The “Water Cooler” is a feature on Claycord.com where we ask you a question or provide a topic, and you talk about it.
The “Water Cooler” will be up Monday-Friday at noon.
QUESTION: Have you ever tried to contact your local politicians regarding an issue that concerns you? (city council, county supervisors, congress, assembly, senate, etc.)
If so, did you get a response? Feel free to mention who responded, and who didn’t.
Talk about it….
I have tried to email semi-local politicians on several occasions. I sent polite, well thought out letters each time. Dianne Feinstein apparently has some kind of software or a staff member that scans emails for keywords and sends an “appropriate” form letter in reply, since that’s what I got. Mark DeSaulnier and Gavin Newsom never replied at all.
I have contacted a couple but from what I called them I am not surprised they didn’t respond.
Sometime if you want help or a favor, kissing up to people is necessary, understand the dislike to do that, but that is often how life works.
Hanne that is good advice for normal people but not politicians that have their heads up and locked.
Yes, each current Walnut Creek City Council member responded personally to my inquiry and concerns.
Mary Nejedly-Piepho was also responsive. I even met her for dinner – official business and Dutch of course. It’s too bad she left the County BOS.
Tried but got generic format return. That is not useful so I do my contacting in the voting booth.
Glazer and Grayson ignored my letters requesting a response. DeSaulnier is dismissive. Miller was great. Talked directly with him at one of his town halls. That isn’t DeSaulnier’s style. He wants to control the show and doesn’t really care about your view. Feinstein is professional. Haven’t dealt with Harris.
Yes. I thought their staff were rather rude and standoffish. But I persisted and did eventually get a half-assed response. The problem was half solved.
Recently, I have contacted the governor’s office about those creepshow bills sponsored by Weiner (Castro district/sf). I disliked AB 145 and AB 132. These bills are dangerous for women and children. I’m pissed off about it
I have tried to contact Glover several times over local issues and never received a response. ( Considering the fact that he’s currently up for re-election I have a feeling that if I were to reach out today I would get a return call) Back in the day I reached out to Torlakson and while it took several days I always received a call back.
I certainly hope Glover is strongly opposed and is not reelected. He has been in that seat way too long and needs to move over and let someone else have a turn.
Same here. It sent a message to Fuderal and never received a response. I resent the message, thinking maybe the original got somehow lost. Still, no response.
George Miller, back in the 1980’s. Zero help. Pete Wilson’s office was responsive and tried to assist us.
I wrote a letter to Kamala Harris. No response. Not even a form letter.
Sunne McPeake was very responsive and came to town meetings often.
Then we got DeSaulnier. Would never show up at scheduled meets even at his office. Always shoved those off to underlings. Were to meet whole supervisors board. Dropped from agenda without telling us. Approached him as he left chambers. He is one of only two people in my life who actually made my skin crawl.
…..by the pricking of my thumbs, something evil this way comes….
He was rude, sexist, dismissive . Never addressed issues. Many of us believe he was colluding with the developer all along. Problem solved when developer “skipped town” suddenly.
Recently, form letter responses from supervisors only about a third of time.
Had ongoing communication with George Miller over many years and he always replied with a polite and informative letter apropos to the issue I had raised. Have left comments on Glazer’s website contact form and received no reply, but got put on his spam mailings and annoying phone call lists. Same with DeSaulnier, but even more annoying calls than Glazer..
Have contacted Diane Feinstein and a person in her office graciously worked as a liaison between me and the government agency with which I had a disagreement to inform me that I was wrong and the government was right. Barbara Boxer never replied and pretty quickly retired after I contacted her. Hope my request didn’t have anything to do with that..
For city issues, I usually write a letter to the editor of the local paper. Over the years I have contacted many of my governmental representatives about issues that concerned me and, until the invention of the internet contact form, they usually all wrote me back. Left an encouraging message on the White House website for President Trump. Didn’t get a reply, but now get his campaign finance requests regularly, and a check signed by Donald Trump himself for $1200 … probably not related. 🙂
Oh, I forgot Arnold Schwarzenegger. I wrote him a letter a couple of times and got immediate action on problems I was having with State government. I mean the problem was solved immediately. I was impressed. Used to leave Moonbeam (Jerry Brown) regular internet contact emails. Never got a response but I’m sure he enjoyed my advice and input to the governance of the State. 📬✉️😊
Yous asked “have you ever.” I wrote a letter to Jerome Waldie back in 1972 and told him about the conditions aboard our Navy vessel during the Viet Nam war. Herman Wouk called in “polite penal servitude.” The FDA banned cyclamate as a sugar substitute in 1969 and here it was being distributed in our mess hall years later. Mr. Waldie wrote a letter to the Navy with a cc to our captain and the cyclamate supply was destroyed. Even though he was a Democrat, Mr. Waldie stepped up for all of his constituents. Look at the goofus we have now. As a side note, our ships store ran out of Dots candies and I sent a letter to Tootsie Roll in Chicago and they mailed us a huge box of their candies. Patriots for sure.
Thank you for your service
I have heard back from everyone on City Council I have contacted for various matters except Laura Hoffmeister. Her lack or response is just one more reason i look forward to working with just about anyone who might challenge her seat in 2022.
@Dave yeah, she seems rather unresponsive and obstructionist. Doesn’t she actually live in Clayton?
I sent former mayor Obringer a message through Facebook messenger, asking for some clarification about the cities dealings with Hall Equities over the downtown parcel.
She message me back, and gave me a thoughtful and detailed reply that address my concerns. So I feel pretty good about the interaction.
I’m surprised to hear about the lack of response from Rep. Desaulnier. I filled out the contact form on his website regarding some questions I had, and got a standard form response on topic (which I expected), and then received a follow up email from a staff person A day later. Weeks later, they reached out again with more information. I was actually surprised at the follow up, since I thought the matter was addressed. I was very satisfied.
was this during an election year?
Hi Ash,
No, it was in 2019.
Only one ever was George Miller. Letter and phone call.
tried nancy but she said thanks for writing and continued to do the wrong things
Contacted Markie’s office and Glazier’s office. Never heard a peep back. But I am part of the group that is experiencing reverse discrimination currently so I do not matter or exist except to be overtaxed and obey the law of the land in order to support the whiners of the world and see the democrats and socialists continue to destroy our county, city and the US.
Our elected officals are to busy pandering to the entitlement crowd who protest and destroy what our hard earned tax dollars have built and are now being used to payoff those who do not want to work but live better than I ever will off the freebies given to them on a daily basis.
Upset about this damn straight.
I reached out to Boxer once. Form response, not even relevant to what I wrote. I figured either automated response, or a staff with limited reading comprehension. I have reached out to Feinstein a couple times, and have received responses, both relevant, and polite. I have written once to Rep McClintock, with a relevant and polite response. I have reached out to George Miller, and received zero response (understood, since I provided him a count of laborers loitering on Monument (not at the location they should have been) waiting to get picked up for day work at a given week. I was not upset to see Miller or Boxer (not that Harris is much different than Boxer, perhaps a bit smarter-low bar).