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Some Hints on making your elected
representatives aware of the issues regarding the A-76 You can find out your representatives information including address, e-mail and phone number at www.congress.org The most effective method is to call and politely state you are a registered voter in his/her district. In your call you should clearly state your concern about the effect the A-76 could have on safety and security to the nation as a whole and to state your concern for the effect the A76 will have on his/her constituents (you) and the effect on other voters in your area. Follow up immediately with a letter or fax. E-mails are not yet as effective as paper but still count. Consider asking family members and friends to do likewise. Consider asking the local lower and middle management to write in. They are at risk as well. A sample letter is attached but please customize it to reflect your personal beliefs and styles. Form letters do not carry much weight. Make sure he/she knows you are a likely voter and you want to clearly understand his/her position on the A-76. Remember to stick to the themes of safety of flight and security. These are the inherently governmental issues we need to focus on. Avoid, avoid, and avoid discussion of relative cost of contractors and Government employees. The point of an A-76 is to find out. Additionally, every representative and 1/3 of the senators are up for re-election in November. There will be many rallies and town meetings in the next 60 days. Attend them and ask what your representative is doing to protect the safety and security of the country by closely looking at the outsourcing of this critical safety of flight issues. Also, consider writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. It will get delivered if you address it to:
Keep it to 200-300 words and focus on
safety and security. DO use the right address. The address for all Congressman is: United States House of Representatives, Washington D.C. 20515. The address for all Senators is: United States Senate, Washington D.C. 20510. DON'T send mail to a Congressman who doesn't represent your district or a Senator who doesn't represent your home state. The exception to this would be sending mail to a Senator or Congressman who's a member of a key legislative committee that's considering a bill you're interested in. DO take the time to make sure you contact the individuals who represent you in Congress. DON'T write your letters in longhand if at all possible. Typed letters are much easier to read. DO put your name and address on both the envelope and the letter. If the envelope gets lost, and your address doesn't appear in the letter, you probably won't get a response. Also, include your telephone number in case a staff member needs to contact you. DON'T use paper other than standard white paper, 8 1/2 by 11. Also, don't put lots of clips and staples in your letter. If you must send a lot of documents, use a binder clip and remove any staples. Everything you send -- especially if you're asking for assistance -- may go through a copier. Colored paper doesn't copy well, and non-standard paper or paper with lots of staples may get mangled. DO be positive in presenting your ideas or in asking for assistance. You're much more likely to be heard if you use positive, friendly language rather than rancor or abuse. DON'T be afraid to speak out on important issues. Your Congressman values your opinion! After all you hired him/her. DO visit your Congressman or
Senator's web page if you'd rather send e-mail. Offices handle e-mail
differently; some have a standard address, others will have you use a form,
and others don't even have e-mail. |