Congress to block flood of emails to their offices...

Heard on C-SPAN.

Congress is ready to try some new program that will permit them to block emails to their offices that are anything other than what they want to hear. Many are getting emails from people that are not in their constituencies and they don't like that. Unless the e-mail sender can fill out a form with intent and purpose, then their email will be blocked by the new program. Just because they are the "people's House" does not mean they have to listen to what you say. What do you think of those potatoes?

#$%#$%#$%@@$%^%#!!!!!!

Well, I guess it's a logical progression.

fire the lot of 'em! can you imagine if you cut off e-mails from your boss at work? we need to herd 'em in and kick 'em out!

It's not a bad idea to cater to local constituencies. If I feel strongly about an issue, I always call. You can then make clear that although you aren't a constituent, their position on such and such a committee has a national impact.

Jam the phone lines with calls, and bury them under a mountain of snail mail. And in fact, we could always start sending it to their private residence, where they don't have a secretary to screen all of the "undesirable" mail out.

But if people tie up the switch board, no other calls can come through, and that would be a real pain in their ass:evilgrin:

We'll have to take them to fancy restaurants, buy jets to transport them, reserve space at fancy resorts, buy tickets to important sports events. We will have to become citizen lobbyists to get them to listen to us. Are we ready to go that route?

I believe that any Congressperson who blocks e-mail should be kicked out.

1984 is tightening up on us fast. Silence, Submission, Obedience, Passiveness, Mindchange.

They forget that they are our employee-representatives.

We should be cutting them off. They should not be cutting us off.

lobbyists out...we need to play the game their way. That's maybe why signing petitions is a better way and donating to groups like "Move On" and ACLU and others who will lobby for us ...is the way to go.

bought & sold :grr:

It could be totally free. Make a pain in the ass of yourself at every opportunity. Hell, your congressman is spending more time in his home district this year than in Washington. And I don't even know who your congressman is. I just know how little they're working this year (less than Truman's Do-Nothing congress, in fact).

Plane trips and golf excursions aren't necessary if enough people make pains in the ass out of themselves -- congressmen will pander to the persistant voter.

just shows how disconnected these politicians are from their constituents.

They know how we all feel out here, they stopped reading our mail long ago.

When I wrote to Mark Green, congressman in Wisconsin about some legislation he had introduced on animal fighting, he wrote back saying I was not in his district, so basically he can ignore me.

affecting my brother in law and the DOD budget, it is not in her district, they don't want to hear 'bout it.

Let me tell you, I told the aide, you are leaving me little choice but to think green in November. You work for ME, and where the money in the budget is going SHOULD be of interest to you.

But they can set-up a "Talk-Radio Row" in the Capitol Building for important events like the State of the Union and Inauguration WEEK!:puke: :argh:

Were I a representative, I would ignore floods of FReeper astroturfing (heck, even real right-wing grassroots) if it came from outside of my blue district where I live. Especially if the volume was such that it was flooding out my constituency.

"Pay to the order of".

us and the congress critters alike. Yes, they should give priority to their constituents. (Well, one can hope.) However, when they are on a particular committee that affects all of the United States, how do we reach them if they are not our direct representatives?

Perhaps the answer is to have phone and e-mail addresses for committees so out-of district-constituents (if that's proper terminology) have a place to contact committee members. Maybe this already exists. Anybody know?

Something I want to know also.

Yes, they are there to represent their districts, but they are also there to represent our nation as well and to govern in the best interests of the nation, not just their districts.

...to lobbyists.

They would each have fewer constituents to represent and therefore, theoretically, less mail.

better representation for citizens, and less influence by lobbyists.

drastically increasing the the size of the house of reps would be VERY expensive when you start to figure in things like salaries, staffing, and office space.

it could be argued that the technology exists for more direct voter referendums, but that same technology also makes it easier to nefariously manipulate results.

the 435 limitation has made each one a mini-king, each one of them beholden only the almighty campaign dollar and the most giving lobbyist.

4x the current size would help.

I do hope that they get to my mail, and I believe they do. (I get replies most times) But I'm sure they are overwhelmed.

Silly me.

