Kay Bailey Hutchison, SHAME SHAME SHAME

Oh soap box, I apologise for over-using you this week. I promise to come off my high horse for a titch next week...it is the season of politics so you can just expect to be put upon a little more this year. You're just lucky Govy-Poo pulled out of the race yesterday...it was about to get UNCOMFORTABLE up in here!

Earlier this week, I called on my friends to write to the powers that be and encourage them to get behind the legislation to ban and punish distracted driving. I received a response from Kay Bailey Hutchison's camp, and it rubbed me all kinds of wrong.

Dear Friend:

     Thank you for contacting me regarding the hazards of cellular phone use while driving. I appreciate hearing from you on this important matter.
     As the former Vice Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, and as  current Ranking Member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, I consider road safety a high priority.   The input I receive from Texans helps me better represent Texas in the United States Senate, and I am grateful for your suggestions.
     Many aspects of transportation policy are determined at the state and local levels.  Since this issue is not under the jurisdiction of the federal government, I recommend you contact your state senator or representative in Austin.  You can find information about the state government at http://www.texas.gov.
     I appreciate hearing from you, and I hope that you will not hesitate to contact me on any issue that is important to you.

Sincerely,

Kay Bailey Hutchison

United States Senator
284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC  20510
202-224-5922 (tel)
202-224-0776 (fax)
http://hutchison.senate.gov

Since this made me feel like I slid down a cheese grater into a vat of lemon juice, I had to respond! They really need a marketing coordinator to help them with a public image issue, in my opinion (and you know the saying about opinions and lower orafices).

Dear Senator Hutchison,

I sent you a detailed letter of request as one of your constituents. I am not naive enough to think you actually read it but one of your employees took care of it for you. Therefore, I guess I should address this to him/her.

FYI, especially when a constituent writes about a sensistive issue, including information about the death of their loved one, DO NOT SEND THE NORMAL FORM LETTER and DO NOT ADDRESS THE CONSTITUENT AS "FRIEND"!!!! If in fact we were "friends," then you would eat your shoe before you sent me a form letter of pass the buck to someone else when I told you about the death of my only sister!!!! You assume too much, and since you are from Texas, I am sure you've heard the old phrase about what assuming does.

Your response was shallow and showed me exactly what I mean to this "friendship." NOTHING! You won't be re-elected by my vote or the votes of anyone I share this with.

Sincerely disgruntled,
Jaimee
Registered Voter