Do you write your congress critters?

[jeepmor]

I see a lot of debate on this forum on many topics.  Do any of you take the time to espouse your views to your elected representatives?  If any of you spent even 1/2 the time I suspect many of you do arguing your position on this board, your voice is likely being heard.

If not, then you're just whining about issues your really care about, plain and simple.    My liberal friends do that A LOT!!!  The gay marriage thread comes to mind.

They always tell me how I should be living my life, what our government should be doing for us, and so on and so forth.  However, I spend about 1/2 my time reading up on the issues, formulating some sort of opinion on the matter, then writing my representatives regarding said matters.

It's not much, it probably gets ignored, but I do try to direct my views to my elected officials when I can.  As for other stuff like car repairs and what not, that stuff obviously doesn't apply.

jeepmor

[wooderson]

Yeah, I'm going to write a letter opposing gay marriage amendments to Joe effin' Barton. That will get me a fine response and a legislator eager to make my voice heard in Congress.

EDIT: stifled a Unabomber joke impulse

[Standing Wolf]

I write to them. I'm slightly less than 148.325% convinced they're smart enough to read, but I still write.

[Brad Johnson]

Yes.  Consistantly, insistantly, and persistantly.

Brad

[charby]

I write mine and I either get ignored or get the same form letter that folks get who write for similar reasons.

[Patriot]

Let me put it this way:  I know of Scouts who have written them letters as part of the Citizenship in Nation MB and they don't even bother to have their lackeys write back 

[Tallpine]

Except for the Warren Eye Rack, my congressman already holds the same basic views that I do.

[grampster]

Yep.  But my Federal Senators are Lenin er Levin and Stab U now ahh, Stabenow.  Both socialists and statists.  Pointless to write, but I do anyway.  Neither of them answer anymore.

Got a good one in the Federal House, Pete Hoekstra.  He's a conservative and has his head on straight.  If the Repubs ever get the House back, I look for him to have large role.  Maybe he'll run for Senator or better yet, Governor when the Canadian Socialist governor is term limited.

[cosine]

Yes.

[jeepmor]

Good, glad to hear it.  I was beginning to wonder considering some of the forums I've read lately.  I don't get much, if any, feedback either, and if I do, it is the form letter.  I wonder if I put a blank check in there if they'd get back to me. 

[RoadKingLarry]

Since the advent of unlimited long distance I also make 2-3 calls a month to DC and when in session that many to Oklahoma City

[Scout26]

Nah.... I normally just chat with him when I see him either at a school function or when we're outside at the same time. 


Peter Roskam (R-IL 6th) lives just down the street from me and our daughters are in the same grade.


My state Rep and Senator, gets lots of letters and phone calls from me.

[roo_ster]

Yep.  Lotsa email and a few sites allow you to write your critter and send it via fax.

[Werewolf]

Used to - by registered mail for many years right up until sometime in the 80's when it dawned on me that our elected representatives no longer cared what we, their constituents, thought.

It used to be I'd always get a personal response - if not from the Senator or Representative himself at least from one of his lackeys. The response always addressed the issues about which I was concerned and explained the rep's stand and why he stood that way point by point that I had made in my original communication. Form letters started appearing in the 80's.

It was at that point I started sending regular mail since all I was going to get in return was a form letter.

At some point in the 90's I started using email and still occasionally do but it's pretty useless too.

Now I just call their local office and talk to the local lackey. I inform them I want to provide constituent feedback regarding what ever issue I am concerned about. I keep it short and ask if I will receive a response either by snail mail or email. Usually I do get a response though it varies in it's timeliness from 3 weeks to 6 months and is always a canned one.

I suppose communicating with one's congress-critter is still necessary but as time winds along its inexorable path and I grow ever older I seem to care less and less. It seems that pols have learned that all they have to do to win reelection is promise the moon to everyone a couple of months prior to an election. They know full well that the average voter is a freaking moron that can't think further into the future nor the past longer than a few weeks. They can say and do what ever they want as long as they say and do the right things within a couple of weeks of an election.

The American people are no longer in charge (if they ever have been). The two dominant parties are essentially the same and if our only choices are between evil and eviler, short of shooting the bastards, what's the point of communicating with them or even bothering to vote. I know some of you will say if we don't vote then we deserve what we get. There's truth to that statement but when the pols control who we get to vote for (even in the primaries) our choices are limited to a point where it no longer matters.

This upcoming election may very well be the 1st one I will not vote in since 1972.

[Bob F.]

Can they read!?!?!

Bob

[CAnnoneer]

Yep, I do, to the two worthless senate hags, to my congressman, and even to POTUS from time to time. I probably average a couple of messages a week, if we tally up all issues to all critters, especially through NumbersUSA. Over the past couple of years, I got one response from POTUS's office, and a couple from Boxer. By contrast, the congressman's office is pretty regular in responses, but I still seem to have zero impact: "Thank you for the concern, but here is what we do and why." 

[280plus]

Yea, I do. I think Joe actually listens. I think that's why he went independent, so he could. I write good letters (emails) so I'm sure both he and Dodd have seen some of my comments. Dodd replies with a form letter based on the topic of discussion. Lieberman never replied until only recently, after the last election. I can tell he's grown softer on the Demoratic issues. Possibly even guns. Rob Simmons was a great 2A advocate and responded personally to several of my emails. You've reminded me to see what the newly elected Dem is up to and ruffle his feathers a bit. First I have to remember who he is. 

My favorite quote was the time I asked Dodd "if one person killed another with a shovel, would that make the shovel manufacturer liable?" No direct reply from Uncle Chris. 

[Tallpine]

Why gets me is the people who think we should write to the congress critters of other states.   

I sure as hell don't want Californewyorkians influencing my Montana senators/representatives 

[CAnnoneer]

I sure as hell don't want Californewyorkians influencing my Montana senators/representatives 

They do, whether you like it or not. This idea that one can hide behind state borders is silly. If anything, the gov has been on a steady march towards federal centralization for a very very long time.

[Boomhauer]

Well, one holds the same views that I generally do- that's Jim DeMint.

The other, Lindsey Graham, is a RINO, one of the worst. He threw SC voters under a bus with the amnesty for illegal aliens issue. He called SC residents who didn't want the amnesty racist rednecks. He partnered with Ted Kennedy on that bill. Apparently, he doesn't care about our opinions at all.

The American people are no longer in charge (if they ever have been). The two dominant parties are essentially the same and if our only choices are between evil and eviler, short of shooting the bastards, what's the point of communicating with them or even bothering to vote. I know some of you will say if we don't vote then we deserve what we get. There's truth to that statement but when the pols control who we get to vote for (even in the primaries) our choices are limited to a point where it no longer matters.

It is the result of people who go to the polls and vote for their favorite political party. In SC, there is even the option of voting straight party, and many do that.

[Tallpine]

the gov has been on a steady march towards federal centralization for a very very long time

Starting with the overthrow of the Articles of Confederation and replacement with the Constitution.