Xref: utzoo ont.general:808 can.politics:2542
Path: utzoo!mnetor!philmtl!ncc!alberta!watmath!egvideo!edhew
From: edhew@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew)
Newsgroups: ont.general,can.politics
Subject: Re: internet mail to politicians
Summary: Communicating with our "representatives"
Keywords: email mail politics politicians
Message-ID: <2003@egvideo.UUCP>
Date: 28 Apr 89 04:00:00 GMT
References: <8904061731.AA21685@ellesmere.csri.toronto.edu> <400@hcr.UUCP> <296@alias.UUCP>
Reply-To: edhew@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew)
Followup-To: ont.gen,can.politics
Distribution: can
Organization: A Box in the Basement, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Lines: 70

In article <296@alias.UUCP> rae@alias.UUCP (Reid Ellis) writes:
>larry@zeus.UUCP (Larry Philps) writes:
>|Anybody else agree?  Maybe I will send a copy of my tirade to my MP.  His
>|garbage can is probably empty :-)
>
>Actually, has anyone given consideration to the idea of putting our
>illustrious MP's and MPP's "on the net" so to speak?  Then we could send all
>our harangues off to brian@pmo.p-hill.ottawa.on.ca :-)
>					Reid

Yes.  Here's a copy (I really shy away from a repost, but it's applicable)

} From: eah@egvideo.UUCP (Ed Hew) Sat Mar 11 02:29:19 1989
} Newsgroups: can.politics
} Subject: Access to our Political "Leaders" via the Net
} Summary: ... and why can we talk to them on the Net anyway?
} Message-ID: <1963@egvideo.UUCP>
} 
	<original reason for this followup posting omitted>

} I wish you weren't joking!  For the last couple of years (well maybe 3 or 4)
} I've been of the opinion that if we _did_ have access to our politicians via
} the "Net" in it's various incarnations, better communications could not help
} but result.
} 
} As a citizen, I have on occasion spoken directly to my MP (and MPP, as the
} case warranted), but have always found it a bit difficult to reach the
} "powers that be".  How much simpler it would be if only we *could* simply
} address our opinion to brianm@uottawa!parliament!toryvax.  !!  (Purists,
} please forgive my mixing of bang paths and internet addressing.  I know
} half the hosts have mailers that choke on such improprieties.)
} 
} It seems that the ability to quickly address a few lines of text to my
} MP (or PM) would facilitate communication in a somewhat greater fashion
} than having to go looking for a Canada Post mailbox at 2 a.m.
} 
} In that vein, I shall go so far as to here and now offer a can.politics
} news feed to every elected member of federal and provincial parliament
} in my local calling area.  All they have to do is to implement about
} $2000.CDN worth of hardware (a simple IBM AT will do), and about another
} $1000.CDN for a decent o/s.  That's a lot less then I see constantly wasted
} by these same politicians on other items I consider more frivolous.
} 
} I'll forward email to/from them as well.  Sometimes (often) it seems that
} the only times they concern themselves with "public opinion" is when an
} election is in the offing.  Perhaps we can change that.  Am I being somewhat
} too idealistic?
} 
} Would anyone else controlling a nethost care to get involved in such a
} project?  If so, I will gladly accept email on the topic, and if sufficient
} interest is shown post a summary to the net.
} 
} [Now I have to print this out, do a covering letter to my MP, and (yuk)
}  use Canada Post to get it to him!]		--ed
} 
} 	{edhew@egvideo.uucp 	-or-	....uunet!watmath!egvideo!edhew}
} 

Well, in the 1.5 months that have elapsed, I have had 0 (count 'em)
responses, and tend to conclude that perhaps there is a rather low
interest factor on this topic.  I would very much prefer the opposite.

Perhaps apathy ate my original posting and SnailCan ate my hard copy?

My offer still stands.		--ed

  Ed. A. Hew	       Technical Trainer	       Xeni/Con Corporation
  work:  edhew@xenicon.uucp	 -or-	 ..!{uunet!}utai!lsuc!xenicon!edhew
  home:	 edhew@egvideo.uucp	 -or-	   ..!{uunet!}watmath!egvideo!edhew
  # I haven't lost my mind, it's backed up on floppy around here somewhere!