Anyone care to share a response to a written letter to a Lawmaker?

H

Hal

New member
My wife works in the MR/DD field.
Federal cuts removed access to physical therapy for one of her clients.
She and the client wrote a "letter to a Lawmaker", pleading for some reconsideration on the cuts.

The response was a form letter saying how nice it was to hear that the writer was in favor of cutting costs.

IOW - just the opposite of what they'd written.

Personally, I've never gotten any response from any letter I've written other than a form letter of some kind that says - thanks for writing..

Is it even worth the effort and cost of postage any more to write?
Does anyone ever read the letters or do they just tag em, bag em and toss em and send a form letter response?
 
Don't get discouraged because one particular department ignored it. Send a copy to their supervisory agency, and to your lawmakers.

Written letters are rare in the age of email and SMS, and they generally get noticed and read more quickly. Writing a letter implies effort and commitment.

Not every one will be effective, but some are.
 
I have not received a response from any of my legislators in a long time.

In my view, I have no representation at either the Sate or Federal level, it has been my experience that once they find out that I am opposed to their agenda, I never hear from them again.

I continue to write professional, well thought out letters, which appear to all be ignored. I just sent out about 15 letters to govenment representative and departments, If I receive any response I'll post it.
 
I've written to my state senator by email on several occasions. He has always responded for real and personally. I've had back and forth conversations with him and he is cordial and responsive. Of course, he's also on "our" side so it's a lot easier.

I wrote to Hillary Clinton when she was our US Senator, got a generic form letter response saying how glad she was that I wrote and that she'd look into my points and respond accordingly, more or less. Never heard another word.
 
Many U.S. Congressmen and other high level officials really prefer e-mails these days. One of my Senators has said his paper mail is held up, sometimes for weeks, while it checked at a centeral location for possible contaminants. Meaning the "white powder" scare.
I am politically active and know letters to high level individuals are rarely seen by them. There are just too many. What the do receive are summaries of communications from constituents. The good, and caring, legislators have staff members who actually will look into your concern and try to handle to your satisfaction.
Some just don't care.
 
I wrote both my senators (my US Representative is changing over, there's no real good way to contact the new one just yet)- Roy Blunt and Claire McCaskill of MO.

Roy Blunt responded with what looked to be a form letter about the Newtown shootings... guns are not mentioned even once, pro or con. That tells me that he's probably going to stand on our side (as he has before). McCaskill has not responded, nor do I expect one; ever since she got into office she's done whatever the left wing has asked her to do.
 
I’ve contacted my local Congressman in the past and even received a phone call from him to discuss the issue. I will admit I was a little surprised not just that he called, but that he seemed to have a genuine interest in my opinion.

I think you get better results contacting the members of the US House since they are elected by a much smaller portion of the electorate. Many of them may just represent one or two Counties in your state, so the opinions of a few voters really do matter to them.
 
I've had the same experience as Mr. Pfleuger ... I don't write often, but when I do, my representatives in Washington have always replied specifically to the point I'm making -- I don't always agree with the reply, but I do appreciate the fact that somebody read my note and took the time to take me seriously ... politicians in general are scum, but there are a few good ones who deserve to be kept in office ...
 
Sort of a bit of a surprise to see a couple of very positive comments about email responses.
Such wasn't the case all that long ago.
 
I think we have more support than we think. The antis have been dominating the microphones so they SEEM powerful, but they've always been happy to dance in the blood of the innocent. Once emotions cool down, I think we'll see that while stuff is closer than it would have been a few weeks ago, we still are not necessarily being sold down the river.
 
bikerbill said:
I've had the same experience as Mr. Pfleuger ... I don't write often, but when I do, my representatives in Washington have always replied specifically to the point I'm making...
Click to expand...

My Washington representatives (Hillary is the only one I contacted directly) never specifically got back to me except the form letter saying she would. There wasn't anything specific in the letter.

My state reps are much better than Hillary's one chance. They have always responded personally and specifically.
 
I sent a rather detailed e-mail to my representative and both senators proposing that rifles and armored vests be strategically positioned in secure lockers throughout school campuses, with trained volunteer teachers and staff having keys. Here is the response I received from Sen. Hutchinson:

Dear Friend:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the terrible tragedy in Connecticut. Like all Americans, my thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.

