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Writing your Elected Officials
Don't hesitate to write letters or arrange meetings with
Congressional staff and governors. Ultimately these are the folks
who will decide reform, so you should take the opportunity to write
and/or brief them on the needed reforms. Remember, make things as
applicable to their constituencies as possible. You need to tell
them why it matters to their district. If you have a sympathetic
representative, ask their office what you can do to help them in
their efforts. They may ask you to hold town hall meetings, or write
letters in support of specific initiatives. Governors are also
important. Make sure your governor is educated about what you think
needs to happen to make things work better.
Things to keep in mind when contacting a politician.
Be Polite:
People like to do business with people who are nice. Don't turn them
off to your ideas by being rude. Don't call them names either.
Start by assuming that they will be sympathetic to your
issue. Even if you know in advance that they don't.
Make sure you include a return address - so that they can
respond to your letter.
Regarding: Make sure that you include a
Regarding: XXXX in big bold letters at the top of the letter.
Politicians receive many letters, help them out by making it clear
what your letter is about.
If possible, send a personal letter by snail mail or by fax.
these have the most impact with politicians. When they get form
letters, they just get filed in a bunch. If your letter is personal,
you have a better chance of having it read. Because mass emailing is
so easy to do, Politicians don't pay much attention to this form of
communication. If you cannot write a letter due to time constraints,
then phone them and let them know how you feel.
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