I received an answer to my query here the other day, the one that said "You and I are consumers, but can you remember the last time you voted for a 'consumer representative'?" A senior Hill staffer told me yes, last November 2nd, in voting for a variety of state and federal candidates.

I used to work on the Hill many a moon ago, but still I overlooked this key point. Members of Congress and other elected officials do answer directly to consumers, every time they're up for re-election. Now you could argue that gerrymandering has made it tough for some of those House members of both parties to lose, but there's no question that they face repeated accountability.

This Hill staffer points out to me that there is no such accountability for groups such as Public Knowledge, the Home Recording Rights Coalition, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. As long as they have funding, they can claim to represent consumers, without a single vote cast. Of course, the same holds true for me at this think tank, but as I said in my previous post, I don't claim to have all the answers for consumers. I just want to ensure competition, so consumers can find their own answers in the free market.

Perhaps the next time a congressional committee holds a hearing and they have a slot at the witness table for a "consumer representative," they should choose a member of Congress? How the fur would fly among this town's self-appointed consumer guardians at the unprecedented exclusion. I'd love to read those press releases.

posted by Patrick Ross @ 4:40 PM | Free Culture Movement

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