[BCNnet] ANWR Letters to Senator Fitzgerald

Thu, 6 Sep 2001 07:54:34 EDT

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This is a follow-up to Donald Dann's email about the ANWR legislation.  I=20
used to be a Legislative Assistant to a US Senator, meaning:  I was on the=20
receiving end of constituent letter-writing campaigns.   Here's my=20
experienced opinion:

All you have to do to make your position known is write:

        Dear Senator Fitzgerald:  I most strongly urge you to=20
        oppose oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

That's it:  One line.  And a legible signature and return address. =20

A handwritten note or card is best.  At this point the only judgments the=20
Senator and his staff are making is how many constituents care about the=20
issue, and how much.  Using form letters, for instance, indicates you don't=20
really care very much.  A handwritten note is a clue you actually cared=20
enough to do it yourself.

As Donnie pointed out, email and fax is pointless these days. They don't=20
register as valid due to the abuse by spammers, etc.  What will make a=20
difference is when the Senator's staff has to start dealing with bags of=20
mail.=20

You'll get back a form letter.  Please don't be offended.  You really don't=20
want your tax dollars being used to pay someone to write you a personal=20
letter explaining the Senator's position, do you ?? =20

FYI: here's Fitzgerald's address:

   Senator Peter Fitzgerald
   555 Dirksen Senate Office Building
   Washington, DC 20510

Randi Doeker
Chicago
Cook County

>=20
>=20
> BCN friends;
> =20
> I had a lengthy phone conversation yesterday with a key aide to Senator=20
> Peter Fitzgerald regarding the Senator=E2=80=99s position on drilling in t=
he Arctic=20
> National Wildlife Refuge.  As you probably know 180 avian species use the=20
> refuge including many that migrate through the Chicago area, including=20
> Red-throated Loons, White-fronted Geese, Tundra Swans, Rough-legged Hawks,=
=20
> American Golden Plover, and more.=20
> =20
> Senator Fitzgerald had previously supported a ban on drilling in the=20
> refuge, but based on my conversation with the aide he is under intense=20
> pressure to change this position and at this time is unwilling to say=20
> publicly how he will vote.  The message I got, loud and clear, was he want=
s=20
> to hear from his constituents.  The energy lobby and the Teamsters union=20
> are strongly urging him to vote for opening the refuge to drilling and he=20
> needs to hear from every concerned constituent that this would be a tragic=
=20
> mistake.
> =20
> Here is the Senator=E2=80=99s contact information:
> =20
> Senator Peter Fitzgerald
> 555 Dirksen Senate Office Building
> Washington, DC 20510
> =20
> Ph. (202) 224-2854
> Fx. (202) 228-1372
> =20
> Take note that e-mails and faxes so overwhelm politicians these days they=20
> are largely ignored.  Letters and lots of them are the best way to have a=20
> meaningful impact on a public official; below is a suggested letter. =20
> Thanks for taking a moment to do this.
> =20
> Donald =20
> =20
> Donald R. Dann
> Highland Park/Lake County
> <A HREF=3D"mailto:donniebird@yahoo.com">donniebird@yahoo.com</A> =20
> =20
> =20
> Dear Senator Fitzgerald
> =20
> I most strongly urge you to oppose oil drilling in the Arctic National=20
> Wildlife Refuge, America's last great wilderness. The polar bears, musk=20
> oxen, and more than 180 species of birds occupy this pristine area.  The=20
> coastal plain of the refuge is also the breeding ground for the migrating=20
> Porcupine River caribou herd.
> =20
> The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the recoverable oil would fuel=20
> the U.S. market for less than six months, and result in devastating=20
> consequences for the region's fragile habitat, native communities and rare=
=20
> and diverse wildlife.  Moreover it won=E2=80=99t be available for another=20=
10 years.=20
> =20
> =20
> Other misconceptions about the benefits of drilling:
> =20
> =C2=B7        It won=E2=80=99t lower gasoline prices, which are set in the=
 world market.
> =C2=B7        It won=E2=80=99t reduce our dependence on foreign oil, as th=
e entire U.S.,=20
> including the Refuge has only 3% of the world=E2=80=99s reserves, yet we c=
onsume=20
> annually 25% of the world=E2=80=99s supplies.
> =C2=B7        It won=E2=80=99t be done with a small =E2=80=98footprint=E2=
=80=99 as promised by the oil=20
> industry whose record is terrible when it comes to spills, pollution, toxi=
c=20
> waste, etc. =20
> =C2=B7        It won=E2=80=99t create hundreds of thousands of jobs as arg=
ued by the=20
> Teamsters union but only 46,300, according to the Center for Economic and=20
> Policy Research.
> =20
> Increasing fuel efficiency by just 2 miles per gallon can save more oil=20
> than we will get from the Refuge.
> =20
> Please respect our children and grandchildren's environmental heritage and=
=20
> keep the drilling rigs out of the Arctic.
> =20
>                                                          =20
>=20
>=20

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<HTML>This is a follow-up to Donald Dann's email ab=
out the ANWR legislation. &nbsp;I=20
 used to be a Legislative Assistant to a US Senator, meaning: &nbsp;I was=
 on the=20
 receiving end of constituent letter-writing campaigns. &nbsp;&nbsp;Here'=
s my=20
 experienced opinion:
 
 All you have to do to make your position known is write:
 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Dear Senator Fi=
tzgerald: &nbsp;I most strongly urge you to=20
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;oppose oil drilling in the Ar=
ctic National Wildlife Refuge.
 
