Why not just send a copy of this to our Congressmen? Certainly makes a good
point. Could it shame them into action? Nah! It would just give them the
idea about a $100 mil rec center!


> Hilary....
>
> I picture your scenario from a different perspective:
>
> Three congressmen get into an elevator - along with
> their assorted gofers, flunkies, a couple of AIDS
> activists, including Elizabeth Taylor (talk about
> being "Johnny-on-the-spot," THAT'S one heck of a
> cohesive group!) and the mistress of one of the
> congressmen, who's disguised as a highly paid
> secretary, even tho she has never in her entire life
> typed faster than 20 words a minute.
>
> Congressman "A" (speaking  to no one in particular):
> " I got 17 emails today from  some poeple asking
> someting about the "Udall Bill"
>
> Congressman "C":   The Udall Bill??  Isn't that the group
> that  demands that all animals pastured next to interstate
> highways must be clothed?"
>
> Congressman "B":   No... the Udall Bill is to give  money
> to research that old peoples disease where they shake
> a little.  I got some form letters from them."
>
> Flunkie 1:  "Well old people don't have much clout
> when it comes to a vote"
>
> Flunkie 2:  "So they shake a little. They're OLD.
> Old people are SUPPOSED to shake a little."
>
> Gofer #!, (as entire group nods:  "Right, Skippy!
>
> Congressman "B":  And anyway, none of US are
> old - heck, I'm barely 50!  And my ..... uhhhhh......
> secretary here, Tiffany Brittany is just 22 (Tiffany
> Britanny blushes becomingly). so it'd be YEARS
> and YEARS before any of US would ever come
> down with an old person's disease - we have
> plenty of time to deal with those Udall Bill crackpots."
>
> Elevator doors open to $100,000,000.00
> Congressional work-out center and all exit.
>
> Who, ME a skeptic?
>
> Batb Mallut
> [log in to unmask]
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hilary Blue <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
> Date: Wednesday, August 25, 1999 1:51 AM
> Subject: Re: action
>
>
> >Do we really need another organization? Cant we just work through
> our local
> >support groups, whatever their affiliation, and use the list to
> coordinate
> >activities,
> >i.e. set aside day x, or week y
> > for letter writing
> > or for signature collecting
> > so that all the senators and congressmen will be receiving
> letters on the
> >same day or petitions handed in on the same day. USe Parkinson's
> Awareness
> >Month as the time to collect petition signatures and then hand
> them in during
> >the Pan forum - that is more or less how it works already. If  we
> could do
> >something similar with letters and emails and faxes - where the
> whole contr.
> >acts in concert - the effect could be overwhelming. Or would they
> even notice.
> >I mean picture the scene.
> >Two congressman waiting for the elevator. Conga. A says, "I got
> 17 letters
> >about the udall bill today".
> > And his friend says,  "Only  17 !  why,  I got 23.
> >They get in the elevator and Senator x is there. He asks, "Have
> you fellows
> >also be inundated with letters about the udall bill? D--n
> Parkeis, got nothing
> >else to do but write letters all day. Why arent they   out
> working? If they
> >can write letters, they can go and get a job."
> >THen congressman A says,  "With all due respect sir, there is a
> bit of a
> >difference between writing one letter and getting a job". THe
> elevator reaches
> >the cafetaria level. THe senator snorts . -
> >"Hrumph', and all three exit the elevator.
> >
> >Hilary Blue
> >
> >Ann Dorsa wrote:
> >>
> >> They wouldn't dare ignore us if we were coalesced into a
> >> national network, instead of an individual here, there,
> >> and everywhere--we don't have clout that way--and I'm not
> >> proposing to become another organization,  but a
> >> grass-roots network of regional leaders? contact points?
> >> reaching out to our local "sphere of influence" to
> >> mobilize and support whatever grass roots efforts are
> >> required for a given purpose, i.e., letter writing at a
> >> critical time, petition drives, whatever.  Let's connect!
> >>
> >> What do you think?
> >>
> >> Charlotte
> >> > you can just email them if you'd like...they are really quick
> to
> >> > respond....Joan
> >> > [log in to unmask]      or contact Micke Claeys at
> >> > [log in to unmask]
> >> >
> >> > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > From: Nita Andres <[log in to unmask]>
> >> > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> > Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 1999 6:19 PM
> >> > Subject: Re: action
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > > Yes I know the feeling about the senators. I must have a
> very  unusual
> >> > > legislator. I just don't know what else to do. I will try
> to find PAN's
> >> > number
> >> > > and call sometime tomorrow. They have always encouraged us
> to write.
> >> > Another
> >> > > letter to the president can't hurt. Thank you for
> responding. , Nita
> >> > >
> >> > > Joan Hartman wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > > > I, too,have written....three times to Senator Finestein
> with no response
> >> > or
> >> > > > acknowledgement and the first time to Cong. Packard who
> did acknowledge
> >> > my
> >> > > > letter  with a letter of his own with incorrect info in
> it re Udall
> >> > > > funding...PAN helped me correct his misinformation which
> I did send to
> >> > him
> >> > > > but I have yet to hear back...I also wrote the White
> House with no
> >> > > > ackowledgment...Joan Hartman
> >> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> >> > > > From: Clare Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
> >> > > > To: <[log in to unmask]>
> >> > > > Sent: Tuesday, August 24, 1999 4:35 PM
> >> > > > Subject: Re: action
> >> > > >
> >> > > > > In a message dated 8/24/99 9:06:39 AM Mountain Daylight
> Time,
> >> > > > > [log in to unmask] writes:
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > <<  have no idea how to organize this group into
> political activists
> >> > so I
> >> > > > >  am asking that you write. >>
> >> > > > >
> >> > > > > Nita, I have been following the formatted letters
> suggested by PAN
> >> > > > > and written to my congressmen about the Udall funding
> several times.
> >> > > > Also,
> >> > > > > PAN developed a "letter to the editor"  which I adapted
> and sent
> >> > > > > recently to one of our newspapers....have never had a
> reply from the
> >> > > > > congressmen, except to acknowledge my input, and
> continue to check
> >> > > > > the editorial page to see if my letter is printed.  The
> PAN letters
> >> > are so
> >> > > > > easy to use and my total time spent in preparation per
> mailing is l
> >> > hour.
> >> > > > > I'm sure all these letters are in the archives for all
> of us to use.
> >> > > > > Clare Wilson
> >> > > > >
> >> > >
>