If no way is found, or accepted, to finance a lobbying campaign by professionals, then a victims' group would have to be formed to lobby. The problem here, as relayed to me by people who have been active in victims' groups (and as I have in part seen myself by reading the traffic on the groups' websites) is that some people don't do the jobs they say they will do, some people are uncooperative, etc. In my judgment, therefore, a new and very small group of persons would have to run the lobbying campaign if it is to succeed. That is, in order to succeed, the campaign would have to be under the ultimate centralized control of one person or at most a very few people. The concept of "centralized control" is perhaps obnoxious to many, but is essential to getting the job done lest there otherwise be disorganization and lack of accomplishment. This is little different, if different at all, from oft-present requirements for success in corporations, the military (where it is called unity of command), law firms, etc.
Persons who agree to work would be given particular substantive assignments (drafting the reasons for the legislation and responses to opponents, producing initial drafts of legislation, producing floor speeches and committee reports, continuously pursuing and dealing with particular assigned legislators, etc.). People who agree to work with the group would have to perform the tasks they are assigned to do or else they would be required to resign from the effort.
Creating and "operating" a successful grass roots victims' group to lobby for what is needed (as the Jersey Girls did with regard to 9/11) may be the hardest of the various ways to create a lobbying campaign in behalf of a bond proposal, but it will nonetheless be the only way if one to two million dollars cannot be raised to finance a professional group of lobbyists and if professional groups are not attracted by the possibility of even a gigantic contingency fee. But, regardless of any of these difficulties, I believe a bond proposal supported by a major lobbying effort is the only way, and at minimum is far and away the quickest way, to obtain anything like adequate restitution for people who have suffered greatly because of Madoff's fraud and the extraordinary governmental facilitation of that fraud. Thus, despite other major calls on my time in future (e.g., overseeing the law school, starting a new history college), part of my own time will in future be spent pursuing the bond proposal and, crucially, the establishment of a major lobbying campaign by professionals or by victims. I shall soon send out a formal request for much-needed help in establishing a lobbying campaign, and of course hope that competent and diligent people will offer the needed assistance.*
* This posting represents the personal views of Lawrence R. Velvel. If you wish to comment on the post, on the general topic of the post, you can, if you wish, email me at Velvel@VelvelOnNationalAffairs.com.
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