Reply #33: Snail mail does take longer...

[pelagius]

...due to security procedures. That's why I mentioned the probable lack of time to do snail mail on this issue. But mail is most certainly going through to congressional offices.

Staffers take mail much more seriously because anybody can forward a "Dear Congresscritter" email making the rounds, but sitting down, writing a letter, putting a stamp on it, and putting it in the mail box show some real commitment to the issue. Fax and phone also require a bit more effort.

In fact, based on what I've heard, if you actually need a response from your elected officials, DO NOT use email. There's so many form letters and just plain ol' spam in the inbox nearly everything gets deleted unread. At best, you'll get an auto-reply.

I am sure there are exceptions to this general rule, but, as a former staffer in contact with current staffers, the overall perception is that email is not something you'd dump on the lowliest intern to handle. Too much other stuff to be done.