As our whole nation grieves, we wait for more information about the killer's motives and means. We all want to do something to halt such senseless killings, but the question is always what law could have stopped an individual apparently so determined to commit such violent and destructive acts.

I join you in the hope that we never again encounter such a tragedy and will certainly keep your thoughts in mind.

Sincerely,
Kay Bailey Hutchison
United States Senator
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At least someone on her staff recognized that it was about Sandy Hook! :rolleyes:
 
OK, I got a response to one of my emails, my original email was polite and on the stern side in which I reminded the Senator of how the people used to have the same weaponry as the government, and how the level of corruption within our government is ever increasing.

Resposne Follows

December 20, 2012
Dear Ira,

Thank you for contacting me regarding Second Amendment rights. I appreciate that you took the time to write on this important topic.
Responsible gun ownership is an integral part of our Western heritage. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides for an individual right, and I am dedicated to protecting the rights of citizens to own firearms for personal protection, hunting, collecting or for other legal purposes.
That said, I am saddened and deeply troubled by the tragic December 2012 shooting in Newtown, CT, particularly as this most recent tragedy reminds us of the horrific events that took place at the Aurora movie theater; Columbine High School; Virginia Tech and Tucson, AZ. These horrific events are national tragedies that should concern us all. As a nation, we must have an honest and open dialogue about how to prevent these tragedies in the future with all reasonable policy options on the table. I am committed to balancing the constitutional right to bear arms with common-sense policies aimed at keeping our communities safe. As legislation related to Second Amendment rights is debated, I will carefully examine its intentions and impacts and use your thoughts to help guide me.
I will continue to listen closely to what you and other Coloradans have to say about matters before Congress, the concerns of our communities, and the issues facing Colorado and the nation. My job is not merely about supporting or opposing legislation, but also about bridging the divide that has paralyzed our nation's politics. For more information about my positions and to learn how my office can assist you, please visit my website at www.markudall.senate.gov.

Warm regards,


Mark Udall
U.S. Senator, Colorado

I am struck by the use of the terms "common sense" and "reasonable" in his response. looks like a copy and paste from the Brady Campaign website. I was also surprised that I even got a response, the first one in quite a long time.
 
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This is a recent response from the my wonderful Senator, Orrin Hatch. :rolleyes:

After email communications failed to get ANYTHING out of his office, other than the standard BS replies, I wrote a letter asking for precise, specific answers to why he was taking the action that he was on the "Sportsmen's Act of 2012".

The modified form letter I received, in return, was a bigger insult that the previous filth his office tried to feed me.

Nothing but, dodgy, ambiguous, aristocratic BS, even making improper assumptions about what I said...


(I had to chop the header off, to get the file size small enough to upload here. It's dated November 29th, 2012, and is on letterhead from his DC office.)
attachment.php


It's classic Orrin Hatch...
"I don't need to tell you anything. I'm a Senator." :rolleyes:

There was a fairly good sized movement, to oust that elitist pig, (starting with the primary) this year. Obviously, we failed.
 

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It took some doing but i finally figured out how to respond and keep the conversation going. I complained to him about using the terms "common sense" and "reasonable", doing this sets me up for being viewed as unreasonable and lacking common sense just for disagreeing with him.

This is not how "honest" conversations start.

I bet I don't get another response.
 
I got more of a response than I had expected.

I emailed all of my congressfolk about a week or 10 days after the Sandy Hook shooting. Initially, all I got was a couple of boilerplate "thank you for contacting my office . . . your opinion is important . . . blah, blah, blah." I had resigned myself to the notion that I wasn't going to get anything more in-depth than that. I was wrong. I got this today:
Dear [Spats McGee]:

Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding gun control in America. It is very important for me to know your views, and I appreciate you taking the time to share them.

Words cannot express the sorrow felt by myself and millions of Americans and individuals all around the world over the tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The murder of these innocent schoolchildren, their teachers, and administrators by a deranged killer is sickening and saddening. My thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of these victims and the entire Newtown, Connecticut community as they recover from this horrific act of violence.

