All Things Reform: Help write a "No Blank Check to Wall Street" open letter to Congress

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Help write a "No Blank Check to Wall Street" open letter to Congress

Image by Still Burning via FlickrGovernment reform orgs. deliver news on major events within their areas of expertise.
From: No blank check for Wall Street!

An open letter to Congress on the Wall Street crisis

No Blank Check for Wall Street is a multi-partisan group of people demanding accountability for Wall Street for its role in the 2008 financial crisis. We started by organizing on Facebook and letting Speaker Pelosi and other legislators know that we strongly opposed the Paulson bailout plan.

Our next step is to come up with a proposal of our own -- and then use our growing network to send the word to DC. Please help join us in developing our recommendations and crafting a letter to congress! We'll publicize our work in progress throughout the blogosphere, and deliver the final version to the House and Senate Republican and Democratic leadership.

>All Things Reform Mobile: allthingsreform.mofuse.mobi >Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 (not toll-free) >US House/Senate Mobile: bit.ly/members >Contact your reps tips: bit.ly/dear >Shortened All Things Reform URL: bit.ly/dw

"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

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Help write a "No Blank Check to Wall Street" open letter to Congress

Civic Engagement Topics

"Civic engagement"

Activism Tools

How to write your representatives

Websites without RSS feeds, as of Aug 25, 2010