There is a letter to the editor this morning, urging everyone to flood their representatives with letters.
It has been decades since I was familiar with Congressional offices – I knew a Congressman well and wrote speeches for him
At that time, his mail room was fully dedicated to mail of course, and all incoming mail was read and tallied. Very few actual letters made it to the Congressman’s desk – but he did get daily tallies of responses.
Every office works differently, but it is my current impression that bulk postcards with only signatures get less weight than e-mails which get less attention than phone calls, which in turn get less attention that snail mail and finally personal visits from taxpayers.
In general, the more work you put into your effort, the more weight your opinion gets.
I will compose a few letters on the two subjects that concern me the most – but only because I saw the results of the massive attack on the “Immigration Reform” Bill proposed by President Bush. Public pressure sank that bill.
But I am reminded of my late libertarian mentor, Robert LeFevre, who was the editor of the Rocky Mountain News after WWII. He was annoyed about something – as I recall it was the permanency of the temporary taxes laid upon the public during the war – and he editorialized asking that the public flood Congress with demands for tax relief.
He was singularly successful, and MILLIONS of letters descended upon Congress – so many in fact that Congressional offices had to hire new employees for each office. My friend figured that during his lifetime, his effort had cost the taxpayers a BILLION dollars in the salaries of the new employees – so he resigned as Editor and founded Rampart College to teach libertarian philosophy.
Actions have consequences, and some are unintended.
Nevertheless, I can find no way in which to better express my opinion that this government’s actions are leading us in the wrong direction at an increasing rapid pace.
I cannot do nothing, when I fear that the Cap and Trade, National Health Care, and coming Immigration Reform all hold terrible consequences for this nation.
Filed under: Economics, Education, Energy, Global Whatever, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Immigration, Media, Politics, Taxes, Technology, Unions