First, I remain dedicated to working to prevent similar attacks from occurring in the future while also ensuring the protection of our Second Amendment rights. In the wake of this tragedy, individuals have called for increased restrictions on firearms, and it's important to assess all of the facts available - including that, currently, most hunting weapons and almost all pistols used for self-protection are semi-automatic. The idea offered by many that semi-automatic weapons are out of the maintream and should be banned is inaccurate. Regarding legislating to prevent tragedies like that which occurred at Sandy Hook Elementary School, the state of Connecticut has in place exactly the kinds of laws that gun control advocates claim will prevent tragedies like Newtown, yet those laws were ineffective at preventing this horrific attack. It is important to note that the shooter in this incident, Adam Lanza, effectively stole the weapons he used in the attack. He did not purchase them, and they did not belong to him. In fact, according to media reports, when he tried to purchase a rifle just days before the attack, he was told there would be a waiting period. Moreover, Connecticut law requires gun owners to be at least 21, and Adam was only 20. Obviously the murderer, Adam Lanza, had no intention of following any laws, and I am not aware of any legislative proposal that would have changed that.

Some have argued that we should bring back the Federal Assault Weapons Ban, which was in force from 1994 to 2004. However, this ban was ineffective in preventing the Columbine High School shooting from happening in 1999. In a 1999 report by the National Institute of Justice, Impacts of the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban: 1994-96, criminologists Jeffrey Roth and Christopher Koper examined the effects of the federal assault weapons ban in its first two years of operation and found no statistically significant reduction in murder rates. According to the report: "The ban did not produce declines in the average number of victims per incident of gun murder or gun murder victims with multiple wounds." The study also concluded that "any assault-weapons ban that does not ban firearms that are equally lethal (such as those many Americans already own) is ineffective."

Further, the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, a strong advocate for strict gun control policies, highlights the strong gun laws of Connecticut. According to the Campaign's website: "Connecticut has strong gun laws that help combat the illegal gun market, prevent the sale of most guns without background checks and reduce risks to children." In the campaign's 2009 state scorecards released for all 50 states, Connecticut earned 53 points out of a total of 100 and had the nation's fourth strongest gun laws. According to reports, the rifle used in the Newtown shooting was a .223-caliber Bushmaster M4 carbine. This firearm was legal under Connecticut's current assault weapon ban.

I understand your concerns regarding this tragic attack and similar attacks that have occurred in the United States. I know that we as a nation must have a serious conversation and find effective solutions and laws on the federal, state, and local level to prevent these attacks in the future. I believe one effective way to address this issue is to take a closer look at the mental health care laws and services in the United States as well as our crude and violence-laced culture.

As a member of the Congressional Health Care Caucus, I am working to build awareness and to educate my colleagues about the importance of mental health to promote developments in research, treatments, programs, and services. I am committed to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to make insurance more accessible and affordable for those with mental illnesses. One way to do this is to ensure that all Americans, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status, receive access to mental health services and treatment. I believe that we have long overdue work to do in health care for mental health.

In times of national tragedy, it is understandable that people would demand action to respond to tragedies and to prevent these tragedies in the future. I am committed to working with my colleagues to enact effective solutions without infringing on Americans' Constitutional rights.

Again, thank you for contacting me. It is an honor to represent Arkansas's Second Congressional District, and your input allows me to do my best in representing the District. Please do not hesitate to contact me at my Little Rock office at (501) 324-5941, and my Washington, D.C. office at (202) 225-2506. You can visit me online and choose to receive my e-newsletters at Griffin.House.gov. I'm also online at Facebook.com/RepTimGriffin, Twitter.com/RepTimGriffin, and YouTube.com/RepTimGriffin.

Sincerely,
Tim Griffin
Member of Congress
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It may not be a perfect response, but at least I feel like my Rep is taking the time to seriously look at the issues!
 
I actively work with Congressman Gossar's Office on Veterans affairs. Specifically, PTSD claims from Vets whom i work with. His staff has all ways responded in a timely fashion.

I generally send my correspondence to a specific member of his staff with whom I have developed a relationship. If you can develop such a relationship with your Rep's staff, your views and comments will be addressed with other than a form letter.

Unfortunately, Gossar will no longer be my rep thanks to redistricting. His replacement is a Democrat who was a favorite of the Minority Leader. We are already preparing a campaign reminding her that she lost her seat in the past because she failed to listen to her constituents.

