Nebraska intends to regulate according to where the call is received. I suppose that means telemarketers there can still legally call out-of-state, which is a common campaign practice during the national elections. So states that have no such laws on the books, i.e. Oregon, will be on the receiving end of many more such calls.

The best move, it seems, would be to have a political no-call list, which would operate in the same manner as the current commercial no-call list. It would be an instant hit.

I'm on the commercial no-call list, but I'd think long and hard about giving my name and number to a political no-call list. The reason? Telemarketers are fewer, larger, longer lived, and therefore stand to lose much more if they abuse the list, than the average political campaign. So they pretty much stick to the rules - and the lack of calls I receive is testimony to that. But would you want, say, Emily Boyles to have your home number? If the political no-call list is to work, she would have to be given the list in return for her assurance that she would do the right thing. And we know how well that sort of thing worked out the last time around.

I'd be more than happy to take that risk. My number's in the phone book. I just don't want these people calling it.

I question whether this would violate OR's first amendment, because political speech after all, is protected to the point here that we can't implement campaign finance restrictions.

I'd miss the attention.

How about outlawing all telemarketers, political or otherwise? There is no freedom of speech problem because they can speak of all they want - they just won't be using your phone service - that you pay to maintain - to get to you.
Ever wonder why you never get junk mail via UPS, Fedex or DHL? It's because you're paying for the junkmail you get in higher postal rates. Same goes for phone service. You pay to maintain the phone service not only for your use but for telemarketers to use to bombard you with their sales pitches. What a deal!

Haven't heard of anyone receiving a "robocall" on their cell phone.

I debate with myself instituting the "death prnalty" for politicians who use robocalls or "war dialers"

The pol who robocalls me automatically earns a vote against her / his campaign o auese, and for his / her opponent..

I've had two political robocalls in the past 6 weeks or so -- Bud Clark regarding the Portland Charter Amendments, and a particularly obnoxious one from the Sierra Club last week regarding Earth Day.

The damn Sierra Club call went on for almost two minutes and would not release the phone line despite multiple attempts to hang up.

Thats the kind of thing that makes me want to run the lawnmower an extra half hour, just t dump some extra CO2 into the airshed. ,

During the council race everybody kept telling me I had to use those damn things. I absolutely refused. I can't stand getting them and I will never, under any circumstances, use them.

I think some campaigns have so much money they just throw them into the advertising mix... because they can.

I would love to see them outlawed.

I'm with Nonny. If enough people express their displeasure with those robocalls, perhaps they'll go away. I, too, punish those who use them.

If enough people express their displeasure with those robocalls, perhaps they'll go away. I, too, punish those who use them.

Posted by Don Smith

So you'll be voting in favor of the Charter Reforms, right?