial office--is not very useful. The campaign finance and ballot access laws have the deck stacked in favor of the big government republicans and democrats so much that it is nearly impossible for a candidate for smaller goverment to get elected to public office. It costs so much money just to get these candidates on the ballot that they have nothing left to get their message out.

Instead, DownsizeDC is aiming to build a grassroots army so large that Congress has to listen. They want to apply mind numbing pressure on Congress to reduce the size of government. Congress will desperately want to get behind DownsizeDC's projects in order to be popular with their constituents. DownsizeDC is giving politicians an incentive that they currently do not have to support smaller government.

DownsizeDC's signature project is the Read the Bills Act (RTBA). This bill would require essentially two things: 1) Members of Congress would have to either listen to a word-for-word reading of each bill they plan on supporting by the clerk on the floor of their respective Houses or sign an affidavit indicating that they have read each bill they plan on supporting. 2) There would be a waiting period of seven days during which the bill would have to be posted on the internet in its final form before a vote on it is held.

DownsizeDC's system is very easy to use. You provide them with your email address and zip code so that they know in which Congressional district you live. Then, you send personalized messages to your two Senators and Representative at the press of a single button. Membership is free, but donations in the form of credit card pledges as little as three dollars a month are useful.

Check it out!