🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <1993Mar27.012953.4607@oracle.us.oracle.com>, Michael Friedman (mfriedma@us.oracle.com) wrote:
} In article <1ot5vgINN28i@gap.caltech.edu> kloomis@cco.caltech.edu (Kate E. Loomis) writes:
} >Regarding the extensive list of names on the "top secret, Soviet-Style
} >health reform task force" : there is no analogy here. These people are 
} >not creating policy, they are _drafting a plan_ . ...
} >So what is the problem?

} The problem is that we are supposed to have an open government.  Plans
} that do not require security are not supposed to be drafted in secret
} by people whose names are not even released.

} If nothing else, people who object to the makeup of the task force
} have the right to know who is on it and to present their objections to
} the people of the United States.

I don't understand this.  By and large, NONE of the government
'plan making' machinery is particularly open.  The gov't *IS* open:
by and large they are bound to public disclosure before enacting
almost anything.  But before that public disclosure, the zillions
of agencies, committees, boards, administrations, etc, mostly
follow their own courses to decide *what* to propose.  In fact,
usually you don't even *know* that a particular gov't group is
_going_ to propose something until the public notice appears, and
the question of *how* they decided to propose what they did is
irrelevant and moot.

And in any event, why should the makeup of the committee be of any
real concern?   Either you like the plan or you don't, what
difference does it make whether it was drafted by Rush Limbaugh or
Lawrence Tribe?  Make *SURE* your opinion is heard by your
representatives, *LOUD*AND*CLEAR*, but make sure that your focus is
on the *plan*, and not on the planners.  [what would you do, write
to your Congressman to say "This is a _great_ plan, but I don't want
it supported because not enough Republicans helped think it up"?]

  /Bernie\
-- 
Bernie Cosell                               cosell@world.std.com
Fantasy Farm Fibers, Pearisburg, VA         (703) 921-2358