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Lobbying by Mail
A personal letter or note is an effective way to influence
public officials. Legislators and their aides notice even a dozen letters
that are sent around a particular issue, because so few people take
the time to write to their Legislator.
Letters need not be typed - a handwritten letter is fine,
provided the handwriting is legible. Form letters and petitions, which
mostly only require a signature, are noticeable, but not as effective.
When writing, be clear on what issue you are speaking
to and what specifically you want the Representative /Senator to do.
Stick to one topic and remain respectful throughout the letter. Ask
for follow up from them, whether it is a phone call, another letter
or an appointment to meet.
When writing your letter to your Senator/Representative
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Be brief and to the point. Do not spend multiple pages
stating your case. Also, be clear and stick to one topic, it is easy
for the main focus to be lost with multiple issues.
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Be sure to state who you are, your town/city, if you
are a constituent and what your affiliation with the issue is (for
example, if you are a person experiencing homelessness or shelter
provider.)
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Be positive. If your legislator has supported any
related bill or budget in the past, thank him/her for it. Do not use
the letter as a basis to launch into a critique of the Legislator's
work. It is better to build a connection, not sever it. Remain respectful
throughout the letter.
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Remember: Include any reasons you think are persuasive
as to why the Legislator should support your bill/budget item. Do-not
spend multiple pages listing every reason possible to support the
bill/budget item. A few, strong reasons will suffice.
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Be very clear and specific about what you want your
Legislator to do. For guidance, refer to "Eight things you can
ask you Legislator to do"'.
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Be sure to include your name, address and phone number.
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Follow up. Ask for a response from your Legislator,
whether it is a phone call, another letter or an appointment to meet.
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End the letter with a thank you for the Legislator’s
interest.
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Be effective. To use the mail effectively, you must
be willing to follow up on a noncommittal or form letter from your
Legislator to politely press for an answer. One way to do this is
to ask an original question, so that the Legislator cannot simply
write back "Thank you for your letter, I appreciated hearing
from you."
The Statehouse address is: The Honorable
___ (fill in name)___ The State House Boston, MA 02133
For more information or
to get involved, call the Coalition at (781) 595-7570
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