Letter Writing
101
First let us
give thanks to
all the
legislative
warriors that
have been
generating
letters and lobbying at the state
house; you are the folks that make
ABATE of SC successful not the
state coordinator or other leaders
in the spotlight. I thank each and
every one of you from the bottom
of my heart.
Cathy, Julie, and Norma have all
been doing a fine job of generating
letters at their local biker hang outs;
others such as the Southern Vikings
MC have also done an excellent job
increasing the effectiveness of our
grassroots organization by posting
notices of upcoming subcommittee
meetings and the like in public
places. Our Horry, Berkeley/
Dorchester, and Lexington chapters
have all been busy writing many
letters at their meetings. As I write
this, I am aware that Festus and
Screwy of our York chapter will be
working the CBA swap meeting in
Charlotte to recruit new members
and generate still more letters. All
of you working behind the scenes
and even those not mentioned
above, please rest assured you have
my love and respect.
Let’s rev up our motors and get
ready to succeed again. Please take
the time to complete the letter
inserted in this newsletter opposing
S 40 and mail or deliver it to your
state senator; consider making
copies and encouraging your friends
to do the same.
Why write letters? Letters are an
effective way to lobby your elected
officials. Even personal visits to the
state house are more effective if you
leave letters with your legislators
explaining the purpose of your visit.
When to write letters? Write
letters when you wish to have new
legislation introduced or when you
support or oppose pending
legislation. Remember bills are
easier to kill when they are still in
committee.
Who to write? Write to your
elected officials and to committee
members where bills of interest
reside.
How to write letters? The first
and most important part of your
letter is the subject line at the top.
Keep the subject short and sweet
such as: “Oppose S40 Traffic
Cameras.” The subject should be
followed by a salutation such as
“Dear Senator.” The body of your
letter is important and should focus
on just one issue; keep your letter
friendly and on topic. Limit your
letter to one page for maximum
impact. Don’t forget the
complimentary close of your letter
such as “Sincerely.” The most
important part of your letter is your
signature, printed name, voter
registration number, and complete
mailing address. Your voter
registration number adds a great
deal of weight to your letter so
please write it on the back of your
ABATE membership card so you will
always have it handy!
How to organize a letter writing
effort? Make copies of this month’s
insert or visit our web site for more
sample letter material. Attend a
biker related function and ask folks
to sign and complete the letters. I
suggest you get their 9 digit zip code
to save time routing the letters to
the proper legislators. Driver
licenses list the 9 digit zip code of
the holder.
How to route letters from the
general public? You may lookup
legislators by the 9 digit zip code of
voters in their districts at http://
www.scstatehouse.net/cgi-bin/
zipcodesearch.exe
Consider hand delivering the
letters collected; others and I who
have taken time off from work to
ride to the capitol to deliver these
letters can attest that is both a fun
and rewarding experience.
If you have questions or
comments about this subject, please
feel free to contact me at
ff@abatesc.com or 843-345-5926.
Have I done that which I can do to
the best of my ability? HELL NO but
I'm still trying!
FastFred Ruddock
ABATE of SC State
Coordinator
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