Simplest way to write your elected officials – government transparency

Letter written and sent in 1855, photo by John Atherton.

Staying informed and taking action

Many Realtors rely on annual legal updates classes to stay informed of laws, but when so many regulations are in flux, now it is more important than ever to stay abreast of changes before they become law, given how big of an impact some of these new laws have on your entire career.

In January, we reported that OpenCongress.org had launched OpenGovernment.org, the ultimate transparency website for state government.

New way to reach out

Today, OpenCongress.org has launched “Contact-Congress” which “offers the easiest way to write a letter to all three of your members of the U.S. Congress, all from one webpage, send it immediately over email, and then track & share the correspondence in a transparent public forum.”

Some people rely on their lobbyists to do their talking for them, but for those of you who want to speak directly to those that represent you, this is the simplest way.

Don’t support legislation to require 20% down on all new loans? Do you support mortgage interest deductions? Tell your elected officials.

Open source communication

OpenCongress.org says, “We think it’s an immediate and compelling user experience and a significant step towards the goal of open-source, continually-engaged constituent communication.”

The new tools are open to anyone and everyone, and any user can track any bill and with a click, reach out via email with the proper attachments rather than digging endlessly through Congress member websites, most of which have no digital contact information or simply offer a “contact” box which often goes without response.

OpenCongress’ new tools via picture:

OpenCongress’ new tools offer the ability to email, track responses and share the letter with the new OpenCongress community where users can discuss and brainstorm with each other.

When looking at a particular bill, users can launch the letter-writing experience indicating support or opposition with one click:

Then, you can opt to write one or all three of your elected officials:

OpenCongress says, “Next, draft your letter using our innovative letter-building platform that makes it simple to pull official bill information, transparency data, and social wisdom into your letter. Adding these details to your letter tells your members of Congress that you are paying close attention and have done your research. It also makes it clear that this is a unique communication, not a form letter.”

When composing a letter, finance data about special interest groups can be easily added to your letter, minimizing how much research you have to do in order to write an informed letter.

Click here to get started on writing to your elected officials.