Saturday, July 21, 2012

Plain Language

Below is an amusing article about legislative attempts to make administrative agencies and Departments of the federal government write in plain language. The Plain Writing Act of 2010 attempted to mandate this, but that is not likely to happen quickly especially in the military related departments. Passive language and acronyms tend to obscure things very quickly. The legal profession isn't much better at it. 

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/19/12840181-government-gobbledygook-its-dying-a-slow-painful-death?lite
http://www.cantondailyledger.com/news/x1914867724/Plain-language-law-off-to-a-spotty-start
http://www.plainlanguage.gov/plLaw/index.cfm
http://centerforplainlanguage.org/resources/plain-writing-laws/plain-writing-act-of-2010/
Executive Order 13563 http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-01-21/pdf/2011-1385.pdf
Executive Order 12866 http://www.plainlanguage.gov/populartopics/regulations/eo12866.pdf
Executive Order 12988 http://www.plainlanguage.gov/populartopics/regulations/eo12988.pdf

s/ Kurt Koehler
308 1/2 S. State Street Suite 36
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48198
(Washtenaw County)