Old Fashion Letter WritingWhy we still write letters... _________________________________________________________________ and make phone calls too! "Now, more than ever, what we in Congress need is plain old grassroots pressure - letters, phone calls, and personal visits from constituents. My colleagues in Congress are not hearing enough from concerned citizens who want to promote peace and protect the environment." - Elizabeth Furse Congresswoman, Oregon 1st Congressional District It's the basis of Democracy, policy makers need to hear from their constituents. Everyday, decision makers on the Hill are barraged by big business and big money lobbies. It's up to individual citizens to counter this attention by acting in unison on important issues that effect the way we live every day. The House and Senate are trying to take away 25 years of environmental progress that protects the air we breathe and water we drink. The Pentagon wants to spend millions of dollars on weapons left over from the cold war even as education, health and environmental protection funding is being cut. Your voice, when joined with the thousands of other 20/20 Vision activists, lets our representatives in Washington know how important our health, safety, and fiscal soundness are to us. Since 20/20 Vision's inception in 1988, we have been monitoring and influencing legislation at the federal, state and local levels. Recently we have looked at influencing corporations as well. This recent Gallup Poll of Members of Congress finding sums up why letters are so important: There is a large difference in the attention paid to personal, non-form communications as opposed to canned communications...The most effective means of gaining a great deal of attention from the Member [of Congress] are: LETTERS: non-form, personally written, from heads of home district groups and individual constituents. We invite you to join our group of activists and make a difference for your community and our world. If you don't think individuals can make a difference or that letters and phone calls are effective, visit our success stories to see what old fashioned letter writing can do! According to our own research, Congressional and Administrative offices are not currently consistent in checking and responding to e-mail. There are not the same systems in place for counting, recording, and responding to e-mail that there are for hand written letters. We're keeping an eye on electronic forms of communications and how effective they are at influencing decision makers. We have found that sending a personalized letter and following up with an e-mail message is usually effective. Let the decision makers you contact know that you appreciate and support their having e-mail as an option for contacting them. Good sources for finding out if your Congressional Members have e-mail are the House and Senate Gophers. If you have a comment or story about using electronic communication to contact policy makers,please tell us about it! Presidental SealYou can also e-mail the President or Vice President and let them know what you think about a particular issue. The White House will send you an electronic auto-response e-mail message and a snail-mail letter. Look at our environmental and peace actions for current issues the White House and your Members should know about. _________________________________________________________________ 20/20 Vision Last Updated: Wednesday, August 23, 1995 ---------- When you write to a Member of Congress, an official in the Administration, or any other decision maker, use a formal style for your letter. Make it personalized, localized and let them know exactly what you think they should do. Here is a recommended format: Your Name Your Address Your City, State Zip (On letterhead stationery if possible). Hon. (The full name and title of your policy maker) Their address Their City, State, Zip Dear Senator or Representative (their name), * Briefly state your main point or opinion. * Write about your personal concerns and views. Use the facts from your 20/20 Vision postcard to back up your position. * Close with a strong statement. "Please let me know how you will vote on this important issue. I will take your position into consideration at the next election.") Sincerely, Your signature Your name P.S. - Include a hand written postscript, especially if you didn't hand write your letter. If you are calling or e-mailing an official, you may want to follow up with a letter as well! _________________________________________________________________ 20/20 Vision 1828 Jefferson Place, NW Washington, DC 200036 (202) 833-2020 (202) 833-5307 (fax) (800) 669-1782 (info) vision@igc.apc.org Last Updated: Wednesday, August 23, 1995 ---------- Tips on Making Letters and Phone Calls Effective _________________________________________________________________ 20/20 Vision actions focus on communicating your thoughts and ideas to your elected officials and other policy makers. Writing letters and making phone calls are simple and effective ways to change policy. Policy makers do pay attention - and change their minds and votes - when even a moderate number of constituents contact them on a single issue within a short period of time. So it is vitally important to respond to your monthly 20/20 Vision card. Our experience shows that if a subscriber puts off her or his phone call or letter for more than two or three days, it's put off indefinitely. So please act within a day of the postcard's arrival. Here are a few tips on how to make your actions have the greatest impact. When You Write: _________________________________________________________________ * The more personal your letter is, the more influence it has. Say what's on your mind and in your heart. Use your own words wherever possible, but don't think you have to write like an expert to have influence. * Hand write your letter if your handwriting is legible. Mass computer generated mail is getting so sophisticated that it often looks like it's done by an individual. Handwritten letters are now the only way that a congressional office knows that the letter really comes from an individual constituent. If you prefer to type a letter, make sure you sign it and then add a handwritten P.S. * It's best to be brief, clear and specific. Keep your letter to one page if possible. * State your opinion and your specific request within the first few sentences. Mail * Ask the policy maker to state her or his position in a response letter. * Do not send the 20/20 Vision action to policy makers or say you are writing on behalf of 20/20 Vision. Messages from individuals are more effective. * Be courteous and reasonable. Show respect for the policy makers you contact, even when you disagree with them. * Include your address on your letter; an envelope can get lost. When You Call: _________________________________________________________________ When calling legislators, it is best to try to speak to their arms control or environmental aide. If they are not available, leave your name, address and a clear message with the person who answers the phone. You might begin by saying, "I'm Jane Doe calling from Anytown, and I'd like to leave a message for Congressperson Smith." State what issue you are calling about and what you want your legislator to do. You can ask for a written response to your message. Don't be intimidated. You don't have to be an expert to tell policy makers the priorities you think they should pursue. Some Optional Enhancements: _________________________________________________________________ * Describe briefly how the policy or legislation in question affects you personally or affects people where you live. * Enclose an article that has bearing on the policy or legislation in question. * If you have any personal association with the policy maker, let her or him know. Nothing is more effective in getting a policy maker's attention than letting them know you've worked on her or his campaign. * Use your business or organization letterhead stationery if you have any. Phone * Legislators have informed us that phone calls and letters carry equal weight. * In general, try to avoid sending letters by fax. Many congressional offices find a fax intrusive and prefer letters that arrive by mail. * Write or call a second time. Follow-up letters can have a much stronger impact on policy makers and their aides than the initial communication. Thank the legislator for taking a correct stand or ask questions about any unsatisfactory answers they have given you. Note: The 20/20 Vision national office conducted a study called "Is Anyone Listening?" We interviewed congressional staff to identify the most effective citizen lobbying techniques. For a free copy of this study, email, call or write our national office. _________________________________________________________________ 20/20 Vision 1828 Jefferson Place, NW Washington, DC 200036 (202) 833-2020 (202) 833-5307 (fax) (800) 669-1782 vision@igc.apc.org Last Updated: Wednesday, July 19, 199