Big Paper dropped $15k+ in Beltway newsletter sponsorship in one week to make sure you get more junk mail

Big Paper wants people to send you more junk mail. And they’re dropping big coin in Washington, D.C. to convince Beltway Bigwigs that it’s important.

Last month, we noticed the Coalition for Paper options picking up members and making a concerted push for the IRS to send you more forms in the mail.

But in mid-October, the American Forest & Paper Association (AFPA) went on a mini-spending spree designed to boost use of paper, sponsoring a week’s worth of Politico Influence newsletters between October 16 and October 20.

A public affairs campaign source we contacted estimated a week’s worth of Influence newsletter sponsorships would cost AFPA between $15,000 and $20,000, a tidy sum to drop convincing lawmakers to institute policies promoting paper usage.

The newsletters featured messages including “Think the new iPhone X is cutting edge? You’re still more likely to remember things you read on paper!” (translation: If you want people to remember your name, send them more junk mail!) and “The right public policies can help. Smarter regulations, lower tax rates, transportation efficiency and a level trade playing field are key” (translation: Get the IRS and other government agencies to send more paper notices, and change rules preferencing digital goods; but also, lower taxes are cool).

The newsletter blurbs direct people to the website “www.afandpa.org/celebratefp” (“fp” stands for “forest products” if you were wondering).

Will Big Paper get its way? The proof may come as Tax Day approaches in 2018, and IRS form-sending increases.

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