Washington Post (AP): U.S. House members spent $20.3 million in tax money last year to send constituents what's often the government equivalent of junk mail — meeting announcements, tips on car care and job interviews, surveys on public policy and just plain bragging. They sent nearly 116 million pieces of mail in all, many of them glossy productions filled with flattering photos and lists of the latest roads and bridges the lawmaker has brought home to the district, an Associated Press review of public records shows. Some offered advice on topics one would more commonly expect to see in a consumer-advice column. . . . former Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-GA, who lost her primary race after a high-profile scuffle with a Capitol Hill police officer last year, sent out a taxpayer-funded newsletter a few months before the election that included this simple observation: "Convicted felons can vote," she said, if "your" prison sentence has been served, parole or probation completed and fines paid. . . . The franking privilege is one of the main cogs in Congress' PR machine." Franking, practiced since the early days of the republic, lets members of Congress send mail with just a signature where the postage would normally be affixed. . . . [Read More]Tags: Congress, mail, mailings, franking privilege, mail, US Congress, US House, Washington D.C. To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
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