I love the "Plain talk pays off for public, agencies" article written by Amanda Crawford of The Arizona Republic newspaper. The story was picked-up by newspapers nationwide, and I couldn't be happier about their assistance in spreading the word: Real people don't understand bureaucratic language. That goes for corporate speak and technical jargon, as well.

The gist of the article is that Arizona has saved thousands of dollars by rewording government correspondence. By rewriting just 100 form letters, they've found higher customer service ratings, better compliance, and fewer people asking the same questions. Their residents actually understand what's being asked of them.

Three cheers for Arizona and the other states that have gotten on board the plain-language movement!