I think the trademark stuff is a really interesting case, absolutely. It seems more like a state issue than a federal issue but I'd like to see more about it. The article suffers from the last section where it seems they can't and won't identify what it's actually costing them though. I'd like to see some more hard research. There are plenty of small and symbolic things you could change in the tax code to make people feel warm and fuzzy. My overall point is that those things don't really matter and it's confusing for people to take to the streets to fight for them instead of more concrete and meaningful changes.
I'm not trying to say that there aren't laws and riders to laws, and addendums that got slipped in at the last minute that don't grant special benefits to people all over the place. I *hate* the current rules of congress. I know firsthand how 1 politician can screw an entire industry to satisfy his donors when the UIGEA was officially added by Bill Frist to a bill about port defense literally minutes before it got voted on. I'm totally with you guys on the need for more transparency. Fight those fights and stay on message. Trust me, people will get behind you. Just don't take a scattershot approach at everything that has money, that isn't productive.
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