From: dave@oldcolo.UUCP (Dave Hughes)
Newsgroups: co.general
Subject: Re: Can we contact State Legislators on the net
Summary: Obstacles to Legislative Telecom
Date: 6 Apr 92 17:17:32 GMT
Organization: Old Colorado City Communications, Colorado Springs, CO


There has been an interesting thread here wondering how, when and why not
people can or cannot reach Colorado Legislators and bills. 

Its a lot harder than you think to get THIS legislature to permit any such thing
I have been working on it for years, and know what it will take. But even
respected Legislators like Renny Fagan of Colorado Springs (but not in
the dominent Republican party and therefore not in 'control' of administration
of the houses) couldn't even get it to put up a $3000 BBS for current
bill status. (it did get out of committee though)

The fact of the matter is that the majority of Legislators do not WANT
you to talk to them by e-mail, or have greater access than you do now.
You are the 'public' and a pain most of the time. One on one, ok. But
all Coloradoans with easy electronic access? Banish the thought.

Charles Duke has access because, as a Legislator he asked for the ability
to access non-public legislative matters from his home in Monument, had
the technical ability to do so, was a Republican, and got it. But even
he has done little to give you or I access.

The 15 legislators from El Paso County have seen the effects of my
local 'Rogers Bar' BBS since 1982 - where locals could call and
discuss political issues, the press could tap in and, armed with
new information, confront elected officials, print it, and the
public bring pressure on the council and commissions. Hey! Electronic
Democracy works. And a lot of elected officials don't want any more
of it than they now have with tape answering machines, fax, television
and pesky reporters. 

Of course this is slowly changing - and as the City of Santa Monica
CA learned, that 90% of all the fears their council had when they
opened up public two-way BBS-type access to them vanished, and nopw
they boast, do video tapes, and embrace the medium. 

I have appeared to testify before committees of the legislature on
this matter in one form of another several times. But of course
because a whole lot of *other* technically proficient people have
not, and there is not a big public demand in the press, your dear
elected officials simply let it die and hope the press doesn't
notice. If you *really* want it, you have to start asking your
own reps, write letters to your editors, appear at public meetings
with your reps. It won't happen just because its a 'good idea'.

The one newspaper which will support it - up to a point - is the
Rocky Mountain News. 

Now we have a Presidential Candidate - Perot - who beleives in
Electronic Democracy, and fully intends to use it if/when elected.
(and it won't be just by television or computer communications -
the 'everyman' computer of today is the keypad on voice phones,
with which lots of digital feedback from the public can occur)

I am so supporting of him, I have put up a seperate 'Back Room
of Rogers Bar' BBS totally dedicated to the support of his
bid. Its fast, slick, as easy for the public to use as any BBS
made (TBBS). 719-632-3391 for now. 

As soon as I get our SLIP up on our new Unix system, I may
give you telnet + serial login to it from inside Colorado
Supernet. And, using its Fido echo capability, and our
Ufgate (unix to fido) bridge, our newsgroup hooks, and
AKCS conferencing software, with mail-list flow, I hope
to give it national newsgroup, maillist, echo access.

Then everyone can participate at no or trivial cost. Instead
of long distance to Colorado Springs.

Colorado should have long since been using this technology
for public access to its own government(s). But it will
take a lot of you who (1)know how (2)want it, to even get
the current crop - with few exceptions - of elected officials
to open up their ports.

BTW - if you are in the Boulder area, ex-Senator Sandy Hume,
now a County Commissioner there (and a Republican), is now
convinced that two-way digital telecom is a good idea.He also
knows how the political system really works. Call him and
ask what it takes, and what you can do. He'll give you
a straight answer. And soon you will be able to talk to
him by more than e-mail.

I am glad there is this much interest in getting Colorado
public agencies/people online. But those who want it the
most tend to be those who get involved the least in the
process. Until that is changed, you can always leave a
recorded message asking for a call back from your favorit
legislator, and drive all the way to Denver to get any
pieces of paper.


-- 
Dave Hughes          Old Colorado City Communications
"It is better to light one screen than cursor the darkness"

dave%oldcolo@csn.org      Dave Hughes 1/128/67
Newsgroups: co.general