Gene:

Thanks for bringing up the subejct of e-mailing our elected officials . . .

In total, there are FIVE methods in which we can communicate with our elected officials --- which I will list in order of most effective to least effective:

01) Send a FAX of a typed business letter.

In the cases where the elected official has more than one office, send a FAX to each and every office. FAXes are given preference, and are placed at the top of the pile. This is all you need to know in order to confirm that sending a FAX is the best possible method of communicating.

02) Typed business letters mailed through USPS (REGISTERED letter ONLY, with RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED).

By using this method, you have a receipt that your letter has been received.

03) A voice telephone call.

This is used for appointment requests, or for possible follow-up phone call to verify registered letter was received. Don't waste their time or yours by calling for anything other than these two things.

04) In-person visit to the office of elected official.

Don't bother, unless you have a verified appointment with the elected official. How you know whether you have a verified appointment, is by a staff member calling you back to confirm details of the meeting, such as time and location, and amount of time you'll have with the official. If you do not receive such a phone call, you are not officially on the list.

05) Send them an e-mail.

This is the least effective, because the e-mail is never read, responded to, or anything other than DELETED. If you feel an urge to write an e-mail --- spend the extra ten minutes and type up a letter and FAX it to the office.

In the case of each and every Congressperson --- each individual House member receives approximately 25,000 e-mails per month. In the case of each Senate office, it is 50,000 per month. The most that ever happens with these e-mails, is they are collated by subject matter, in order to gauge trends of concern in their constituency. They are NEVER responded to, nor are they acknowledged in any other manner.

If you follow these guidelines, I guarantee that you will very likely receive a reply that is HAND-SIGNED by the elected official. (They also use signature facsimilie duplicating machines to sign letters for mass mailing fund-raising, and subsequently, your matter is considered of less importance if you receive a machine signed letter).

Over the years since I became interested in political matters and developed a political consciousness, I have written my various elected officials many, many times. The guidelines above are from my own direct experience in interfacing with these people.

I hope that this helps you understand why e-mailing an elected official is really the worst way to go.

KDB = Buffalo, NY USA