Techniques for calling legislators

[Rivers]

I've found a couple things come in very handy when calling state legislators. With the basic understanding that most don't care what you think if you don't reside in their districts, this might be helpful in getting them to pay attention. After all, they may have ambitions to achieve higher office, and ALL Californians are paying their salaries RIGHT NOW. When their vote affects me, I'll be damned if I'm going to not make my voice heard. They have a greater responsibility than to hide behind the shield of only listening to the ones who can vote for them. If they want to play that game, I'll give them what they want to hear in order for me to be heard.

Let's start with a list of legislators, their districts and their office phone numbers. Now open up these two web pages:

http://maps.google.com

and one of these:

Assembly: http://www.calnra.com/legs/asm.shtml
Senate: http://www.calnra.com/legs/sen.shtml

Before you call, do a google map search of the legislator's home district. Look at the adjacent towns or cities. Be prepared to be "living in one of these towns" when the office personnel asks where you live.

Before you call, know the ZIP codes of the district for that legislator. The office personnel get tricky by asking for "your ZIP code" instead of city of residence.

If anyone would compile a worksheet like this (downloadable PDF) so it would be readily accessible and speed up our process, that would be really helpful. Of course, it could fall into "enemy hands" but I believe that our activism is greater than theirs.

[yellowfin]

It's also important to note that we should be as absolutely nice and pleasant as we can with the staff who answer the phone. It will make it easier to stay on the phone longer, thus occupying them with us more--from what we gather here the tying up of resources talking to us is what we want to achieve.

[bwiese]

Thank you to Rivers and yellowfin for very nice posts.

Yes, we DON'T want to come across as raving militia maniacs - we need to project a calm, well-spoken demeanor.

Yes, prepping before each call by knowing appropraite ZIP codes (and maybe even a street address/sublocale or district aids the conversation - "Oh yeah, I live on 35th St" or "I live in Willow Glen") helps.

CallerID may not be useful esp with many folks' cellphones often being in a different area code from their residence.

but I believe that our activism is greater than theirs

You got it, brudda. We can put way more engaged people on the job than the Bradys.

[sobiloff]

Quick caller ID note: If you use Skype and have bought the SkypeOut option (which lets you call any landline or mobile phone) your caller ID will show up as "1234567890".

[Satex]

Lying is never a good idea.

[Rivers]

Lying is never a good idea.

You would normally be right. But unless you can suggest a better way to get our voices rightfully heard in an arena that caters to the Brady group's rampant misrepresentation and mistruths, I don't see a viable alternative.

Or maybe you believe that microstamping will actually enhance crime solving without endangering the rights of law-abiding gun owners, because that is what the Brady group promoted.

We're hammered by mistruths to the point that telling a legislator that my address is in a district that he has chosen to be his sole source of influence, well that's fine by me. Whether I live in that district or not, I still contribute to paying his or her salary. Because of that, I expect my voice to be heard. Those laws affect me as much as those who actually reside in that district.

[Satex]

You would normally be right. But unless you can suggest a better way to get our voices rightfully heard in an arena that caters to the Brady group's rampant misrepresentation and mistruths, I don't see a viable alternative.

You want to stoop to their level? If you do, how are you better than them?
How are you extrapolating that by refusing to lie I think that microstamping is a good thing?

[berto]

If you aren't a constituent they don't care. If you are a constituent they might care. I don't see a problem with pretending we're constituents. We have to play the game the way it's laid out. My assembly-rat co-sponsored this nonsense. No amount of calls will change her misguided 1960's peace&love-Berkeley-hippie mindset. She's spent the last four decades pursuing a twisted vision of government. I'll focus my energy on other assembly members and maybe sway one of them. Probably not but it's the least I can do.

[RomanDad]

FWIW- They have a database of every registered voter in their district... The basic rule of thumb is they want to know your name and address, and if they dont line up with what they see on their screen, they dont make a tick mark on the little pad of paper they keep next to the phone. It means youre either not registered to vote, or you dont live in their district...

On BIG DEALS (like the current bullet bill) where they are getting DELUGED by calls, they sometimes dont have the time to ask (because they have three other lines going they have to get to), and then you have a chance of getting away with a bit more....

Yes... I used to do this for a living.