Open Government and Electronic Communications

After just finishing another election year, if you are like most of Americans, you are probably very glad that all the campaign rhetoric and the endless debates are over. However, after listening to all of this, you may have many concerns over the economy, gas prices, the war, as well as other issues that have arisen. With so many changes in elected officials, how is it possible to keep track of all of them? Do you feel a little overwhelmed with all of this or feel your voice may be lost in the shuffle? Our officials may have changed, but this country is still a democracy where everyone's voice counts. We still have the right to access these government representatives and to let them know our questions and concerns and to make sure that they don't forget who they are working for.

The federal government recognizes this duty and has made it fairly simple to not only find the correct person but also to contact them by sending an email. Just when it seems that government has grown too large and out of touch with their constituents, their website tells a different story. All you need to do to get in touch with any official to raise your concerns is to log onto www.usa.gov. Once you are on the home page, find the heading "For Citizens," and then click on it. After this, find the link to contact elected officials. This page provides a listing by name within each branch of the government. You can even find the governor of your state within here. Simply scroll until you find who you want to contact and click on the links provided. A form will appear where you will need to key in some information, including your message. Your city and state should and probably do offer this same method of communication on their sites.

Don't allow your voice to go unheard. Contacting your elected officials has never been this easy or convenient. Remember that emails are often the preferred method of most businesses and government for communication. They are more apt to respond quicker to emails because it is considerably faster than anything else. However, if you don't have email, then write a letter. Use whatever method you are more comfortable with because the most important thing is to realize that your opinions matter. The only way to make sure they know what is on your mind is to voice it in an email or a letter.