It’s a damn shame that Michael Hiltzik’s investigative series in the Los Angeles Times (part 1, part 2) came out this past weekend instead of the week before. Congress is now adjourned for the year, and barring some natural or unnatural catastrophe that would bring them back into session, the politicians have dispersed to the wind. But not without approving a bill that extends USADA’s funding for another year.
When I arrived at National Airport on Sunday to begin my homewards journey, I ran into Senator Chuck Hagel, R-Nebraska. I’d been away from an Internet connection all weekend long, so I didn’t get a chance to read Hiltzik’s first article until Sunday night. If I’d seen it before I left, I would have used the opportunity to bend Senator Hagel’s ear a bit about the situation — not because he serves on a committee that has responsibility for the USADA appropriation (he doesn’t, unless you count the Foreign Relations Committee because of all our athletes competing internationally), but because the word needs to get out and our political leaders need to know just what is going on with the taxpayers’ money.
Yes, it’s too late to do anything about that appropriation until the new Congress comes into session in 2007. But that doesn’t mean something can’t be done. If you’re as concerned about how the system operates as I am, you need to make your voice heard. Reader Cheryl from Maryland offered some good suggestions in her comments on my previous post. In short, she suggests writing to a few influential Senators who may have an interest in the issues raised by the article. I’m including their office addresses and phone numbers for your convenience. Those senators are:
- Senator Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii
722 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3934 - Senator John McCain, R-Arizona
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2235 - Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah
104 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5251
As Cheryl noted: Senator Inouye is the incoming chairman of the Commerce Committee, which oversees USADA; Senator McCain may well be running for President, so he will be very concerned about his image and he will want to be on the right side of this issue; and Senator Hatch is from Utah, one of the states with a large health supplements business, so he will be likely to back those businesses.
In politics the old saying “the squeaky wheel gets the grease” is quite true. Those who make the loudest noise are most likely to have the wishes heard, listened to and acted upon. So, in addition to contacting these three Senators, you should also contact your state’s Senators and your Representative. (If you’re not sure who your Representative is, go here. For your Senators, go here.) Best to do so by snail mail, as it’s never certain that your emails will be read.
Often, email communications are ignored — except as a way of creating a database of constituents who can then be sent periodic emails highlighting a Senator’s or Representative’s latest accomplishments (as well as a none too subtle reminder to re-elect the good Senator or Representative).
Perhaps I’m biased, but Hiltzik’s articles demonstrate to me in no uncertain terms that the current anti-doping system is run by a group of people drunk with their own power and out of control. In order to maintain the credibility of the anti-doping system and competitive sports, major changes need to occur. But don’t just say so in your letters. Send printed copies of LA Times articles, too. Those articles lay out the case very well, and that will not escape the eyes of whoever reads you letters.
Chances are the politicians may not read your letters, but one of their staff will. And you may well find that the staffers are younger and more in tune with your concerns. If enough letters arrive, all demanding that the system be set right, eventually some of those staffers will take notice and alert their bosses. It may take time, but it is time well spent.
It’s easy to feel helpless and unable to change the system. And even though the changes may not come in time to help Floyd Landis or other athletes who are currently facing anti-doping sanctions, if enough of us make enough noise long enough and loud enough it’s possible to bring about change. The old saying “you can’t fight City Hall” is only true if you don’t try. You can fight City Hall. And you can win.
The system is not working the way it was intended. And even though Dick Pound doesn’t believe any major changes are necessary, I believe it’s crystal-clear to the rest of us that an overhaul is needed. We owe it to the athletes of the future to develop a system that is tough on proven cheaters, while ensuring that accused athletes get a fair hearing and the right to examine and challenge all the evidence against them.
It’s time to start making noise.
Thanks, Rant for this post. Maybe we can make a big enough noise! I think a few people in Washington got the message in the November election. So, there’s hope, and writing and doing something, is better than feeling helpless!
Your last two rants have been excellent, Rant–in themselves, and in the sense of purpose they can generate for us. Cheryl’s advice was right on target as to whom to write to. I don’t think our timing’s off. I wouldn’t have expected the outgoing Congress to try to deal with a complicated issues in its last week. It is the incoming Congress that we need to reach. To what Cheryl suggested I would add: (1) Keep an eye on the composition of the Commerce Committee as it gets put together. If one of your senators is a member, you have some special leverage in what you write. Similarly if some senator with presidential ambitions is appointed. [Question to Cheryl: it didn’t look like USADA was dealt with by any particular subcommittee, but that seems unlikely to me. Do you know which subcommittee has oversight?] (2) We might want to suggest the basic theme to use for each of these persons. My thoughts, but open to everyone’s better suggestions and judgment: (a) To Sen. Inouye: “Dear Sen., as head of the Commerce Committee you will have oversight of the USADA. As such, you will be in the position to prevent a possible miscarriage of justice, and you will have the opportunity to reform the anti-doping system so that it can do its work effectively, while at the same time safeguarding basic constitutional rights.” (b) To Sen. McCain: “Dear Sen., you recently voted to continue funding for the USADA. While I support anti-doping efforts, I wish you had had a chance to read the recent LAT articles about how current practices seriously violate the constitutional rights of athletes. I hope you will be willing to support calls for reform of the current system.” (c) To your own senator: “Dear Sen., I would like to call your attention to recent LAT articles that show the credibility of our anti-doping efforts undermined by serious violations of athletes’ constitutional rights. In fact, the USADA falls under congressional review, and I hope you will be willing to support reforms of its practices to make it more effective by protecting the rights of competitors.” (d) To Sen. Hatch . . . well, that’s a tough one to do diplomatically, so I’ll stop here, open to someone else’s clever solution to it.
Again, Rant, fine work. (And thanks, Cheryl.)
Marc
I think this LA Times article and the whole antidoping agency fiasco would be great fodder for a 60 Minutes investigative report.
I plan to write to congressman also, but if these unfair and unjust practices start being exposed to the public, that’s when people, congressmen and all other politically powerful people start to listen. I do think we can start a grassroots movement now if many of us would band together.
Teresa and Darlene,
If there’s a big enough grassroots groundswell, the politicians will find this issue hard to ignore. So write away, and draft all of your friends, family, neighbors, and anyone you know who cares about justice an fair play into the cause.
Marc,
Thanks for the added suggestions. They’re right on. If we follow suit, our letters will be much more powerful.
– Rant