Published: May 12, 2008 03:18 pm            

Senate Review

This past week, my office received numerous calls, over 300 calls in one day, from people throughout this district who had been urged to call me at the Capitol and express their views on the English as the Official Language bill.

Many of those called were confused, thinking I, or someone from my staff had originally made the call urging them to contact us. The fact is, many lawmakers across the state were going through the same thing, all due to a type of automated, recorded phone messages better known as “robo-calls.”

Robo-calls are simply political telemarketing. Interest groups use them in an effort to promote their cause, although often the information can be inflammatory and misleading.

The fact is, even though legally those who pay for the calls are supposed to identify themselves, it doesn’t always happen. Like you, I am wondering what special interest group was the one who paid for these calls into our district.

Why do people use robo-calls? The companies who provide this service market them as a cost-effective way to reach literally millions of voters.

Their advertisements boast of the many successful political issues or races that used their robo-calling service. One such company advertises that it has the ability to make “over 10 million calls a day.” It goes on to say “our systems can recognize an answering machine, a live person, a fax machine, busy, network busy, disconnected, and unanswered calls with the highest accuracy in the industry.

These companies make these calls as their business. Unfortunately, they don’t care how confusing or annoying their calls are to people.

In fact, I had one constituent who was upset that he thought I had called and interrupted his dinner. The truth is that it wasn’t me who made those calls and I wanted my constituents to know.

I am always pleased when my friends, neighbors and concerned citizens in District 13 take the time to call me about important issues, and I always encourage that communication.

But if you get an automated phone call about an issue, please be aware it is being made by a for-profit company, and more than likely, funded by an organization that may not even be based in Oklahoma. If you want to respond, that’s great and we’ll be pleased to hear from you, but please don’t feel like you have to call.

As always if you have a question about a legislative matter, please do not hesitate to contact my office at (405) 521-5541 or by email at paddack@oksenate.gov. Also, we are now able to send this column to you via e-mail. If you would like to be added to our e-mail distribution list, please let us know.

May God Bless you!

        

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