The House of Representatives did not meet this week due to school vacations but I went down to Beacon Hill for some meetings and to give a tour of the State House to some constituents from Westfield. I also had to pick up some House, Senate, and Governor citations for a friend whose grandparents are celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary.
I would like to congratulate four members of the Westfield community who were recognized this Thursday by Westfield State University. Dawn Carignan Thomas, Dan Smith, Lisa McMahon, and John Davies were awarded the Horace Mann Award for Public Service. “Each of the 2013 Horace Mann Award recipients is a local role model, whose life of service reflects the rich legacy of Horace Mann and the community service traditions of Westfield State University.”
In my column last week I listed the contact information of your local elected officials, myself included. Unfortunately, people often try to communicate with me through letter or email or even phone voice mail message, and they fail to leave important pieces of information that are necessary for me to either help them or get back to them.
One example: I received a letter from a person living on the West Coast who said he was a former Westfield resident. He had an opinion about a hot issue in Massachusetts right now and wanted me to tell him how I would vote on the issue. He neglected to give me his phone number or his email address.
Another example: I receive form-letter style emails from my constituents who must have signed up on some issue list or group at some point. The emails are usually terribly written and lacking in the necessary contact information for me to get back to the people. If I try to reply to the email address of the sender it typically bounces back.
There are so many simple ways to make sure that when you contact your legislator you can maximize your message and guarantee that it is read, heeded, and responded to. Most of the things are easy and common sense.
So, as we head into the busiest season on Beacon Hill, with formal sessions, public committee hearings, budget debate, and more, I decided to re-run a helpful and informative column I wrote many years ago called “How to Lobby Like a Professional.” Follow the advice contained below and it will likely pay off big.
The House of Representatives is slated to debate our version of the state budget in late April. Between now and then, my colleagues and I will be barraged by lobbyists of all sorts.
You don’t need to pay expensive lobbyists to deliver your message to representatives. Legislators are people just like you and want to be in contact with their constituents. Never be afraid to communicate with them yourselves. Be polite and informative. Building that relationship now may pay dividends in the future.
1) Call your legislator or make an appointment to see him at his office or during office hours. Face to face contact is the best way to lobby. Have information available, in writing, to give him about the legislation or issue concerning you.
2) Write your legislator. Next to speaking to him in person, personal letters are the most effective way of communicating. Avoid form letters and pre-printed postcards whenever possible. (In other words, don’t be a “slactivist.”) A hand written or typed letter in your own words shows that you cared about the topic enough to take your valuable time to put it on paper and send it.
* VERY IMPORTANT! Always include your full name, address, and telephone number. Print your full name even if your signature is on the letter. Often, poor handwriting makes it impossible to read whom the letter is from and respond.
3) With email, it is also important you include your name, address, and phone number. I receive hundreds of emails a week and there is no way of knowing if they come from constituents in my district. If senders don’t identify themselves or don’t give their address I delete the email. A legislator may not always respond via email. He may want to write or call. There have been many times I’ve wanted to respond personally to an email by calling the sender but they failed to include a phone number.
* Like you, legislators are very busy. Make it as easy to reply to you as possible. Providing all your contact information makes it more likely you will receive a timely response.
There are times when you may not receive that response. During hectic times, like budget or override season, legislators are in the House Chamber and are unable to return calls or reply to correspondence. Be assured that we do get your messages and often take the emails, letters, or call slips with them to the floor.
4) Feel free to speak with a legislator’s Legislative Aide. These staff people are skilled, knowledgeable professionals who will treat your call respectfully and confidentially. Many people delay their own satisfaction by waiting to speak directly with the legislator when the aide would have done just fine. Aides report everything to their bosses. It’s their job.
5) Invite your legislator to meet with you or your group. Invite him to tour your business or school or get to know your organization so that he has some knowledge and familiarity with you and your cause.
6) If you’re coming to the State House to lobby your legislator, call him first to see if he’ll be there. He may have events in his district that day; you will pass each other on the Mass Pike going in opposite directions. Save yourself the cost of the trip to Boston and meet him back at home.
7) Don’t forget to thank your legislator! Send a thank you note. Remember him at election time with your vote. Send a small donation. Put up a lawn sign. Campaigning and politics is part of his job. If your legislator was helpful and responsive, be sure to show your appreciation. Support those who support you or your issue.
People are often moved to contact their state legislator. That is a good thing and vitally important because, speaking as a State Representative, it is impossible for us to represent our constituents if we don’t know how they think or feel about issues. We need to hear from you to do our job.
Thank you.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield News.
Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Maura Cassin may be reached at their Westfield District Office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, (413) 568-1366.
Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542,Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803.
Email address: [email protected]
Website: www.DonHumason.org
