For Immediate Release      More Information
April 16, 2001          www.stopthesecrets.org
                             615-356-9573


Mr. Speaker, we tried fighting for OPEN GOVERNMENT
but you beat us. Don't hit us again, we are ready
to BEG.


To:	Speaker Naifeh
From:	Tennessee Citizens

Subj:   We tried fighting for our rights but YOU
WON, now we must beg.

Mr. Speaker, you've got a mean right hook. Both
times the OPEN GOVERNMENT issue has been voted on,
you beat us.

Each time we asked you to post voting and campaign
donor information on the legislative web site, you
put us in a headlock. Why didn't you just come out
and say, "You will just have to travel to the
Capitol like all the other fat cat lobbyists and
hire an assistant to sift through the records by
hand."

Each time we asked you to require your associates
to do the right thing and record ALL their
committee votes, you threw us to the mat.  You
could have just said "I will record only the votes
I damn well want to record."

Each time we asked you to assure us that meetings
would be open to the public and media, you taunted
us with phony pledges backed up by rules you could
change at will.

You beat us and we long ago lost our pride in
being Tennessee citizens. So…..do you want us to
beg and plead?? If that is what it takes then so
be it:

WE ARE DOWN ON OUR KNEES. WE BEG OF YOU, PLEASE
RESPECT OUR RIGHT TO ACCESS INFORMATION ABOUT HOW
YOU ARE VOTING TO SPEND OUR $18 BILLION AND HOW
YOU ARE RUNNING OUR STATE. 

Everybody knows you are a powerful guy. You don't
have to prove it by knocking us down again. This
is a REAL issue about our basic rights; it's not
just about preserving the power base for you and
your associates. 

PLEASE change your mind and support HB757.