All Things Reform: New political discussion blog: Understated Priorities

Thursday, May 08, 2008

I have begun a political blog called "Understated Priorities"-- it's at http://www.understatedpriorities.blogspot.com/

It is mostly entries from reference books on the topic of politics: quotes, aphorisms, poems and a lot more. I discuss each entry and am open for your comments, too. Current posts included:

Here is your opportunity to reflect on the major thoughts related to government, politics and people. Enjoy!

David Weller

"Civic engagement"

> Civic engagement is comprised of individual and collective efforts or processes designed to identify and address community needs and issues of public concern. In a democracy, all segments of the community – businesses, nonprofits, government agencies, and individual residents -- can and should be involved in civic engagement activities.

> Civic engagement can take many forms, from individual volunteerism to organizational involvement to electoral participation. It may involve individual action or group processes that result in positive community change and decision making that is more reflective of community needs and desires.

> Taking responsibility for one’s own actions within the community and working to build an awareness of systematic positive change through activities such as directly addressing an issue, working with others in a community to identify and solve problems, interacting with -- and influencing – public and private decision makers, and developing skills through training and workshops that foster strong leadership are all examples of how one can become more civically engaged.

Source: http://nfw.allianceinfo.org/content/community-challenge

How to write your representatives

> Write legibly and use the proper form of address: ** Letters to Senators: your name, address & zip code; Honorable (full name), United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510; Dear Senator (last name): (body of letter) Sincerely yours, ** Letters to Representatives: your name, address & full zip code; Honorable (full name), House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515; Dear (Mr. or Ms.) (last name): (body of letter) Sincerely yours,

> Write a short letter- be brief, up to one page- try to limit letter to just one issue or bill; attach an editorial or other articles, but only one or two pages if possible

> Give bill number when possible; explain with reasons why the bill's important to you, their constituent. Be appreciative; you might politely send them another letter after their vote

> Be courteous, and respect his/her office staff- who read the letters- even if you didn't vote for him. Be constructive, but don't use technical jargon or acronyms; an easy to understand, original letter by a constituent is far more effective than a signed sample letter

> Write neatly, or use their official website's contact form; thank them for their consideration, and leave your telephone number if you want to be available for questions. An additional phone call and a visit are helpful. You may request a reply in return

> Be timely- don't send letter months in advance- they might forget; if they vote very soon, call their office or Capitol Switchboard; don't fax- they don't read them; snail mail is safest, but there's a 30-day delay in delivery in Washington DC

> Call Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 for convenience; number is not toll-free

> Committee Caller- Call all members of any congressional committee at one time-http://is.gd/HhE

All Things Reform

Thursday, May 08, 2008

New political discussion blog: Understated Priorities

Civic Engagement Topics

"Civic engagement"

Activism Tools

How to write your representatives

Websites without RSS feeds, as of Aug 25, 2010