Paying to be Heard

This just happened to me for the third time in a few weeks, and it annoyed me.  I understand why they do it but I'm still annoyed.

You see something on Facebook, or in an email (I've seen both), which says, Are you concerned about X?  Fill in your favorite issue for X.  So you click on "add your name" and they ask a bunch of questions about this urgent issue - the last one was "tell Republicans: don't defund Planned Parenthood" - and you think, wow, I'm being listened to.

No you aren't, because after you finish the survey, you get to the page that says, "Yes - and I'll give you $5!"  With the possible options of "Yes - and I'll give more!"  I also saw one that said, "No, I don't care about women's health issues."  (Really insulting, Ms. Gillibrand.  I do care.)

So these elected officials ask you for your opinion, but to be heard, you have to pay them $5?  Wait a minute.

Look again and they're all clickbait - they're all from people running for office:  Kamala Harris (before she won), Gavin Newsom (running for governor), and Kirsten Gillibrand (running for something in New York, where I don't even live). They don't actually give a flying damn what you think but they really want that $5.

If you want to be heard on any issue, phone your own representative, and both your senators, and tell them directly what you think.  You can also email them (via their official web sites). They work for you; your taxes pay them; they have to listen.  If you've chosen well, they'll even act for you.

It's true that this is how Bernie, and for that matter Barack Obama, got as far as they did.  But there's a big difference between saying, "I need your help, please donate", and saying, "I want your opinion" and not saying "and please donate" until the last page.  The latter is just deceptive.