A letter I just sent to my state senator...

[Case Closed]

coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

[SNOWBALL]

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I gave up on writing my representatives after the UIGEA legislation was voted on by the House. I have an extremely difficult time believing that the number of e-mails in favor of the UIGEA legislation outnumbered the number of e-mails against it

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3 years ago, in CA, the number of anti-war letters sent to boxer and feinstein was 100x greater than the number of prowar letters. Feinstein and Boxer still voted for the war.

[pvn]

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coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

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But your vote *matters*, right?

[hmkpoker]

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coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

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Exactly. I wish people would realize this, and stop saying "but there IS something you can do! Write your congressman!"

[John Kilduff]

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I gave up on writing my representatives after the UIGEA legislation was voted on by the House. I have an extremely difficult time believing that the number of e-mails in favor of the UIGEA legislation outnumbered the number of e-mails against it

[/ QUOTE ]

3 years ago, in CA, the number of anti-war letters sent to boxer and feinstein was 100x greater than the number of prowar letters. Feinstein and Boxer still voted for the war.

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I really get the feeling that there is a greater divide today between our elected representatives and their constituencies, than at any time I can remember. It seems that there are many issues where elected representatives flat-out ignore the wishes of their constituencies. Yes, they have the right to vote as they wish, but why is the gap so wide now, between their wishes and the wishes of their constituents? I get the feeling that politicians are becoming more and more of an "political elitist mindset".

If I weren't so tired right now, I'd see how many things I could list, but at least a few spring immediately to mind: UIGEA, illegal immigration, Iraq War (as SNOWBALL pointed out in the cases of Feinstein and Boxer)...anyone else care to help out here with some other examples of representatives or elected executives acting directly against the majority wishes of their constituencies?

I'm just curious if others share my perspective, and if so, why the gap is now so great with politicians routinely telling their constituencies to "stuff it". What is going on now, and why...?

[theweatherman]

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coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

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Letters dont get trashed.

I am an intern at capitol hill this semester. The only letters that get trashed are ones which are out of district or are completely crazy (CIA implant type stuff). No letter ever gets near the representative, but all are read logged and responded to (many by myself or another intern.)

If the representative disagrees with you then the letter will read something like "thank you for your letter, here is why you are wrong. Vote for me."

If the representative agrees with you then the letter reads like this "thank you for contacting me, here is why we are right. Vote for me."

all in all a completely pointless gesture that a ton of people waste my time with every day.

[John Kilduff]

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coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

[/ QUOTE ]

Letters dont get trashed.

I am an intern at capitol hill this semester. The only letters that get trashed are ones which are out of district or are completely crazy (CIA implant type stuff). No letter ever gets near the representative, but all are read logged and responded to (many by myself or another intern.)

If the representative disagrees with you then the letter will read something like "thank you for your letter, here is why you are wrong. Vote for me."

If the representative agrees with you then the letter reads like this "thank you for contacting me, here is why we are right. Vote for me."

all in all a completely pointless gesture that a ton of people waste my time with every day.

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So does a Representative at least become informed of the number of letters his office receives in favor or against an issue? Does his staff tell him, for example: "In the first quarter we received 1500 letters in favor of, and 300 letters against..." ?

[Case Closed]

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coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

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But your vote *matters*, right?

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My vote matters a lot more than a call to a some random congressman.

[kickabuck]

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coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

[/ QUOTE ]

Letters dont get trashed.

I am an intern at capitol hill this semester. The only letters that get trashed are ones which are out of district or are completely crazy (CIA implant type stuff). No letter ever gets near the representative, but all are read logged and responded to (many by myself or another intern.)

If the representative disagrees with you then the letter will read something like "thank you for your letter, here is why you are wrong. Vote for me."

If the representative agrees with you then the letter reads like this "thank you for contacting me, here is why we are right. Vote for me."

all in all a completely pointless gesture that a ton of people waste my time with every day.

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Ugh, c'mon weatherman, why don't you go intern for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? After all he's the leader of an 'underdog' nation and it would be great press for the Iranians, having an articulate American boy disparaging the imperialist American dogs.

Seriously and more importantly, as to your characterizations of citizens' 'pointless gestures' and 'wasting your time' remember the time it takes and the passion they must have for these people to write, for they have little recourse when whomever it is you work for decides to engage in behavior that has a profound impact on their lives.

[pvn]

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coffee,

Where do you live? If you state senator does not already agree with you this letter will be trashed. I have spoken with people who have done internships with political figures and I am sure some people on this forum have done this as well. One thing I have learned is that these people don't care about anything we say. Unless you are some really important person they just ignore you. It makes me feel really bad when people try so hard to phone their reps for poker legislation when they are just gonna be ignored and will have no effect on the way the official will vote.

[/ QUOTE ]

But your vote *matters*, right?

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My vote matters a lot more than a call to a some random congressman.

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Because you might get some other bozo who doesn't give a [censored] about what you think.