Your Elected Officials Do Make A Difference

I must confess, I’m not very political. I actually hate when people post political stuff on Facebook. I don’t like to debate politics or hear my friends opinions on it. And I really don’t care which celebrity likes which political person. Don’t get me wrong, I do watch the news, and I do vote, but honestly, I never had much hope in whose name I filled in on the little box on the ballot. I mean, why would they do anything to help a regular person like me? They probably don’t answer emails, other than to send an automated response thanking me for contacting their office right? Wrong. Last week when I ran into another issue with child support my boss suggested I contact my local congresswoman. When she said it, I again thought that it would be a lost cause, but since I didn’t have anything to lose, and I haven’t had that much luck on my own, I figured it was worth a shot. I emailed Congresswoman Carol Shea Porter’s office about my problem. I didn’t think I would hear from them. But a day later I had a voice mail message from a very nice woman from her office asking me to call her. I didn’t have a chance to call her back, and with a hectic day at work, I still hadn’t called her back the next day. To my surprise there was an email from her. With my job there are some days that I’m at my desk for maybe an hour (and that’s including my lunch), so I emailed her back. She was so nice and helpful, she made me feel like my problem was a big deal, and that the outcome was important. She worked for days calling the State Child Support Enforcement, District Court, and Police Department to get me the information I needed. Now I’m sure when someone calls and says they are calling from, “Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter’s Office,” they take it seriously and answer any question they may ask. Now that’s not the reaction I got when I called around to numerous places. I got short, “you’re wasting my time” kind of responses. She found out a lot of really good information, and the options I have.

Politicians sometimes get a pretty bad rap. Some deserve it, some don’t. I was so appreciative of all the hard work she did for me. She went out of her way to keep me informed, even if she was waiting for answers. She made me feel important, and that I wasn’t alone. It meant a lot to me that I mattered. So remember the next time something happens to you and you need help, try contacting your Congressmen or Congresswoman. They may be able to help you or lead you in the right direction.

Stacy