Will your congress member return your phone calls?

I've been calling Rep. Dennis Cardoza for three weeks now, just trying to get an answer to his position on a public option for health care. Signed up at his website a month ago and I'm still waiting for an email.

I was told three weeks ago someone named Stacy who is in charge of his schedule would call me back. A week went by, nothing. I called and left another message, another week, nothing.

I swear I've had better luck with pug reps who weren't even from my district. Boxer's people call me back, hell, even Di-fi returns my emails. But Dennis, I guess he's just too big and too busy to deal with the voters in his district.

What about you? Is your rep responsive to you? Should I expect at least a courtesy call from one of his staffers?

He has sent out emails and postal messages as well. His name? Bruce Braley, who imo, should run against Grassley in 2010.

I am able to get through.

Am I at least a little justified in being put out about this?

I am in the position I'm in, as a result of work that myself and others have done. But, it hasn't always been this way. So, I'll tell you one trick I learned on the way.

I always prefer phone calls and letters to e-mails. And, back in the days my calls weren't taken/returned, I would send a letter. In it, I'd let them know that I was going to use their response -- or lack thereof -- for a LTTE of local/regional newspapers. And I did just that.

No member of the federal, state, or local government wants a non-emotional, "just-the-facts" letter in a local paper, stating that they ignored phone calls and letters.

Looks like it might be letter time. Being in my district is bad enough, carved up like swiss cheese to make sure we're powerless, without not even being able to have my voice heard.

I was told by one staffer that for security reasons Cardoza would not be having any town hall meetings, so how else am I going to get representation if he won't talk to me and hear my views?

that DU should have a series of GD threads on grass roots activism. Perhaps related to the old "activist forum" here. There are things that each one of us could contribute .... be it a problem we encounter, a goal we set, actions we take, or ways to solve some of the road blocks we find placed in our way.

A "DUers' Guide to Grass Roots Activism" could be beneficial for all.

When will you start writing? And in all seriousness, what a good idea.

How to get your calls returned. How to write LTTEs. Tons of stuff I can think of.

Congressman Bill Pascrell-8th Congressional District of New Jersey.
Bill is very responsive.

His office doesn't even bother to send autoresponders to emails.

Yeah, I can see that. But hell, my guy is a Dem, or at least a DINO.

Leonard Lance has neither returned my calls or responded to my emails.

So I'm walking a hand written letter to his office in Westfield NJ on Friday. :-)

Problem is, my guys main office is 50 miles away.

Ya think I should wear BRIGHT blue when I go in there? :rofl:

In regards to an issue we were having.

I was very impressed.

The Republican she beat in 2004, Phil Crane, was there for some 30 years, and the only time I have ever heard from him was when he get another DUI and it was in the paper.

I'm going to DC on 9-12, I've had the same problem in bumfu*k Virginia...pm me, before I get banned for posting this /snork.