Re: Letters to Politicians
Morris Gallo
Description
Collection
Title:
Re: Letters to Politicians
Creator:
Morris Gallo
Date:
9/26/2002
Text:
It is my understanding that after the Anthrax attack on Congress mailed
letters are not the best way to transmit opinions to Congressmen. All
letters are sent to a special facility to be inspected and treated for
biologicals, making delivery times very long.
Emails are also not useful as they often will only generate an automated
response without anyone actually making note of the message.
Probably the best way to convey your ideas is to write them down so they are
organized, concise, and well thought out, then call the Congressman's office
and ask to speak with the aide in charge of the issue. Identify yourself as
a constituent and give additional background such as business owner, group
representative, device user, practitioner, etc. Oftentimes they will ask
for your phone number or address, be truthful. After giving the aide your
opinion(s), ask for a FAX number where you can send a follow-up letter.
This method avoids the repetition of the form letter with different
signatures and displays individual concerns. If you are asking patients to
do the same provide them with a list of reasons the proposed legislation is
objectionable and ways it may impact their care directly.
Bernie Veldman wrote:
> For what it is worth, I heard an interview on the radio with a former
> Congressional aide. He claims that many of the politicians now have
> automated replies and neither them nor their staff even see most of the
> e-mails that they receive. Typed letters or computer generated form
> letters get about the same weight.
>
>
>
> A handwritten letter, however, is said to represent 1,000 voters who
> feel the same way, but did not take the time to write their Congressman.
> They will always get a response and are taken very seriously.
>
>
>
> Imagine if each of us sat down tonight and spent ½ hour hand-writing a
> letter to our Congressman or Congresswoman…or Congressperson…or
> whatever.
>
>
>
> I do not know how reliable this is, but I have to say, it makes a great
> deal of sense.
>
>
>
> By the way, where is the web-site with a list of all of the addresses to
> send letters to our elected officials?
>
>
>
> Bernie T. Veldman
>
> BOC Orthotist
>
> <Email Address Redacted>
>
> www.surestep.net
>
>
>
>
letters are not the best way to transmit opinions to Congressmen. All
letters are sent to a special facility to be inspected and treated for
biologicals, making delivery times very long.
Emails are also not useful as they often will only generate an automated
response without anyone actually making note of the message.
Probably the best way to convey your ideas is to write them down so they are
organized, concise, and well thought out, then call the Congressman's office
and ask to speak with the aide in charge of the issue. Identify yourself as
a constituent and give additional background such as business owner, group
representative, device user, practitioner, etc. Oftentimes they will ask
for your phone number or address, be truthful. After giving the aide your
opinion(s), ask for a FAX number where you can send a follow-up letter.
This method avoids the repetition of the form letter with different
signatures and displays individual concerns. If you are asking patients to
do the same provide them with a list of reasons the proposed legislation is
objectionable and ways it may impact their care directly.
Bernie Veldman wrote:
> For what it is worth, I heard an interview on the radio with a former
> Congressional aide. He claims that many of the politicians now have
> automated replies and neither them nor their staff even see most of the
> e-mails that they receive. Typed letters or computer generated form
> letters get about the same weight.
>
>
>
> A handwritten letter, however, is said to represent 1,000 voters who
> feel the same way, but did not take the time to write their Congressman.
> They will always get a response and are taken very seriously.
>
>
>
> Imagine if each of us sat down tonight and spent ½ hour hand-writing a
> letter to our Congressman or Congresswoman…or Congressperson…or
> whatever.
>
>
>
> I do not know how reliable this is, but I have to say, it makes a great
> deal of sense.
>
>
>
> By the way, where is the web-site with a list of all of the addresses to
> send letters to our elected officials?
>
>
>
> Bernie T. Veldman
>
> BOC Orthotist
>
> <Email Address Redacted>
>
> www.surestep.net
>
>
>
>
Citation
Morris Gallo, “Re: Letters to Politicians,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 25, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/219630.
