I want to invite all Lyme.netters in Virginia's 11th Congressional District (central Fairfax and much of Prince William) to join me in trying to put together a meeting with our Member of Congress -- Rep. Tom Davis -- before the fall elections.
Please PM me if you are interested in at least putting your name on a letter requesting a meeting.
As an article in today's Wash Post makes clear, even safe incumbents like Rep. Davis are taking nothing for granted in this election.
Hopefully, the timing increases the likelihood that he will be willing to meet with a group of us. And, as with the petition drive, numbers count.
The more of us requesting the meeting, the better our chances (especially if any of you have connections with Davis or his wife, a member of the VA State House).
If you're not sure who your Representative is, you can find out by going to: www.house.gov/writerep .
I also challenge folks from Reps. Frank Wolf and Jim Moran's districts to try to meet with them.
Lesley
P.S. I know this post belongs in Activism rather than Medical, but I wanted as many people as possible to see it. I promise to move it in the next day or so.
Posted by trueblue (Member # 7348) on :
not in VA but bumping it up
Posted by lesley1954 (Member # 7626) on :
Anyone???
Posted by Tincup (Member # 5829) on :
Have you checked with the Washington DC group?
I don't usually see many folks here from your district. Can only think of one.. from way back... and one more from more recently.
But I LOVE your effort and the idea.
Wish I could help.. but I'm not in that area. Keep up the good work.. and do let us know how it goes. OK?
Posted by lymednva (Member # 9098) on :
I'm from VA, but not that district. Besides, I wouldn't vote for the incumbent anyway. I have no desire to meet with him. Posted by clpgotlyme (Member # 7875) on :
I will sign your letter. Sending you a PM.
Posted by lesley1954 (Member # 7626) on :
Thanks to all who responded.
LymednVA, I hear you, and I want to say that my interest in setting up a meeting with the person who currently represents me in Congress has nothing to do with how I will vote on Election Day.
However, if I and other like-minded voters opt not to let our Member of Congress know what we want to happen on Lyme disease legislation because we don't like his politics, we allow him to say he's never heard from anyone in his district about this issue and therefore it must not be a problem.
Not trying to change your mind -- I totally understand where you're coming from -- just trying to offer a different way of looking at it.
Posted by lesley1954 (Member # 7626) on :
Tincup, Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I need to give MS a call. Lesley
Posted by Aniek (Member # 5374) on :
Is the LLMD in Fairfax in his district? If so, maybe patients of the LLMD who live out of district can help you (such as me)?
Hey, we're keeping a business running and growing in his district.
Posted by lesley1954 (Member # 7626) on :
Hi Aniek, If we're talking about the same LLMD, the answer is yes.
I think that people who are connected to the district as you are -- owning and running a business here -- could be helpful as long as there is was a core group of people who actually live and vote in the district at the meeting.
Posted by lou (Member # 81) on :
I wrote a letter, sent an email and got a reply a long time later undoubtedly written by an intern, never seen by the rep. Unless they get a lot of letters, this will probably not be enough to get them to sign on as co-sponsor and vote for the bill.
So, your idea to visit is excellent. They get tons of mail, but few visits. And better to go with a group, mixed sexes if possible.
Letters are still good, send them too, but a call to health aid of rep. adds a lot, and a visit, with info in a short understandable form is miles ahead in terms of putting the issue in their minds. Especially they need to be left with the bill numbers and the basic points it deals with.
As far as only contacting reps you would vote for....those people are your rep whether you voted for them or not. They are in the office, so they are the ones you have to deal with. Make em work for you, even if they got in office without your help. I figure it is even better if someone you don't approve of ends up helping you!
Posted by lesley1954 (Member # 7626) on :
Lou, The story about your letter and response written by an intern rings true to me after working in a congressional office for about 5 years (and writing many of those letters).
I'm sure every Member of Congress is different in terms of how they handle their mail. But this is how it worked in our office:
Letters were divided into "new" and "old" issues. A new issue was anything about which the Congresswoman had not previously approved a response.
Those letters were sent in for her personal approval. She clearly read both the letter and the response because she would frequently make changes or write a personal note on the letter.
This was particularly true with letters that told a compelling personal story in a succinct way. Detailed, multi-page, hand-written letters ... forget it! Too much information, too little time.
Anyway, once a response was approved, it became an "old" issue. Those letters received the boilerplate "preapproved" response and were less likely to be seen by the Congresswomen.
At the same time, the more people who wrote asking her to cosponsor a particular piece of legislation, the more likely we were to research the bill and make a recommendation that she cosponsor it. That would generate a "new" issue letter.
Personal letters really do matter. I hate to say it, but they matter even more if you have a personal connection with the Member of Congress and especially if you are a donor.
In our office, all mail was run past the Chief of Staff who quickly looked through the names, pulling out people known to the Congresswoman, for her personal review.
This included both supporters or donors and critics and political activists from the other party. She had no interest in making trouble for herself by not responding to a letter sent by a critic.
One person can make a difference -- even if you are not a political supporter of the politician.
Write, visit, and especially take advantage of any calls or visits you receive during this campaign season to ask your Member of Congress' position on Lyme disease legislation (and imply that your vote depends on receiving a response back from their office).
Posted by sometimesdilly (Member # 9982) on :
To Lesley -and anyone else who is interested in lobbying their reps, state and federal:
You are so right. Now is a GREAT time to lobby your reps in person. They are out of session, wandering around in their home districts, and its a hot hot hot election this year. Every vote counts! Make'em earn yours!
Here are some helpful links to tips on how to lobby your reps:
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