Sending along,
Hope you are all well,
Aida
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nancy Gardner <nancylaura1949@xxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, Feb 2, 2017 at 11:03 AM
Subject: FB post
To: aidahernandez25@xxxxxxxxx
Helpful advice for calling your representatives from a friend of a friend:
"Friends! As some of you know, I used to work on Capitol Hill as the person
in charge of all the incoming phone calls to my Senator's office. I have
some insider tips to make calling your reps easier and quicker.
1. Give your name, city, and zip code, and say "I don't need a response."
That way, they can quickly confirm you are a constituent, and that they can
tally you down without taking the time to input you into a response
database.
2. PLEASE ONLY CALL YOUR OWN REPRESENTATIVES! Your tally will not be marked
down unless you can rattle off a city and zip from the state, or are
calling from an in-state area code. I know you really want to give Mitch
McConnell a piece of your mind, but your call will be ignored unless you
can provide a zip from Kentucky. And don't try to make this up; I could
often tell who was lying before I even picked up the phone from the caller
ID. Exceptions to this are things like Paul Ryan's ACA poll.
3. State the issue, state your position. "I am opposed to a ban on Muslims
entering the US." "I am in favor of stricter gun control legislation
including background checks." "I am in favor of the Affordable Care Act."
That's it. That's all we write down, so we can get a tally of who is in
favor, who is against. It doesn't matter WHY you hold that opinion. The
more people calling, the less detail they write down. Help them out by
being simple and direct.
4. Please be nice! The people answering the phones on Capitol Hill already
have the hardest job in DC and some of the lowest pay as well, and for a
month now their jobs have become absolute murder, with nonstop calls for 9
hours every day. Thank them for their hard work answering the phones,
because without them our Senators could not represent us.
What does this sound like?
"Hi, my name is Heather, I'm a constituent from Colorado Springs, zip code
80907, I don't need a response. I am opposed to any ban on Muslims entering
the United States, and I encourage the Senator to please oppose
implementation of any such ban. Thanks for your hard work answering the
phones!"
This is how I wish every caller had phrased their message. It makes it
easier for the people answering the phones and takes less time and emotion
than a long script. I know that you want to say why, but keeping it short
and sweet helps the office answer more calls per hour, meaning more people
get heard. The bigger the tally, the more powerful our voice.
Pick one issue each day, use this format (I am in favor of _____ or I
oppose ______), and call your 2 Senators and 1 Representative on their DC
and State Office lines, and you'll be on your way to being heard!"
Keep the faith, everyone. Our voices do matter, even when it feels
discouraging.
