Since our inception back in 1977, we at the Long Island Pine Barrens Society have prided ourselves on our work educating people about Long Island’s land and water, primarily by advocating for its continued protection. Oftentimes over the years, we appeal to you, our supporters, to help in our advocacy by contacting your local elected officials to voice your support or opposition to a given issue. We often urge people to write to their local officials in support of the preservation of The Best of the Rest, parcels which we’ve identified as being crucial to the continued flourishing of the Pine Barrens. In this blog, we’re going to walk through some helpful strategies for contacting local elected officials, including not just the basic structure of a letter or email, but also the thought process behind what might be best to include.
The first thing to consider when writing to a local elected official is how to introduce yourself. While it’s true that your address will be on the envelope and, perhaps, on the top of the letter, it’s worth stating who you are, and where you live (especially if you are a constituent), after the initial salutation. With an email, this is doubly true, since your email address may not even include your name. So, at the top of your letter, you should write something like:
My name is [NAME] and I am a resident of [TOWN].
You can leave it at that, but if you want to include a bit of your personal history, especially if you have experience related to the issue at hand. However, you have to consider how large even a single Long Island town is. Each town has tens of thousands of residents, at least. Brookhaven, the largest town, has close to half a million. So, it’s important not to waste the official’s time. However, a second line about your longevity in the town may be persuasive. While it’s unfortunate, there is often a bias towards people who have lived in a place for a long time. If you can take advantage of that bias, then it’s not a bad idea to do so.
After introducing yourself, the next sentence should be about introducing the issue you’re writing about. Something important to note is that it is not only useful to write when you’re opposing an issue but also when you want to support something. This will clue the official in to the idea that their constituents want them to continue with what they’re doing. I’m a resident of the Town of Brookhaven, so I’ll use a positive example here:
Dear Supervisor Panico,
My name is Travis Cutter. I am a resident of East Patchogue and have been for nearly my entire life. I’m writing to you to voice my support of your proposed acquisition and preservation of the 500+ acres of Pine Barrens land between the Brookhaven Airport and the LIE.
From here, you can do a few things. You can continue discussing why you think the issue is important. When writing in opposition to something, this is much more important. You need to be persuasive, since your goal is to convince the official not to pursue a certain course of action. To give a more generic example:
I am writing in opposition to [PLANNED DEVELOPMENT]. Since this parcel is adjacent to the Core Protection Area of the Central Pine Barrens, it is critically important to preserve. Not only would this better protect the aquifer – securing cleaner drinking water for all Long Islanders – but it would also improve the ecological health of the region by expanding that area’s contiguous habitat.
Even when criticizing an official’s decisions, it is crucial to be respectful. You’ll never win someone over, certainly not someone with greater political power than you, by raging at them. With good reasoning and the weight of numbers, however, it’s much more possible.
After discussing the issue at hand, you should close out your letter with the reminder that you’re not an enemy, you’re a concerned constituent.
Thank you for the work that you do, and I sincerely hope you’ll consider a new course of action for the betterment of our community.
And if you’re writing in support of something, you can say something like:
Thank you for the work that you do, and I hope you continue to do good work!
Again, the point is to be respectful and kind. It is much easier to disregard something that is angry and vitriolic, as it triggers people’s defense mechanisms. You’re not attacking anyone with your letter, you’re either affirming or criticizing a decision made or being considered. And that decision has a direct effect on you and your loved ones.
From there, you can sign off your letter or email however you like.
Hopefully this blog has helped you figure out how you want to communicate with your elected officials. Remember that they are elected by the people and the people includes you. Thus, they are obliged by the social contract, to at the very least, consider your concerns. Remember, too, that they are human beings, and fellow members of the community. Be respectful, and appeal to them as a fellow community member. When advocating for an issue you care about, the goal is to make your home a better place to live. We at the Society hope you’ll join us in advocating for Long Island’s land and water.
By Travis Cutter, Long Island Pine Barrens Society