 
 That's it: &nbsp;One line. &nbsp;And a legible signature and return addr=
ess. &nbsp;
 
 A handwritten note or card is best. &nbsp;At this point the only=20=
judgments the=20
 Senator and his staff are making is how many constituents care about the=
=20
 issue, and how much. &nbsp;Using form letters, for instance, indicates y=
ou don't=20
 really care very much. &nbsp;A handwritten note is a clue you actually c=
ared=20
 enough to do it yourself.
 
 As Donnie pointed out, email and fax is pointless these days. They don't=
=20
 register as valid due to the abuse by spammers, etc. &nbsp;What will mak=
e a=20
 difference is when the Senator's staff has to start dealing with bags of=
=20
 mail.=20
 
 You'll get back a form letter. &nbsp;Please don't be offended. &nbsp;You=
 really don't=20
 want your tax dollars being used to pay someone to write you a personal=20
 letter explaining the Senator's position, do you ?? &nbsp;
 
 FYI: here's Fitzgerald's address:
 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;Senator Peter Fitzgerald
 &nbsp;&nbsp;555 Dirksen Senate Office Building
 &nbsp;&nbsp;Washington, DC 20510
 
 
 Randi Doeker
 Chicago
 Cook County
 
 
 
 
 
 <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=3DCITE style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-=
LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">
 
 BCN friends;
 
 I had a lengthy phone conversation yesterday with a ke=
y aide to Senator=20
 Peter Fitzgerald regarding the Senator=E2=80=99s position on drilling in=
 the Arctic=20
 National Wildlife Refuge. &nbsp;As you probably know 180 avian species u=
se the=20
 refuge including many that migrate through the Chicago area, including=20
 Red-throated Loons, White-fronted Geese, Tundra Swans, Rough-legged Hawk=
s,=20
 American Golden Plover, and more. 
 
 Senator Fitzgerald had previously supported a ban on d=
rilling in the=20
 refuge, but based on my conversation with the aide he is under intense=20
 pressure to change this position and at this time is unwilling to say=20
 publicly how he will vote. &nbsp;The message I got, loud and clear, was=20=
he wants=20
 to hear from his constituents. &nbsp;The energy lobby and the Teamsters=20=
union=20
 are strongly urging him to vote for opening the refuge to drilling and h=
e=20
 needs to hear from every concerned constituent that this would be a trag=
ic=20
 mistake.
 
 Here is the Senator=E2=80=99s contact information:</FO=
NT>
 
 Senator Peter Fitzgerald
 555 Dirksen Senate Office Building
 Washington, DC 20510
 
 Ph. (202) 224-2854
 Fx. (202) 228-1372
 
 Take note that e-mails and faxes so overwhelm politici=
ans these days they=20
 are largely ignored. &nbsp;Letters and lots of them are the best way to=20=
have a=20
 meaningful impact on a public official; below is a suggested letter. &nb=
sp;
 Thanks for taking a moment to do this.
 
 Donald &nbsp;
 
 Donald R. Dann
 Highland Park/Lake County
 <A HREF=3D"mailto:donniebird@yahoo.com">donniebird@yah=
oo.com</A> &nbsp;
 
 
 Dear Senator Fitzgerald
 
 I most strongly urge you to oppose oil drilling in the=
 Arctic National=20
 Wildlife Refuge, America's last great wilderness. The polar bears, musk=20
 oxen, and more than 180 species of birds occupy this pristine area. &nbs=
p;The=20
 coastal plain of the refuge is also the breeding ground for the migratin=
g=20
 Porcupine River caribou herd.
 
 The U.S. Geological Survey estimates that the recovera=
ble oil would fuel=20
 the U.S. market for less than six months, and result in devastating=20
 consequences for the region's fragile habitat, native communities and ra=
re=20
 and diverse wildlife. &nbsp;Moreover it won=E2=80=99t be available for a=
nother 10 years.=20
 &nbsp;
 
 Other misconceptions about the benefits of drilling:</=
FONT>
 
 =C2=B7 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;It won=E2=80=99t lower gasoline prices, which are set=20=
in the world market.
 =C2=B7 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;It won=E2=80=99t reduce our dependence on foreign oil,=
 as the entire U.S.,=20
 including the Refuge has only 3% of the world=E2=80=99s reserves, yet we=
 consume=20
 annually 25% of the world=E2=80=99s supplies.
 =C2=B7 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;It won=E2=80=99t be done with a small =E2=80=98footpri=
nt=E2=80=99 as promised by the oil=20
 industry whose record is terrible when it comes to spills, pollution, to=
xic=20
 waste, etc. &nbsp;
 =C2=B7 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&n=
bsp;It won=E2=80=99t create hundreds of thousands of jobs=20=
as argued by the=20
 Teamsters union but only 46,300, according to the Center for Economic an=
d=20
 Policy Research.
 
 Increasing fuel efficiency by just 2 miles per gallon=20=
can save more oil=20
 than we will get from the Refuge.
 
 Please respect our children and grandchildren's enviro=
nmental heritage and=20
 keep the drilling rigs out of the Arctic.
 
 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nb=
sp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&=
nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp=
;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
 
 </BLOCKQUOTE>
 
 </HTML>

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