The assault weapons bill will be a flash point for her. Hopefully, she will realize that if she supports the bill she will not retain her job.

My point is, you may get a nonsense form letter but her staff is counting the letters and will make a decision based on their ability to retain their seat if they go against the voters. Mobilize your friends and fellow shooters and start informing them of your opposition now rather than after it gets in the legislative process.
 
From my Senator and Representative:

Dear Mr. Griffiths:

Thank you for contacting me about renewed interests in gun control following the events at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.

I, like many Americans, was saddened by the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 children and 6 adults were killed by a gunman who ultimately took his own life. As a father of two teachers, my thoughts and prayers go out to all who were affected by this unspeakable tragedy. Although the investigation is still ongoing, initial reports suggest that the gunman was deeply disturbed and intent on leaving a wake of destruction.

As a physician, I believe that mental illness, which afflicts an estimated one in ten children and adolescents in the United States to the point of causing some impairment, is a serious health problem that cannot be ignored. The federal government has programs specifically designed to assist local schools to promoting mental health development in children and adolescents.

Immediately following these events in Connecticut, I reached out to most of the superintendents of the area independent school districts to ensure proper safety measures are in place to protect our children in school to the extent possible. You may be interested to know, that one program that are available to schools are the School Resource Officers (SRO). SROs are individuals that directly improve the safety for students, teachers, and administrators in primary and secondary schools throughout our district. You may also be interested to know that over the past two decades, the 26th District of Texas has received over $40 million from the federal COPS grant program to assist local law enforcement agencies. COPS grant have funded 378 additional police officers and sheriff's deputies to engage in community policing activities, including crime prevention, in the 26th District. Within the COPS program, an additional $2 million has been provided to the SRO program

An example of how the SRO program is specifically benefiting the 26th District is in Denton School District, the SRO program is a mutually beneficial partnership between the Denton Police Department and the Denton Independent School District. SROs perform a variety of law enforcement functions at Denton ISD schools. However, the primary purpose of school resource officers is to reduce and prevent crime by and against students, committed primarily in or in connection with area schools.

There is no denying that this event is indeed tragic; however, this event has not changed my position on the issue of gun control. I am strongly opposed to any limitations on the United States Constitution's Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. While no one condones the purchase and use of guns by felons or other high-risk individuals to perpetrate any crime, we must not improperly hamper the right of law-abiding citizens to bear or purchase arms. If we are to honor and uphold our nation's Constitution, this right cannot be infringed.

The key to curbing the unlawful use of firearms is the stricter enforcement of existing laws. There are about 20,000 firearms laws already on the books in this country. To prevent crime, we must fully enforce those laws already on the books. I am disappointed to see the proposals currently being discussed by Members of Congress are merely an attempt to make people feel more secure without providing any real security. Someone who is truly intent on using a gun to commit a crime will find a way to obtain one regardless of what laws are imposed. We cannot erode our constitutional rights in the name of crime prevention, and I will oppose any legislation that seeks to do so.

Please be assured that I will continue to pay very close attention to the continuing debate on gun ownership rights and the mental health issues. As these developments continue, you may be assured that I will keep your views in mind should legislation relating to gun rights and mental health be considered by the full House.

Again, thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate having the opportunity to represent you in the U.S. House of Representatives. Please feel free to visit my website (www.house.gov/burgess) or contact me with any future concerns.

Sincerely,

Michael C. Burgess, M.D.
Member of Congress

Dear Mr. Griffiths:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the horrific events in Newtown, Connecticut. I appreciate having the benefit of your comments on this tragedy.

My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families as well as with all the citizens of Newtown who were affected by this tragedy. On December 17, 2012, I joined my Senate colleagues in cosponsoring Senate Resolution 621 to honor the victims and heroes of the shooting.

It is a tragedy for the entire nation whenever a life is taken in an act of violence. I share your concern for the safety of our children in their schools, and you may be certain that I will keep your views in mind as policy changes are considered in the coming weeks. Now, we join with the families as they grieve the tragic loss of twenty children and their teachers, and we join together as a nation to honor their memories.

I appreciate having the opportunity to represent Texas in the United States Senate. Thank you for taking the time to contact me.

Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
 
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