WORDS

WASHINGTON STATE TELLS STAFF TO SPEAK AMERICAN

USA TODAY - Washington state officials want to deploy changes to
alleviate state personnel's employment of acronyms, jargon and legalese
that routinely pervade interfaces with constituents. Or, in plain speak:
Talk to the public as you would talk to any other person - simply, and
in clear language.

In the 20 months since Gov. Chris Gregoire ordered all state agencies to
adopt "plain talk" principles, more than 2,000 state employees have
attended classes on writing letters, announcements and documents in
everyday language.

Words such as abeyance, cease and utilize are out, replaced by
suspension, stop and use. . .

When people know what the government asks of them, there's a better
chance they'll comply, officials have found.

For example, by rewriting one letter, the Department of Revenue tripled
the number of businesses paying the "use tax," the widely ignored
equivalent of sales tax on products purchased out of state. That meant
an extra $800,000 collected over two years by the department, which had
started its own plain-talk initiative before the governor's order. . .

Though other states have done similar work, Washington state is believed
to be the first to have a full-scale effort, said Thom Haller, executive
director of the Center for Plain Language in Washington, D.C. . .

"It's almost as if we have hundreds of different tribes out there with
different languages," said Dana Howard Botka, the plain-language program
coordinator for Gregoire. "Knowing the language of that tribe is
essential to belonging to it. There's pride in knowing the language of
your profession.". . .

BEFORE-AND-AFTER EXAMPLES

Department of Labor and Industries

Before: We have been notified that you did not receive the State of
Washington warrant listed on the attached Affidavit of Lost or Destroyed
Warrant Request for Replacement, form F242.

After: Have you cashed your L&I check yet? The state Treasurer's Office
has informed us that a check we sent you has not been cashed.

Department of Licensing

Before: If you do not wish to purchase 12 month gross weight at the time
of renewal, please contact your license agent to determine the fees due
for the number of months you wish to purchase. If you are not sure that
purchasing 12 months is a good choice for you, please discuss the
options with your license agent before purchasing your tabs.

After: To license for less than 12 months, contact a vehicle licensing
office to determine the amount due.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2006-12-10-washington-plain-talk_x.htm

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