FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT
ADVOCACY (courtesy of the Children's Alliance):
Does it do any
good for me to contact a legislator MORE THAN ONCE on the same
issue?
Yes, absolutely! Often, particularly during the state legislative session,
repeated contact is necessary to move an issue through the different stages
of the legislative process and refocus the attention of legislators.
What if I don't
read my Alert for a few days. How do I know if the issue is STILL
CURRENT?
It depends on the issue and the call to action. In most cases, you will have
at least a week to respond. Of course, the sooner you take action, the better.
However, sometimes, calls to action will expire-in that case we will tell you
in the alert itself.
Is it really EFFECTIVE
to just copy and paste your message and say it's from me?
Yes. Legislators (or their staff) count the number of messages they receive
from constituents on issues. Most legislators prefer short concise messages
from constituents, rather than long, detailed ones. Personal information (always
put your address on email) or a personal perspective is always a good idea,
so we also encourage you to add your own words to our suggested
messages.
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Do legislators
discount or disregard you when they get the exact SAME MESSAGE
from a lot of people?
No. As matter of fact, the more messages they get from their constituents,
the more likely they are to respond with action. Legislators say it takes about
12-15 contacts on an issue for them to realize that it is something they need
to pay more attention to. I feel really GUILTY when I don't respond to an alert.
Is it OK to act
on an alert just once a month or so?
Certainly. Any action you take is a powerful tool for change--even one contact
a session. We recognize that people have busy schedules. If you don't respond
to all the alerts, it's OK.
Should I send
you a COPY OF MESSAGES I send to my legislators?
No, it is not necessary to copy us. However, we would like to see responses
you get from your legislators. These responses tell us what legislators are
thinking and is very useful to our advocacy efforts.
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How can I tell
OTHERS about the Action Alert Network?
Contact Government Affairs (governmentaffairs@jewishinseattle.org)
and we will be happy to provide you with materials such as postcards, a special
invitation that you can send to friends and family, or information for you
to present to groups you are affiliated with.
Does it do any
good to CONTACT LEGISLATORS who don't represent my district?
In some cases, it is helpful to contact legislators from other
districts. For example, chairs of committees, or legislative leaders
can often be educated or persuaded by a high volume of contacts.
Most of the time, however, we emphasis contacts with your own legislators.
How can I get
more information about Jewish Federation's policy ISSUES?
Send us an email at governmentaffairs@jewishinseattle.org.
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