Posted on 07/28/2005 1:03:25 PM PDT by Motherhood IS a career
Get Involved — Let Your Voice Be Heard!
You're powerful — because you live and vote in your legislator's district. And it's the job of your lawmakers to represent you.
But they can't effectively represent your interests unless you communicate with them around the issues you care about.
Your elected representatives pay close attention to grassroots points of view expressed by their constituents, and take those views into account when the final votes are cast.
That's why YOU, as an informed and active constituent, can play the most important role of all in shaping legislation.
Choose to make a difference by becoming an active participant with others in policymaking.
http://www.nea.org/lac/getinvolved.html
(Excerpt) Read more at nea.org ...
Oh... and pay no mind to the shameless "Talking Points" designed for NEA puppets.
...unless you want to rebut them...
July 28, 2005
The Honorable Barbara Boxer
United States Senate
112 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-0505
Senator Boxer:
The LA Unified School system and their union teachers suck ass. We need more vouchers, so that kids get a chance to excel. Only 11% of LA students are capable of college work when they graduate High School. Stop giving teachers a free pass!
Sincerely,
BurbankKarl
I did send of a letter supporting school vouchers...but I did copy it to the NEA as well...what the heck...
Well... yes.
Maybe I'm a little paranoid, but the NEA seems very Big-Brother-like to me.
They will screen out any message that does not conform to their doctrine. Similarly, they will rake credit for the volume they can claim. Weite your message and send it direct. Don't give the NEA ANY personal information!
More advice from the NEA:
Writing to Your Legislators
Letters and e-mails can be particularly effective in influencing legislators' views. Writing to legislators also offers an opportunity to maintain contact and keep your issues on the front burner even when you cannot meet personally.
Writing an Effective Letter
Keep it brief — Keep letters to one page. Try to discuss only one bill or issue in a letter.
Identify yourself — Begin with an introduction of yourself or the organization on whose behalf you are writing. Use a simple statement, such as "I am a third-grade teacher at _______ elementary school" or "On behalf of the members of the ________…."
Get to the point — Follow your introduction with a brief statement of your issue or concern, such as "We urge your support for H.R. _____, which will ________." If you are writing in reference to a specific bill, include the bill number. Follow your opening paragraph with a concise explanation of why you support or oppose the particular bill or issue. A few strong, well-thought-out arguments are much more effective than a laundry list of reasons to support or oppose a bill. Whenever possible, use bullet points to outline your arguments.
Relate it to home — Help the legislator understand why your position is important to his or her constituents. Include specific facts about how a bill will impact educators, students or schools in the legislator's district. If possible, include a local anecdote illustrating the problem you are seeking to address. Avoid the use of form letters or generic postcards — use your own knowledge and experience to inform the legislator.
Allow for follow-up — Include specific contact information and offer to act as a resource should the legislator or staff have questions or need additional information. Where appropriate, state in the letter that you will follow up with a telephone call.
Address your letter correctly — See the details on addressing your letter below.
Using E-mail
E-mail can be an easy and effective tool for communicating with legislators. The tips outlined above for writing letters to legislators also apply to e-mails: keep them brief and to the point, with facts and anecdotes relevant to the legislator's district.
Avoid informal language — E-mail to a legislator should be treated as seriously as a written letter. Resist the temptation to use the informal language and symbols often associated with e-mail communications. Never use impolite language or make "demands."
Include your full address and zip code — Make sure the text of your e-mail includes your full name and street address, including zip code. Many legislative offices screen e-mails for address information identifying the sender as a constituent. E-mails that appear to come from outside the district are unlikely to be read and may be blocked by filtering programs.
Addressing Written Correspondence
United States Senators
The Honorable (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator (last name)
For Members of the U.S. House of Representatives
The Honorable (full name)
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Representative (last name)
http://capwiz.com/nea/dbq/officials/?lvl=L&affiliate_lookup=1
Find elected officials, including governors, state legislators, and more.
Yes, but I am a tenured physician faculty at a midwestern medical school...I am certainly not 'bullet-proof', but I do not think there is much they can do to me...plus I may end up on their mailing list that could be kind of fun...
Later bump
BTTT
Another BTTT
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