Please Don't Throw Away Your Stamps
Dennis Johnson discusses the problem of email overload in his book, Congress Online. He mentions that many representatives are reluctant to respond to constituents via email. He also includes a nice quote by columnist David Silverberg: “E-mails convey information but paper letters convey gravitas.”I absolutely agree with Silverberg’s assessment. There is a certain feeling that you get when you receive a letter in the mail. You feel that someone actually took the time to think about you.
This is not to say that it’s wise to overlook the clear benefits of efficiency and speed that email correspondence provides. Email is an operational necessity. When response turnaround is managed well, it sends a positive signal that lawmakers value constituent feedback.
There needs to be an appropriate balance between the two forms of correspondence. While email is extremely efficient, the sentimental and traditional value of the paper letter should not be forgotten.
posted by SEPARight @ 10:41 PM
5 comments
5 Comments:
I agree, but I think the quote say "gravitas."
Thanks. Good catch!
I also read the chapter in Johnson's book, and do think that it will be a long time before a member of Congress decides that e-mail is the way to respond to constituents. Even though personally I would rather receive an email response than snail mail, it is more informal and may seem less important.
As a DC resident, I have requested information from my city councilman before, and I was happer to find an e-mail address on his website, and received an e-mail response to my specific question in just a few days. Of course a DC Councilman has a much smaller constituency than any member of Congress.
I'd rather see them use emails more often. Though I do understand the formality of the written letter, it's a waste of our tax dollars to send a letter to every person who signs a mass-produced postcard.
Send them an email instead and re-allocate the money for other uses, or better yet, give us another tax cut.
I agree that a personal letter is so much better than an e-mail reply. I've known people who have received a generic "thank you for your comments" e-mail from various personalities and they don't know that this is always sent, and not a personal note to them. I hate to bust their bubble but original letters is the way to go.
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