carlton@apollo.HP.COM (Carlton B. Hommel) (05/24/91)
My wife has been politically active for over half her life, and has testified before several congressional committees. She has the following advice on how to win friends and influence congressmen. The most effective method to communicate your views is by a telegram addressed to the Congressman/Senator, followed up by a letter. Your opinion expressed in a phone call is merely ticked off on a checklist. None of your verbal commentary will actually make it to the person who casts the vote. A telegram, because it is more expensive, and takes greater effort than a phone call, is given greater weight. All telegrams are read, and their contents are summarized and reported up. A letter (as long as it is not obviously a form letter, churned out by some PAC or pressure group) is given the greatest weight. Letters take great time and effort to write. People who write letters to their congressmen also write to newspaper editors, call talk shows, and convert their friends to their point of view. Letter writers vote. More importantly, letter writers contribute money and volunteer their time to work on campaigns. All letters are read, and the more interesting ones are excerpted for the congressman to read. Congressmen listen to letter-writers. A telegram followed up by a letter not only shows in two categories reported up to the congressman, but also demonstrates that you are strongly committed to your opinion. A phone call consists of words, uttered to a junior staffer. They are transient. A well-written letter is read by many people in the office. There are cases of single, exceptional letters changing the entire direction of congressional activity. The staffer you talked to at great length can (mostly) ignore phone calls. He is a Judiciary Committee staffer, with an axe to grind. He doesn't worry about reeelecting the senator. He is probably saying whatever will get you off the phone, and trying to leave you feeling "Trust us - we're the Government". Good Luck, and I hope to see you testifying on C-SPAN late some night. Carl Hommel carlton@apollo.hp.com
emv@msen.com (Ed Vielmetti) (05/24/91)
In article <51bced7b.20b6d@apollo.HP.COM> carlton@apollo.HP.COM (Carlton B. Hommel) writes:
The most effective method to communicate your views is by a telegram
addressed to the Congressman/Senator, followed up by a letter....
A telegram, because it is more expensive, and takes greater effort
than a phone call, is given greater weight. All telegrams are read,
and their contents are summarized and reported up.
There's a special deal on telegrams sent to congresscritters, the
Western Union "Personal Opinion Telegram". Something like $9.95 each.
Do these get tallied up the same as the full-rent telegrams or are
they less valuable for being less costly?
Are there any inexpensive email-like services which could be used to
the same advantage? Telex, or TWX, or some enterprising DC-area
service that would print out e-mail and carry it to Congress?
--
Edward Vielmetti, MSEN Inc. emv@msen.com
"He who hesitates is last;" "The point man takes the hits;" "It's easier to
get forgiveness than permission;" "There's no harm in asking." Pick your
aphorism and live by it. -- Stephen Wolff, NSFtom.jennings@f111.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG (tom jennings) (05/28/91)
> The most effective method to communicate your views is by > a telegram > addressed to the Congressman/Senator, followed up by a > letter.... When particular bills come up, the NRA does mass mailings to its members, and usually provides one of these "900" number services where, they ask you for your name and such (or is it membership number) and they will send the telegram for you, charged to your phone bill. $5 or so. I have no idea as to the effectiveness, though in general the NRAs pretty effective. Even if it's not 100% of a personally sent 'gram, I bet its a hell of a lot > 0. (ANd a profit generating device for them I bet.) Maybe someone in cyberspace here could arrange such a thing. Even plain ole voice telco. I'd use it. -- tom jennings - via FidoNet node 1:125/777 UUCP: ...!uunet!hoptoad!fidogate!111!tom.jennings INTERNET: tom.jennings@f111.n125.z1.FIDONET.ORG