Re: NANFA-- Off-Topic: Emailing the president?

Sajjad Lateef (sajjad_at_acm.org)
Tue, 20 Mar 2001 09:21:17 -0600 (EST)

I must have mis-communicated. I meant to say that when I used paper, at
least one in three letters recieved a response. So, it's better to use
paper than e-mail. Sorry.

Sajjad

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sajjad Lateef" <sajjad_at_acm.org>
> To: <nanfa_at_aquaria.net>
> Sent: Monday, March 19, 2001 12:24 PM
> Subject: NANFA-- Off-Topic: Emailing the president?
>
>
> >
> > It's probably best to write to the president using good old pen and paper.
> > I have written to my state senators and congressmen in the past year or
> > so using paper ... and only one state senator's office replied.
> >
> > Please read the following news report from the online newsletter
> > NewsScan. http://www.newsscan.com . It's an excellent daily
> > newletter mostly about technology. I've been reading it for years.
> >
> > Sajjad
> >
> > WASHINGTON FLOODED WITH E-MAIL
> >
> > U.S. lawmakers last year received 80 million e-mail messages from
> > constituents and special-interest groups, most of which were routinely
> > ignored, according to new study by the Congress Online Project. The number
> > of e-mail messages to Congress has more than doubled in two years, says
> > the group, with senators receiving as many as 55,000 messages per month.
> > And while millions of the messages originate from constituents concerned
> > about Medicare reform, tax cuts and other issues, the study attributed the
> > e-mail explosion in large part to advocacy groups and corporations that
> > increasingly use the Internet to lobby lawmakers day and night,
> > overloading congressional computers and staff. "Rather than enhancing
> > democracy--as so many hoped--e-mail has heightened tensions and public
> > disgruntlement with Congress," says the report. "A growing number of
> > citizens are increasingly frustrated by what they perceive to be Congress'
> > lack of responsiveness to e-mail. At the same time, Congress is frustrated
> > by what it perceives to be e-citizens' lack of understanding of how
> > Congress works." The study urges grassroots lobbyists to adopt a "code of
> > conduct" to curb mass e-mailings to lawmakers and also suggests the
> > federal government to provide lawmakers with additional resources so they
> > can buy new software and hire staff to answer electronic messages.
> > According to the study, it could cost each office $50,000 or more for
> > hardware and software. (Reuters/CNet 18 Mar 2001)
> >
> > http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1005-200-5173083.html?tag=lh
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> /---------------------------------------------------------------------------
> --
> > /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
> > / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
> > / Association"
> > / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes
> Association
> > / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
> > / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
> > / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
> > / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
> > / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page,
> http://www.nanfa.org
>
>
> /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> /"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
> / reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
> / Association"
> / This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
> / nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
> / subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
> / nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
> / nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
> / For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org
>

/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
/"Unless stated otherwise, comments made on this list do not necessarily
/ reflect the beliefs or goals of the North American Native Fishes
/ Association"
/ This is the discussion list of the North American Native Fishes Association
/ nanfa_at_aquaria.net. To subscribe, unsubscribe, or get help, send the word
/ subscribe, unsubscribe, or help in the body (not subject) of an email to
/ nanfa-request_at_aquaria.net. For a digest version, send the command to
/ nanfa-digest-request_at_aquaria.net instead.
/ For more information about NANFA, visit our web page, http://www.nanfa.org