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#1
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Why all good citizens should use fountain pens
I have always been concerned with the laws of my local government; however,
I have noticed that thanks to fountain pens, I find myself writing my local government to either support their plans or to discuss certain laws (i.e. why they are wrong :-) If the political parties want people to get out the vote, they ought to start sending people fountain pens! My only question is this, can I legally write my local government daily about the same issue, or is there some law against mail harassment? Richard- probably one of the few people left who feels that he can actually do something |
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#2
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In article ,
"marlinspike" wrote: I have always been concerned with the laws of my local government; A good thing. We forget that the people are ultimately the government in the U.S., and that all government power proceeds from the people. When we remain ignorant and silent we surrender our freedom. however, I have noticed that thanks to fountain pens, I find myself writing my local government to either support their plans or to discuss certain laws (i.e. why they are wrong :-) Excellent! If the political parties want people to get out the vote, They don't, unless they know we'll vote for them. they ought to start sending people fountain pens! Now this is a great idea! Fountain pens in the schools! My only question is this, can I legally write my local government daily about the same issue, or is there some law against mail harassment? Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you want to receive from your elected representatives: Dear (your name here) Thank you for taking the time to write to us with your concerns. It is important to hear what America's citizens have to say about these important issues. Your opinion matters to all of us in (insert government branch here), and we will work hard to do our best for as many of our citizens as we feasibly can in these difficult times within the constraints of current fiscal policy and appropriations limitations. Please feel free to keep in touch. Sincerely, (signature of talking head here) |
#3
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Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you want
to receive from your elected representatives: But I mean, if I start mailing 4 a day, they will have to actually read what I say, no? Actually, I have had decent luck before. I asked my congressman about some stuff and he (well, probably his lackies) sent me al sorts of info on the subject. Richard |
#4
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But I mean, 4 letters a day, that's 28 letters week (or I could go crazy and
start making copies of the same letter and send 50/day) they would want to put a stop to it, no? Richard "Ken Freeman" wrote in message ... I think what the political mail handlers do is read the topic sentence at most and put the letters in topic piles. After that they might look at for/against. Then everyone gets a form letter reply. I don't think they have to read your letter. Do you have to read all the mail you get? Ken "marlinspike" wrote in message ... Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you want to receive from your elected representatives: But I mean, if I start mailing 4 a day, they will have to actually read what I say, no? Actually, I have had decent luck before. I asked my congressman about some stuff and he (well, probably his lackies) sent me al sorts of info on the subject. Richard |
#5
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In article ,
"marlinspike" wrote: Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you want to receive from your elected representatives: But I mean, if I start mailing 4 a day, they will have to actually read what I say, no? Actually, I have had decent luck before. I asked my congressman about some stuff and he (well, probably his lackies) sent me al sorts of info on the subject. Depends on the Congressman and their staff, of course. My cynicism got the best of me there for a minute. There are some good people on both sides of the aisle in Congress, as well as idiots on both sides. Unfortunately the idiots seem to manage to get re-elected fairly often. As far as Senators from my state go, I always had very good response from Paul Wellstone and poor response from Rod Grams, for example- which might have had something to do with the latter's failure to get re-elected. Martin Sabo amd Betty McCollum are also good responders. A friend of the family who worked in a Senator's office- now I can't recall which one, this was 30+ years ago- told me that once you've written a third of fourth time to your official, they really do start to pay attention. So get out that fountain pen, get out some decent paper, make sure you can write legibly and send 'em your opinions. Orange ink will definitely make a statement. |
#6
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"marlinspike" wrote in message
