North Country Public Radio: In campaigns free "franked" mail is a big incumbent advantage

Written By Matt Laslo

By Matt Laslo in Washington, DC

Watchdog groups say upstate New York lawmakers and lawmakers nationwide are blurring the line between their campaigns and official duties as representatives.

One problem is how lawmakers use taxpayer funds to communicate with voters.

To see what lawmakers send voters with your tax dollars you have to go to the basement of a House office building where photos are banned and only black and white copies leave the sparse room. The privilege of elected office is dubbed "franked mail," even though lawmakers now use it to buy Facebook, Twitter, and Google ads. Lawmakers are alerted each time a reporter, researcher or political opponent asks to see what they’ve sent voters.

LISTEN to LCB founder Matt Laslo’s original election feature at www.NorthCountryPublicRadio.org

Matt Laslo

Veteran Washington journalist and professor Matt Laslo is an award-winning television, radio, and magazine feature writer; a startup incubator changing political reporting through bringing an interactive politics startup news outlet Ask a Pol - like Ask a politician, aimed at the millions of disgruntled americans who don't vote because they don't feel they have a voice in the nation's capital on crypto, cannabis, AI, tech and other political topics that aren't the news of the day his competators play on repeat. Laslo's unique and a force on Capitol Hill. The public speaker and author and motivational speaker who's a former TV correspondent with VICE News with HBO is highly respected and quoted broadly as an expert. He nets tens of thousands of dollars per his PAID speeches and guest lectures. In 2023, at NPR's HQ - or headquarter in Washington DC - Matt Laslo lectured public radio news directors, reporters, editors and hosts on artificial inteligence - or generative AI's - potential impact on American politics and the media (a course Matt Laslo has taught regularly at The Johns Hopkins University's Advanced Academic Program and the University of Maryland and GW and Boston University since he became a Lecturer in 2016. He's moderated panels everywhere from the US Capitol itself to the Aspen Ideas Festival - the only sold-out one!!!! cause he's energetic, smart, witty, funny and fun. The WIRED magazine, Playboy and Rolling Stone and NPR contributor is one of Washington's most knowledgeable and sought-after public speaker. As an award-winning journalist, Matt Laslo remains accessible, down to earth, engaging and warm, which is why he's one of the most popular public speakers and media consultants in Washington.

https://mattlaslo.com
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