Illinois Governor's e-News Newsletters: Does Pat Quinn Read My Blog?

I must admit, I do write our officials, from time to time to question their asinine approach to government or certain legislation. In that event, I always use a special email account for that. However, the Illinois e-News Newsletter came to an address I use for other purposes, like I-Pass registrations? Naturally, I am curious. Did Governor Quinn, or his staff, use an official state site to develop his newsletter email list?

The Governor's e-News Newsletter:

Welcome  

Hello!

This electronic newsletter is an opportunity for you to learn more about what we've accomplished in Illinois government, and how you can get involved. Whether it's volunteering in a Serve Illinois volunteer project, receiving state services, or learning about new laws and programs, I want to ensure that you know what's happening in your government.

If you have ideas for improving any State service, program, or this very newsletter, please click here and let us know.
Enjoy.

Sincerely,
 
Pat Quinn
Governor

The newsletter also offered up some accomplishments made by the governor. I guess those are to remind us of the things he is taking credit for preceding this election. As I like to call it Quinn's Grand Illusions. Yet, How convenient this newsletter is and how clever a ruse too. Don't get me wrong here, I think it is great when politicians keep us abreast of the issues. I just don't like opportunistic politicians using ruses to gain free advertising for their re-election campaigns. And that is exactly how I view this newsletter.

As I have said before, Governor Pat Quinn will do anything to get re-elected. This timely e-News Newsletter seems like another example of that. So, has Quinn found yet another way to get that extra exposure he craves? All the other politicians, it seems, are stuck using the traditional summer events and parades for getting their photo-ops and free advertising, while Quinn gets to use his office to push the envelope a little further. After all, exposure and free advertising is the mother lode in politics.

Since the bulk of the campaign cash is normally conserved for the final two weeks of the campaign for their mega media blitz, finding other ways to get exposure is extremely important. Quinn has already launched a very costly TV ad blitz designed to distort Bill Brady's position on woman's rights! As such, I have to believe that Quinn is using this e-News Newsletter as a free alternative to paid advertising. I do not like receiving spam emails anyway, but when I receive an unsolicited emails under the guise of a government info letter it pisses me off!

The election is a little over three months away, so I have to question the motives behind this e-News Newsletter. It just seems a bit odd to me. As I stated earlier, where the governor got my GMail Email Address is an oddity as I use a totally different one for all my government correspondence to our elected leaders. That makes it easier for me to save for future reference. If the governor compiled his email list using information from a state website, like I-Pass, then I would be really concerned about such a trend in campaigning. I don't know how anyone else feels about it, but I am not in favor of that kind of invasion of privacy.

Politicians should not be permitted to send you anything via email unless you specifically decide to subscribe or register.

It is bad enough in this day and age of web marketing, that it is necessary for us to have multiple email accounts just to control the amount of spam we receive. However, I do understand that websites need to generate income and ask you to register for that free download or gaining access to a rewards program. It is, after all about an exchange of information specifically designed for their marketing. We, however, have the choice to participate or not.

If Quinn does read my blog, then he can leave a comment here, but I really don't want any unsolicited e-News Newsletters from him!