Internet Radio Reprieve, Sen. Clinton and Obama

[VAXman(Admin)]

Originally Posted by Rick and Roll

Yes, the NY thing is exactly why she is fading and Obama is picking up momentum. Although there is usually no salient replies, in this case, certain tendancies come out in the responses. On a personal level, I gleaned a lot from a small paragraph.

Just wanted to say that it was a very well-thought out and welcome letter.

Thanks Lotus!

Rick, I've received correspondence from all of my representatives! My district congressman Rep. Christopher Smith [R] was the first one to correspond to me and he (or his office) did so via US mail with a letter that is actually signed -- whether it's his actual signature cannot be proven but it reads like a form letter. I received a canned email response from Sen. Frank Lautenberg's [D] camp. It didn't address any of the specifics which I wrote to him about, so I believe it to be just a form letter like response too. Just recently, months after my contact, I received a response from Sen. Bob Menendez [D] via US Mail. It too read like a form letter. All three of the responses were worded very much like those Lotus received from Clinton and Obama. These letters mention the issues and the IREA, etc. (of which we are all keenly aware) but none of these letters ever seem to indicate the representative's real stance on the issue. "... I will certainly keep your thoughts in mind when it comes to the Senate floor for a vote." and "... I will keep your views in mind in the future as the situation plays out." are statements obviously meant placate us but they don't seem to offer much hope.

Anyway, I realize, as I hope that others reading this do, that most representatives do not personally answer letters from their constituents. Much of the time, any response is simply a form letter response to an issue. Lotus's would seem to indicate the "form letter" response too, especially since it doesn't bother to address that he is from the newest US state of Germany that has, apparently, been annexed to NY.

To all reading this: This is an issue that should be taken up with congress, not the executive branch or would be hopefuls (albeit, one or both of Lotus's contacts will return to the Senate). If you are going to write a letter concerning this issue, please find your representatives and write to them! Make certain that your letter clearly indicates that you are their constituent. If you write your state's senators, clearly indicate that you are a resident and voter in the state they represent. If you are writing your house representative, find your district's rep. and be certain to state that you live and vote in his/her district.

My Rep. makes local visits and I spoke with him at a town meeting many months ago. I was amazed to see that he was actually fairly well versed on the whole RIAA/Internet radio issue, so don't think that they aren't aware of it! What WE (internet radio listeners) need to do is impress upon them how aware of this issue that WE are! Very few people ever write their representatives. Now, if one of us writes to our particular representative(s), he/she/they might not take notice but if 100 or 1000 of us do the same, we might stand a better chance of being heard.