So I'm on the line right now to the Washington office of one of my senators, Dianne Feinstein. My call was answered by a recording of the Senator's voice telling me that all lines are busy and that I can either hold or call back later…but if I hold, my call will get disconnected after two minutes. What company makes a phone bank that works like that? Can you imagine a company that wants you to buy something from them having phones that hang up on you if they're too busy?
Wait. Someone coming on the line.
Okay, I'm back. I just told the person who answered that I am a voter in California and that I want Sen. Feinstein to vote against amnesty for the telecommunications companies involved in the FISA wire-tapping mess. He dutifully took down my zip code and said my opinion would be tallied. (Why I feel this way, I should explain, is that I'm always suspicious when someone claims they've done nothing wrong but need to be protected from accountability for what they've done.)
I wonder if any Senator or Congressperson has set up something that I would think would be very easy to set up. It would be a website where their constituents could register to vote on the issues of the day. I mean, as it is, I could have been living in Pennsylvania or Portugal and told the guy on the phone I was a California resident. What if there was a site where I could actually register and they could verify my Californianess (in my case), maybe by sending me my password via postal mail or checking my Mastercard billing address or something…and each week, they'd put up questions on which I could express my opinion? There could also be a little comment box where I could add my reasons in 100 words or less.
It wouldn't in any way be binding on my representative but I would think it would at least be a good p.r. move on the part of an elected official. Wouldn't you be at least a little impressed by a Congressperson or Senator who arranged such a thing? Especially if they promised to read all the comments that were submitted?