After writing about the new EPA effort to outsource its propaganda needs by holding a contest for the best 60- to 90-second video ad extolling the value of federal regulation, a number of people suggested that Hot Air could best counter that propaganda with some grassroots, real-life examples of federal regulation out of control.  Sounds like a great idea to me!

After consulting with the Salem Communications home office, we’re pleased to announce the launch of a new contest for video submissions that show the danger and damage that existing federal regulation already does!  What are the rules?  They mainly parallel those of the EPA contest:

• Brevity is the soul of wit, but 90 seconds seems like a rather short time frame.  Let’s stipulate that the videos should be 3 minutes or less in order to be accepted.
• Videos must be original content, or its media clips must fall within the doctrine of fair use.
• Don’t send the raw video files; upload the video to YouTube, Daily Motion, Viddler, Live Leak, or another service that provides embed code for blogs.
• Make it entertaining, but explain clearly how federal regulation harmed you or someone you know well.
• No profanity, nudity, or vulgarity.

Links to videos uploaded to these services should be sent to videos-at-edmorrissey.com (please don’t send them to the Tips line), where I will review them and post those entertaining enough to generate some interest, including links back to home blogs for the contestants.  The contest will run for two weeks, until May 3rd, when I’ll put together a team of judges to vote on the winner.

And what does the best video get?  Instead of a Leni Riefenstahl Award, we’ll give a $50 Amazon gift card and a free one-year subscription to Townhall Magazine to the winner, with the two runners-up also getting a free year of Townhall as consolation prizes.   Hey, it’s not $2500, but this should show that the private sector can produce a better product with more cost efficiency — right?

Keep checking back to see the videos!