Previous Politech article: http://www.politechbot.com/p-02425.html FYI, Citizens Against Government Waste and Citizens for a Sound Economy are groups that have been around since the 1980s and are Republican/free-market leaning. They receive money from Microsoft. -Declan ********** Subject: Microsoft letter. Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 21:44:25 -0400 From: srushtonat_private CITIZENS AGAINST GOVERNMENT WASTE 1301 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 202-467-5300 CAGW Criticizes LA Times Story Washington, D.C. - Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW) today released the following letter to the Los Angeles Times. August 23, 2001 The Editor The Los Angeles Times Times Mirror Square Los Angeles, CA 90053 Dear Editor, Concerning the allegations made in your August 23rd article, "Lobbyists Tied to Microsoft Wrote Citizens' Letters," about Citizens Against Government Waste (CAGW): CAGW's involvement in technology issues dates to its inception with President Reagan's 1984 Grace Commission, which made dozens of recommendations on government waste and technology issues. Following that tradition, CAGW has, since the beginning, viewed the government's case against Microsoft with skepticism. We strongly believe consumer interests are better served by market competition than bureaucratic regulation and lawsuits in all but the rarest of cases. So far, the government has spent more than $30 million on litigation, with endless months of further legal wrangling ahead. The states' attorneys general, anxious for headlines and pay dirt, have spent more than $13 million on the case and are aggressively pushing forward. Your article relies more on innuendo than evidence and accurate accounting of facts. First, CAGW and Americans For Technology Leadership (ATL) are separate entities and have conducted independent campaigns regarding Microsoft. The article does not make this distinction and does not specify which quotes are attributable to which organization. CAGW's criticism has always been based on wasteful use of government resources and is consistent with our core mission. Further, CAGW activates its more-than one million members and supporters nationwide with regular mailings on a wide variety of issues, of which Microsoft is one. Check our website (www.cagw.org) to find letters on waste matters such as military base closures, prescription drug benefits, and dairy subsidies. We encourage citizens to forward these letters by e-mail to their representatives in government if they wish. Another technique is to send supporters hardcopy letters for them to sign and forward, again, if they wish. Contrary to the article's implication, there is nothing insidious or unusual about such practice. Next time, instead of consulting the ivory tower, ask a direct mail expert or political activist. You will find this type of grassroots campaign is not only standard in politics but quintessentially American - organizing public participation in the political process as an expression of freedom of speech. And for what it's worth, the Microsoft issue receives a particularly good response from CAGW's supporters. These letters reflect real concerns that thousands of our members have with the government's action in the Microsoft case. In fact, national surveys reveal that two-thirds of Americans believe the case has been a waste of tax dollars. CAGW takes exception to the insinuation that the grassroot sentiment on the Microsoft issue was somehow fabricated. Had the authors called our office for clarification, they would have heard that CAGW mailed 81,000 letters to our supporters in the 19 states persevering in the Microsoft case. Despite their dismissals, the outcry from so many constituents clearly rattled the state attorneys general. If they choose to ignore their constituents' views, they do so at their own peril. Sincerely, THOMAS A. SCHATZ President -------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------- Sean Rushton, Media Director Citizens Against Government Waste 1301 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 400, Washington DC 20036-1838 Phone: 202-467-5300 Fax: 202-467-4253 http://www.cagw.org ********** From: "Erick R. Gustafson" <egustafsonat_private> To: "'declanat_private'" <declanat_private> Subject: RE: Dead people write pro-Microsoft letters to governors; ATL poll Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2001 13:40:17 -0400 Declan: I'm more than a little concerned that this news media coverage mis-characterizes the grassroots activism surrounding the antitrust issue. CSE's activists care passionately about the issue and (bonus) they aren't dead. We feel that CSE's members are unimpeachable. Take a look at the attached document that covers a small portion of the grassroots work in North Carolina. Erick [MSWD document converted. --DBM] June 6, 2001 A www.cse.org A 888-Join-CSE NC CSE Staff and Activists Meet with Attorney General Roy Cooper Restate Their Opposition to the State's Antitrust Lawsuit Against Microsoft Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Citizens for a Sound Economy (NC CSE) held its second annual North Carolina CSE Day at the Capitol in Raleigh on June 5. An eye-popping 475 dedicated NC CSE grassroots activists flooded the capitol to lobby their legislators on a number of core CSE issues. As the activists made their way through the halls of the capitol, a select few of NC CSE's super-activists and CSE staff visited with Attorney General Roy Cooper to discuss their concerns with the state's antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corporation. NC CSE Activists and Staff - Leading the charge into the AG's office were CSE's Super-Activist of the Year, Joyce Fernando, Joyce Krawiec, Jack and Mary Joe Gibson, Lib Rhodes, Margret Bumgarner, Judge Manning, Peter Hans, and Valarie Rechtin. CSE staff including CSE President, Paul Beckner, Communications and Technology director, Kent Lassman and Vice President for Public Affairs, Charles Fuller, accompanied the activists. During the 20 minute meeting with the Attorney General and his staff, the group expressed their concerns with government-sponsored lawsuit abuse and once again asked Cooper to drop the state from the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust lawsuit against Microsoft Corp. The activists reiterated that no consumer harm had occurred and that NC's economy has benefited greatly from the software maker. Media - The event was covered by numerous print, radio and television media outlets including NC National Public Radio, the Raleigh News and Observer, Durham-Chapel Hill's Herald Sun, and Raleigh-Durham's WRAL-TV. Coverage of NC CSE Day at the Capitol can be found at http://www.herald-sun.com/state/6-112347.html, http://www.newsobserver.com/tuesday/front/Story/503541p-502342c.html and http://www.wral.com/home/806240/index.html. ********** ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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