... But I mean, 4 letters a day, that's 28 letters week (or I could go crazy and start making copies of the same letter and send 50/day) they would want to put a stop to it, no? Richard Being a middle management employee in a local government, if you write the elected officials in our jurisdiction and the topic relates to the technical expertise of the team that I supervise or relates directly to a project/program activity that I am responsible for... I get the letter with instructions on what method of response is desired by the elected officials (e-mail, telephone call, letter). The direction is called a "tracking memo" and I have usually 7-10 days in which to draft a response which is reviewed by my supervisors before it is sent out to the letter writer. Often staff is asked to essentially "ghost write" the letter which is eventually signed by the lead elected official for the jurisdiction. From a letter writer's point of view, you think that you've gotten through to the elected official -- more likely you've solidified staff either against the position you support or convinced staff the way we are heading is in the public interest. The most effective way of swaying elected officials is to use your fountain pen with your check book... Vancouver Evan |
#7
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"Tim McNamara" wrote in part: | So get out that fountain pen, get out some decent paper, make sure you | can write legibly and send 'em your opinions. Orange ink will | definitely make a statement. Yeah. Perhaps not the one you want, but a statement, indeed! john cline ii who remembers well his fifth grade teacher saying "Serious people use dark blue or black ink on good quality UNLINED paper. Other people don't." |
#8
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john cline ii who remembers well his fifth grade teacher saying
"Serious people use dark blue or black ink on good quality UNLINED paper. Other people don't." Your fifth grade teacher is long deceased so you have permission to use turquoise ink if you'd like. You can now use lined paper too in your correspondence. She can smack your hand with a ruler after you arrive in the pearly gates. Nancy who is using purple ink on lined Komtrak paper to write to cousin Matty who is serving our country in Iraq. He has a pet scorpion! |
#9
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Tim McNamara wrote:
:In article , : "marlinspike" wrote: : Yes and no. It depends on how many content-free form letters you : want to receive from your elected representatives: {snippety snip snip] epends on the Congressman and their staff, of course. My cynicism :got the best of me there for a minute. There are some good people on :both sides of the aisle in Congress, as well as idiots on both sides. :Unfortunately the idiots seem to manage to get re-elected fairly often. Local Boston newsguy named John Keller (or Kellerer?) has an annual test. He has a member of the public write to both Massschusetts senators (and perhaps other elected officials...I forget) a sensible letter involving a real, local issue. Then we wait for the response. Twice in a row Ted Kennedy's staff responded, by mail, I think, requesting additional information and promising to see what could be done. What might be construed as a positive response. Those same two years John Kerry's office ignored the letters. Keller buttonholed Kerry and asked what happened, while a film crew taped the encounter. Both times Kerry whined about "staff shortages" and "how this sort of thing was occasionally bound to happen." After the interview Keller checked back with the citizen and all of a sudden Kerry's staff found the letter and had telephoned to apologize. I, myself, have never written Kerry, but Kennedy's people have been very good about redirecting my enquiries (regarding DIA maps of eastern Europe) to the right people. ObPens: Am greatly enjoying a Stipula wide stub. Only complaint is the tiny capacity of the cartridges/converter. My dentist gave me a (normally disposable) translucent "Monoject 412" plastic syringe, with a curved plastic "needle" for refilling the carts, and it works like a charm. And is not covered by the Massachusetts ban on people possessing hypodermic needles. -- Al B. Wesolowsky o Unlike J. W. Hardin, my foolish moves o have been many. Boston University o ---Michael Murphey |
#10
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This struck a funny note with me....
Over the past year or so, when someone at work does something wrong, I pull out my trusty saying (like my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Morehouse, who was ancient back then - 1959), and I say: "this is going to go on your PERMENANT record". For some reason, I just love saying it, but now I realize they probably don't have any ideas of what that phrase really means... (since they are too young to understand). With age comes wisdom (I think?). =Paul Esterbrook-lover "Tetractys" wrote in message newsFcSa.83299$OZ2.15164@rwcrnsc54... Nancy Handy wrote: john cline ii remembered well his fifth grade teacher saying: "Serious people use dark blue or black ink on good quality UNLINED paper. I remember our class being assured that the infamous "permanent records" were written in indelible "black or blue-black" ink. For some reason, I associated these colors with bruises. Your fifth grade teacher is long deceased .... Unless, of course, she underwent a series of transfusions in Argentina, in which case .... |
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