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The White House Is Temporarily Shutting Down Its Petition Website (gizmodo.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Gizmodo: We The People, the petition section of the White House's website, is shutting down for a promised January relaunch. First launched in 2011 under then-President Obama, We The People pledged to provide a White House response to any petition which garnered 100,000 or more signatures within 30 days. The 200+ petitions that have received an official response have largely been unremarkable, leading to revelations like the White House's official beer recipe or condemnations (in word only) of groups like the Westboro Baptist Church. In short, the site has functioned as a PR tool for fostering good will -- one that the Trump administration has reportedly considered killing since April and now appears to be sluggishly getting around to putting in the ground.

"To improve this site's performance, the platform is currently down for maintenance and will return in late January," the site now reads. "All existing petitions and associated signatures have been preserved and will be available when the site is relaunched. Following the site's relaunch, petitions that have reached the required number of signatures will begin receiving responses."
Further reading: The New York Times

9 of 153 comments (clear)

  1. How likely is it going to be to be back? by JoshuaZ · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Considering that the Trump administration has responded to exactly zero petitions (the Obama admin at least responded to petitions even if the responses were sometimes dismissive), and given everything else this administration has done, I'm not sure how likely it should be that the system will be back when they say it will.

    1. Re:How likely is it going to be to be back? by haruchai · · Score: 4, Funny

      "How likely is it going to be to be back?"

      I have faith it'll be back before he releases his tax returns.

      --
      Pain is merely failure leaving the body
  2. Re: Barry Soetoro Never Checked It by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    At least obama acknowledged they existed. Compared to trump putting his fingers in his ears and screaming "la la la I can't hear you la la la".

    Big difference bro. Also, what does obama have to do with trump? Why are you comparing trump to obama? I thought trump was for the people and was going to be a representative of the people.

    We get it, the only way to make trump look good is to try and prop him up next to obama. Nice try tho, you elected a turd, deal with it.

  3. Re:They don't want to get tax reform petitions by crunchygranola · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Before assuming you'll be screwed over by the tax plan, I suggest using the nytimes' calculator to see what your tax changes will be. As it stands, virtually no poor or middle class citizens will see a tax increase. https://www.nytimes.com/intera... (I myself will see a few thousand dollar decrease in taxes)

    As has been very widely reported the tax bill is front loaded with expiring sweeteners for the Middle Class that expire after some years, while the tax cuts for corporations and the rich do not ever expire.

    This is more than a bit like "introductory interest rates" on loans or credit cards that jump up after a period of time.

    --
    Second class citizen of the New Gilded Age
  4. $5 says it never actually comes back by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The last thing Trump or his administration wants is transparency or actually having to interface in any meaningful way with the peasantry, er, I mean average citizens. At most I'd expect if it came back in a different form, they'd insist on 'approving' any petitions before actually being posted for people to sign (read as: censorship). Either way this is just another typical dick move from Trump, wanting to erase anything that Obama had anything to do with.

  5. Re:They don't want to get tax reform petitions by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 4, Informative

    This sort of 'tax reform plan' has been tried before (Reagan era), and it never produces the economic growth it claims it'll produce -- and 'trickle down economics' is bullshit, the wealthy and corporations will keep their extra cash, and to hell with everyone else.

  6. Re: YOU CANNOT PETITION THE LORD WITH PRAYER by PopeRatzo · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The thing costs millions per year to maintain and all Obama did with it was âoesorry we canâ(TM)t do thatâ to pretty much any petition.

    Trump has spent almost $100 million in 11 months just to go golfing at his own golf courses. Don't pretend you care about what things cost when your party is passing a law that will add $1.7trillion to the debt.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
  7. Re: YOU CANNOT PETITION THE LORD WITH PRAYER by Sarten-X · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Even Trump's claim is that it's just "more than $1m". One single million. For comparison, that's the low estimate for the cost of security for Melania Trump staying in New York City for a single week, or three days if it's the President himself visiting the Big Apple. It's also well under the cost for a single trip for the President to go golfing as his own Mar-a-Lago resort.

    Somehow, I don't think cost was the driving factor in this decision.

    --
    You do not have a moral or legal right to do absolutely anything you want.
  8. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Comment removed based on user account deletion