If they don't like what we have to say, then don't cry and blame us when your ass is voted out of office.:eyes:

It's obvious, they don't like the messages they've been getting. Here's hoping the November election brings the message loud and clear!

What a POS. :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown: :thumbsdown:

mass emailings are one of the least expensive means of communication - the left & the right use them all the time. For the groups with money they can hire folks to manually send emails. Could even outsource it to India for real cheap.

Wonder when congress will look at how databases keep getting hack into? Maybe when their private info has been hacked.

The elite club for political rock n rollers called Congress, should never dirty their beautiful minds with contrary and ignorant words from The People. After all, we're only here to serve them. We're here to give them one fourth of our earnings. Get on a Lear, go to a foreign land, build a private bunker, work out in a super select Senate gym. But for heaven's sake, keep those people away. They're dirty. They're poor. They're beneath us. They are America.


That feels better! Phew.


Now, we'll need a link to see if this is really the truth.

And having said all of that, it might not be a tragedy if each politician were to only hear from their geographical constituency. I may be wrong.

Write "Pay to the order of Congressman X, Access fee." Probably the check would be returned and the letter would get a response.

So the haute Congress is far too busy smelling their silk perfumed kerchiefs to be bothered by the unwashed plebeians? :puke:

:wtf:

God they make me sick.

Any form of electronic method of transferring information as plagued with just these sorts of issues.

I've always been partial to writing letters and sending them snail mail... the combination of handwritten address lines and actual stamp seems to MAKE people want to open them, if only for curiosity because it is so rare these days. Of course, they are free to ignore THESE if the return address is outside of their constituencies, but someone actually has to do the sifting. Electronic means allow an automated process which is just too easy in my opinion.

It would be a cool thing if people did this occasionally, just to let these jerks know that they can't hide from us.

they pull this crap! Nice job-Giving the finger to the people! Time to fire the lot of them! :mad:

when you think about the sheer volume that many of them must get on a daily basis- how could anyone expect that it would all actually be read...?

He also follows up w/a snail mail answer.

But then, Rep. Pete DeFazio actually believes he works for his constituents.

Definitely not the same w/my senators.

considering the number of people each rep is supposed to represent, and considering that days are still only 24 hours long, i would never expect all emails to be read by a rep, nor would i fault them for it- and when you consider how many more people each senator represents- the idea of them reading/responding to them all becomes even more ludicrous.

If you mean my rep, then most likely that is true.

As far as at least my Dem senator, it would be nice to get an occassional response from him.

I've received three snail mails from him in six years.

i said that it was the exception, rather than the rule.

meaning that the vast majority of representatives could not possibly have the time to personally answer all emails.

i would never feel chagrined by not receiving a response to email.

and since my rep is a dlc fuckwad- i also realize that providing input would be pointless- he has his marching orders.

voted OUT! They work for US. They need to be reminded of that. SOBs!!!

not that most of them were at risk, but that's another issue

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

They'll have to pay for this email-blocker with an appropriation. That's an act of Congress. And it'll stop us from petitioning them.

It's blatantly unconstitutional. If they don't want to hear from us, they can do the right thing and resign from office.

Otherwise why would they care what you have to say? If you were important you'd have a lobbyist giving them thousands of $$$ or you'd be in office...

that'll piss them off.

... With Voters.

:rofl:

What a bunch of jackasses.

somebody with an explanation. It really says it all.

... it's pretty obvious... I just wanted to try to be the first :)

to defend why he/she is not available to constituents, but perhaps is available to paid lobbyists.

:puke:

This congress doesn't give a damn about what the people want... Corporations have taken over the priority. That's why there is going to be a flush in November.

too busy you say, I will gladly print out and send any emails for a small fee ;->

It's their job to listen to us! If they're blocking us out because they don't want to hear what we're saying, then what good are they? They need to go and become again as we are. They are supposed to represent us, and they can't do us if they won't hear us. SHAME on them if they won't listen to us. WE are their employers - and we can fire their asses!

annoying. They don't listen to the emails now anyway and most likely delete them without reading them first. If we send them something they have to "handle" physically and manage, they will start listening.