Fraud. Abuse of elderly citizens. Mopery and dopery. Priebus should be subject to prosecution.
One Reddit poster said his mother received one of these, but didn’t want him to embarrass the GOP by posting it on social media.
Title 39, United States Code, Section 3001d, makes it illegal to mail a solicitation in the form of an invoice, bill, or statement of account due unless it conspicuously bears a notice on its face that it is, in fact, merely a solicitation.
Oh, I was expecting a picture of Priebus himself. That would have been more than sufficient to prove your point.
I’ve seen images of those letters, and I’m not impressed. No words about “forfeiture” or “court action” or “flocks of lawyers picking apart your carcass”. Who’s gonna be frightened by that, little more than a courtesy call from the cable company!
Yeah, that’s awful. Any evidence that they’re targeting the elderly (against the law either way, but that would be, believably, even worse).
Just horrible on so many levels. The tenth-of-one-percent, in Citizens United, practically got the right for their dollars to count as votes, but still feel the need to defraud other Republicans for pennies.
Let’s cut to the chase:
ME: This doesn’t violate the law!
THE REST OF YOU: it’s immoral!
ME: But you quoted the law!
THE REST OF YOU: Not everything that’s legal is moral. I suppose you’d be okay with slavery if it were legal.
Now, carry on.
Be that as it may, Priebus is still a disgusting human being. Not that this is necessarily illegal, either…
Yeah, sure, he’s a Republican. On the SDMB, what other evidence is needed?
Talk about a brave, controversial stance.
No, some of us have a similar opinion of Bernie Sanders.
Well, ok, not quite similar, but almost.
FINALLY.
After 16+ years at the Straight Dope, Bricker finally senses a pattern.
Congratulations Bricker.
As for the law, IANAL, but I’ll copy and paste the legal link, adding emphasis:
[The following stuff is not mailable, meaning you shouldn’t send things like this:]
[INDENT]INDENT Matter otherwise legally acceptable in the mails which—
(1)** is in the form of, and reasonably could be interpreted or construed as, a bill, **invoice, or statement of account due; but
(2) constitutes, in fact, a solicitation for the order by the addressee of goods or services, or both;
is nonmailable matter, shall not be carried or delivered by mail, and shall be disposed of as the Postal Service directs, unless such matter bears on its face, in conspicuous and legible type in contrast by typography, layout, or color with other printing on its face, in accordance with regulations which the Postal Service shall prescribe—
(A) the following notice: “This is a solicitation for the order of goods or services, or both, and not a bill, invoice, or statement of account due. You are under no obligation to make any payments on account of this offer unless you accept this offer.”; or
(B) in lieu thereof, a notice to the same effect in words which the Postal Service may prescribe.
[/INDENT][/INDENT] I can’t tell from the images whether the RNC included the above notice or words to the effect that the Postal Service may prescribe.
Either way it’s pretty sleazy. At any rate, I say that the law should be enforced. No special privileges for the RNC.
You leave out the part where the discussion completely changes and no one is still discussing the law, but you continue to do so anyways. And then when someone else comes and explicitly discusses morality, you belittle them. Or the parts where you slip in little moral statements in your law stuff, and people take you to task over it–and you again try to refocus on the law.
And then you play it up as them being bad instead of trying to understand the other person’s point of view.
The part saying that it applies to mail that “constitutes, in fact, a solicitation for the order by the addressee of goods or services” seems more relevant. The RNC wasn’t asking people to buy goods or services, but to just send money with no strings attached.
Still sleazy.
That happens.
But it happens because no one who initially argued the legal question is willing to admit error, so the “part where the discussion completely changes” is an attempt to change the discussion without any admission of mistake.
It’s good you’re willing to courageously stand up for people’s right to be dopey idiots without admitting that they were dopey idiots, because that’s a “point of view.” There aren’t too many people here with more motive to ensure those rights are protected.
Republicans need to make a choice. Are they going to denounce things like this? And really denounce it, not just “We got caught, so issue an apology while we close down one office and re-open it in the room next door.”
Or are Republicans going to say “This is what we do. And it’s not technically illegal so there’s no other concern.” Because if that’s the case, then Republicans deserve the scorn they receive.
Well, there’s the link to the fundraising letter in the OP. What other evidence would you like to ignore?
But Democrats are fighting the good fight, and any minor missteps are completely understandable.
Did you expect something more appropriate or proper. Its politics. Of course they want your money. Did Uncle Sam teach you nothing??? And republicans? More likely the Democrats set this up as a frame. They are always needing something to make them look good and intelligent. HAHAHAHA!! But really, its probably a prank committed by Bill Clinton. Trickster that guy!
Unlikely, since the enclosed envelope has the actual address of the RNC on it.
So a letter, sent through the public mail and made to appear as a dunning notice, complete with scarlet letters, is the same as a private email?
Bricker cites Daily Kos? Take me now, Jesus, I’m ready, there are no more wonders to behold…