24 September 2006
Beyond dumbed down
Elton Gallegly represents California's 24th Congressional District, and if you're a constituent of his, here's how to reach him by email:
- Go to Write Your Representative at http://www.house.gov/writerep (or click on the Write Your Representative icon above).
- When the Write Your Representative page loads, on the right you will notice a drop-down box and two data boxes. The drop-down box is the one that states "State" next to it. With your mouse, click on the arrow to the right of the words "Choose one." A list of states will appear. Using your mouse, click on California. California should now appear alone in the drop-down box.
- Below the drop-down box is the word "ZIP." To the right of ZIP is a text box. Using your mouse, click inside the box and then type your 5-digit postal ZIP code using your keyboard. To the right of that are the words "+4 (if required)." Some Congressional Districts cross ZIP codes. If your ZIP code is in two or more Congressional Districts, you will need the extra four ZIP code digits to complete the process. If you do not know whether or not you need the "+4," use your mouse to click on the "Submit" button below the "ZIP" box. If you reach a page that says, inside a blue-bordered box at the top of the page, "You are represented by the Honorable Elton Gallegly," then you don't need the "+4" and can skip Step 4 and proceed to Step 5. If you reach a page that states "Finding Your 9-digit Zip Code — There are multiple Representatives who share your 5-digit ZIP code...." then go to Step 4.
- Using your mouse, click on the blue-highlighted words "ZIP+4 Lookup" in the red-bordered box with the heading "Finding Your 9-digit Zip Code." You will first go to a page that says you are leaving the U.S. House of Representatives and the House is not responsible for anything outside its domain. Wait a moment and the U.S. Postal Servicešs ZIP+4 Code Look-Up page will load. You only need to fill in four boxes. First, using your mouse, click inside the box to the right of the words "Delivery address (required)." Using your keyboard, type in your street address. Using your mouse again, click inside the box below that, to the right of "City*." Using your keyboard, type in your city. Using your mouse again, click inside the box below that, to the right of "State*." Using your keyboard, type in CA. Use your mouse to click in the box below that to the right of "ZIP." Using your keyboard, type in your 5-digit ZIP code. Using your mouse, click on the "Process" button below the "ZIP" box. You will come to a page that states "The standardized address is:" and then list your address with the ZIP+4 Code. Write down your ZIP+4 Code for future reference. At the top of the page, use your mouse to click on the "Back" button. Do it again. And again. One more time and you should be back at the main Write Your Representative page. Your state and ZIP should still be displayed. Using your mouse, click inside the box to the right of "+4 (if required)." Using your keyboard, type in the final four numbers of your ZIP+4 Code. Using your mouse, click on the "Submit" button below the "ZIP" box.
- You are now at the page that states inside a blue-bordered box at the top of the page "You are represented by The Honorable Elton Gallegly". Below the blue box and to the right are a series of text boxes with red words to their left, followed by some boxes with black words to their left. You are required to fill in the boxes to the right of the red words. The boxes to the right of the black words are optional, but would be helpful. First, using your mouse, click inside the box to the right of "Name*." Using your keyboard, type in your name. Using your mouse, click inside the box below that, to the right of the word "Address*." Using your keyboard, type in your street address. If your address — not counting your city, state and ZIP — uses more than one line, you can use your mouse to click inside the box below that and, using your keyboard, type in the second line to your address. If your address — not counting your city, state and ZIP — uses more than two lines, you can use your mouse to click inside the box below that and, using your keyboard, type in the third line to your address. Using your mouse, click inside the box to the right of the word "City*." Using your keyboard, type in your city. Your State, ZIP is already displayed. Using your mouse, click inside the box to the right of the words "Phone Number." Using your keyboard, type in your phone number. Using your mouse, click inside the box to the right of the words "E-mail Address." Using your keyboard, type in your e-mail address. Underneath that box is a button that states "Continue." Using your mouse, click on that button.
- You are now at the page where you can write your e-mail message and send it. At the top is a personalized message from Congressman Gallegly. Scroll down the page until you come to a text box below the words "To the Honorable Elton Gallegly." Using your mouse, click inside that box. Using your keyboard, write your e-mail message. Once you have finished composing your message, you will notice a button below the text box that states "Send your message." Using your mouse, click on that button.
- You should now be looking at a page that states: "Your message has been sent to your Representative. Thank you for writing." That completes the process.
I am, of course, gratified that he made sure you were supposed to write your e-mail message using your keyboard.
"Surely our Oklahoma Congressmen don't inflict this on us," I mused, and sure enough, they don't; at least our pack of pols assumes we can read actual forms and can fill them in without pages and pages of exposition. Lucas, Cole and Istook (3/4/5) send you through the ZIP+4 check, after which they have their own contact forms; Sullivan and Boren (1/2) take you right to their forms, although they will ask you for ZIP+4 thereupon. (The ZIP check, of course, is to make sure you really, truly live in their district.) Of course, if you have no idea who your Representative is, the generic "Write Your Representative" page to which Gallegly sends everyone is useful; if, however, you know you're in Gallegly's district — and why else would you be using an email contact form to reach him? — by the time you've completed all this you're going to wish he'd stuck with his decision to step down after this term.
(Via Doc Searls, who lives in California's 23rd District. "A pile of email instructions," he says of the Gallegly page, "that are only a little less complicated than those for, say, operating a zero-gravity toilet.")
Posted at 8:46 AM to PEBKAC
, Political Science Fiction
I'd be insulted that a Republican congressman would feel compelled to give instrctions like those, but then I remind myself: it's California.
Trust me, I work with people who are not, shall we say, "computer-comfortable," and instructions that detailed are necessary.
The thinking political candidate's Axiom #1: Voters are STUPID.
Axiom #2: Lies, half-truths, and innuendos are all fair game during elections. It's called Free Speech and the great American democracy hard at work. Git use to it.
Axiom #3: Vote AT LEAST twice.
Yet another apt comparison between elected officials and toilets.
Well, I'd hate to be the one defending the egomanical self-righteous check-valves known as politicians, but with the way many districts are gerrymandered ZIP+4 makes it a lot easier if the bitch-out missive they just received is from someone in their district or in someone else's. In Oklahoma it isn't much of an issue, but I imagine there's places where it is.
Well, I don't think the ZIP+4 part is quite the point here...
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