Should I bother contacting my lawmakers?

[shawn703]

I'm wondering if any other DUers live in highly Republican areas, and if they ever make any progress when they contact their lawmakers about issues. I'd like to write to them, but I don't want to waste my time if my grievances are going to fall on deaf ears. The only Democrat who represents me at any level is Gov. Mark Warner.


Here's who represents me:

U.S. Senator John Warner (R)
U.S. Senator George Allen (R)
U.S. Representative Tom Davis (R)
VA Governor Mark Warner (D)
State Senator Jay O'Brien (R)
State Delegate Michele McQuigg (R)
Chmn Pr. William Cty Board of Supervisors Sean T. Connaughton (R)
Coles District Supervisor Marty Nohe (R)

We even have a Republican sheriff now (had a Democrat until this last election.)

[maggrwaggr]

1. at least you'd be doing something

that's how I see it. It may be deaf ears, but at least they'll notice that somebody actually disagrees with them.

It can't hurt.

I'd say write your local papers, too, that's more likely to have an effect.

To do nothing is to be defeated. Can't have that!

[baggypants]

2. Speak up and let 'em know what you think. That's democracy!

[Mairead]

3. I live in Massachusetts, and I never got anywhere when I wrote

my Dem rep and senators. Most of the time their offices didn't even bother to send back a form letter.

So now I don't bother. I try to spend my time more productively, instead.

[Lefta Dissenter]

4. Jeez, my sympathies!

YES, by all means, write them early and often! At least you're on record, and it stops them from being able to say, "ALL of my constituents who have contacted me think I'm god and agree with everything I do."

Now I'm going to count my blessings... Feingold, Kohl, Doyle, Baldwin...

[pocoloco]

5. With Inhofe and Nickles I do it all the time, e-mails also,

just to aggravate them. Sort of like walking all the way across the street just to make an asshole officer salute.

Don't do any good , but makes me feel a little better.

[goddess40]

6. Letters to lawmakers

This is Goddess40's mom. I write often to my Democratic representatives and sometimes to the Repukes. I always, and I do mean always, get replies from the Democrats. I have never gotten answers from the Repukes until I wrote about the Medicare bill. Republicans Sensenbrenner and Green from WI wrote back defending the bill. This leads me to think they are really working to cover the stench of a rotten bill. They are really working to sell a bill even they think is bad.

[proud patriot]

7. Every letter must be recorded for historical purposes

Please write .

[11 Bravo]

8. I feel your pain.

I'm just north of you in Fairfax County. To give the devil his due, I have known Tom Davis since he was a county supervisor. Then and now, he has been responsive whenever I have contacted him with a request or problem. (Also, the year Ollie North ran for the Senate, on Election Day I ran into Tom at the polling precinct we share. I told him he was still the only Republican I had ever voted for. He looked around, then leaned in and quietly said, "This year I'm the only Republican I voted for as well.")

[shawn703]

9. I heard that even Sen. Warner was against Ollie running

I wasn't here at that time, but one of my very liberal friends said he didn't vote against Warner his next time up because he opposed Ollie becoming a Senator. (He didn't vote for him either, he just refrained from voting for Senator that year.)

[Butterflies]

10. Hi Shawn, I'm in Va too

and I regularly send those internet emails from environmental groups. I usually send them to John Warner and George Allen and it only takes a few seconds. I get answers from them (usually form letters mailed to my house) telling me they'll be voting opposite of what I asked them for. I once heard that when we contact them with a viewpoint, it gets multiplied because a formula is used to check how their constituents feel about different issues. It would be worse if they only heard cheers from those who agree with what they're doing.