Each election cycle candidates for legislative office receive many many questionnaires from special interest groups. This year, I have had about 50 in my mailbox. This year I’ve elected not to respond to any of them. While some are sincere in their requests for information, most are at best slanted with loaded questions designed to entrap the candidate and at worst could be construed to be a contractual agreement when a candidate is required to sign a statement locking them into the answers without consideration for the future which might include new information or changes in circumstances.
Question: To whom are state legislators accountable? If your representative refuses to answer a special interest survey does it influence the way you vote?
D.F. Oliveria started Huckleberries Online on Feb. 16, 2004. Oliveria's Sunday print Huckleberries is a past winner of the national Herb Caen Memorial Column contest.
Each election cycle candidates for legislative office receive many many questionnaires from special interest groups. This year, I have had about 50 in my mailbox. This year I’ve elected not to respond to any of them. While some are sincere in their requests for information, most are at best slanted with loaded questions designed to entrap the candidate and at worst could be construed to be a contractual agreement when a candidate is required to sign a statement locking them into the answers without consideration for the future which might include new information or changes in circumstances.
