[internetworkers] on definitions...'special interests' ?

Jim Allman jim at ibang.com
Wed Oct 20 13:47:56 EDT 2004


On Oct 20, 2004, at 12:25 PM, Sil Greene wrote:
> (Based on first and last paragraphs, I'm not sure breast cancer 
> survivors
> qualify as a special interest.  They're not exactly pushing for 
> something
> that doesn't benefit the body politic.)

Many "special interests" want something we'd generally agree is a Good 
Thing, but there's always the question of cost (financial, moral) and 
especially *opportunity* cost (the stuff you *could* have done with 
that money, effort, and political capital).

To should for my favorite cause, without regard for the alternatives, 
is entirely human. But to me, that means I'm a special interest.

A valuable function of legislators and bureaucrats is to lay out all 
the Good Things, then decide which ones to pursue with limited 
resources. Tough to do if they already have their minds made up.

   =jimA=

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Jim Allman
Interrobang Digital Media
http://www.ibang.com/
(919) 649-5760




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