Ask Slashdot: How Can I Get Through To a Politician By E-mail?

wytcld writes "Sending an individually-written e-mail to my state senator resulted in an automated response saying that since she receives hundreds of e-mails a day, there might be no personal response, but please don't take that to mean she hasn't read my e-mail. So I contacted her again suggesting that was a pretty poor answer. Most of the e-mails she receives are mass mailings coordinated by various interest group websites. Why doesn't she put those to the side, I asked, and prioritize response to individual e-mails from constituents who've taken the time to actually write? Her response? She often can't tell the difference at first, so spends time drafting responses to the first instances of group e-mail spam, and gets diverted from responding to those who really write her. Are there tools out there which a politician can use to identify the incoming group-think blasts and put them to to side? It's easy enough to imagine sorting by repeated content or headers, if I ran the mail server, but I'm looking for packages already out there that a state-level representative, with no staff to speak of, might use to cut through the mess and prioritize communication with constituents who care enough about an issue to draft their own thoughts."

Phone

[thestuckmud]

Many politicians are overwhelmed by email campaigns at the moment, and are paying more attention to phone calls. At least that's what my politically connected friends tell me.

Re:Send them a $2,300 reelection donation

[Anonymous Coward]

Politicians respond to their constituents.

Please note "constituent" rarely equals "citizen" or "voter" in that politician's district.

True story: Shortly before this country was misled into a disastrous, expensive, deadly, and illegal adventurism, I called the local office of my US Representative. A human-like organism answered the phone and quietly operated the device after asking a few questions to identify me. I gave several reasons why my country should not engage in the seemingly inevitable but completely optional upcoming disaster. When I finished talking, it thanked me.

Shortly, I received a form letter
a) thanking me for expressing my opinion,
b) excusing the politician from giving a personal response because he receives so very many letters and calls,
c) acknowledging that many people have strong opinions about war,
d) explaining, in high political speak, that he didn't give a shit about what the little people thought and was proud to stand with his President.

Re:Paper and Pen

[Tokah]

One of my state's senators states on his website that his pen 'n paper mail doesn't reach him for over six weeks because of security concerns. That's often after the vote on whatever you are trying to bother your congress person about.

Stalking them with Cash

[MarcQuadra]

I've had much better luck finding out where they hang out (bars, usually) after a session, then I bring them a small check, made out to their campaign. Once that happens, they usually give you their -real- email address or phone number.

I bought a state rep about $50 in drinks one night, cut him a check the next day, and my ideas on Net Metering made it into the next revision of the bill. I did the same for a city councilman, who is now using a few of my ideas to save money.

The great thing about contribution limits, which are usually under $1,000 per-contributor, is that you get a lot of bang-for-your-buck for a $100 or $200 contribution.