10 September 2016: It's our job to communicate regularly with our elected officials

Pick a business, any business.  How well do you think it would operate if the owners said they were simply too busy to show up and run things?  Our democracy is like a business, and we, the mass of citizens, are the owners.  We are in charge.  We elect our public officials to make the major decisions (akin to the Board of Directors), and they choose the staff, but ultimately, we are the bosses.  Our responsibility is not just to vote once or twice a year, but to communicate regularly with at least some of these elected officials to tell them what we think.  When we don't act, they use their own judgment, or rely on paid lobbyists, with the expected negative consequences.

I calendar these letters - this week I wrote to the Governor (he gets a letter every 4 months), about taxes.  You can write / call / email or meet in person with any of the myriad elected officials at the City, County, State or Federal level.  There are many issues (education, economy, environment, foreign policy, human services, etc).  I pick one, write about why this issue is important to me, and what I would like the elected official to do.  A few paragraphs is enough.  Email is fine.  It only takes 15 minutes.  And, it is my job.