A tale of two senators
Burr takes action while Dole twiddles thumbs
J.D. Lewis
Issue date: 10/18/07 Section: Opinion
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Last week I shared with you my idea of requiring the U.S. Postal Service to place recycling bins in their facilities for the depositing of unwanted sales papers and other junk mail. I also shared that of all the elected officials I had contacted concerning this, the only one to respond was Sen. Elizabeth Dole. I stated that I had not expected much from her or Sen. Richard Burr, meaning that the Republican Party isn't synonymous with environmentalism. I now believe that I spoke too soon as far as Burr is concerned.
I suppose I should have been more optimistic about Burr. After all, he had already served the people of North Carolina for 10 years in the U.S. House while Sen. Dole took the Hillary Clinton carpetbagger route to the Senate (yes, I know she was born in North Carolina, but nearly 40 years in Washington, D.C. and Kansas, a North Carolinian do not make).
Dole's letter to me began, "Thank you so much for taking time to write to me with your concerns. Receiving your ideas and concerns is so important in order for me to represent you, and our state, to the best of my ability in the United States Senate."
Okay. So far, so good.
She continued, "The issue you describe is indeed important and deserves review. I very much appreciate you sharing your opinions and thoughts with me regarding this matter. Please be assured that I will keep your insights in mind should pertinent legislation be considered in the Senate."
Now, I'm no expert on Senate procedure, but as a senator, couldn't she introduce the pertinent legislation herself?
She concluded, "Thank you again for taking the time to share your ideas and concerns. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me."
Further assistance? She wasn't of any assistance! The only thing we established is that she's thankful I wasted my time on her.
I received Sen. Burr's reply over the weekend. While he did take three months to get back to me, his letter was a lot more positive.
I suppose I should have been more optimistic about Burr. After all, he had already served the people of North Carolina for 10 years in the U.S. House while Sen. Dole took the Hillary Clinton carpetbagger route to the Senate (yes, I know she was born in North Carolina, but nearly 40 years in Washington, D.C. and Kansas, a North Carolinian do not make).
Dole's letter to me began, "Thank you so much for taking time to write to me with your concerns. Receiving your ideas and concerns is so important in order for me to represent you, and our state, to the best of my ability in the United States Senate."
Okay. So far, so good.
She continued, "The issue you describe is indeed important and deserves review. I very much appreciate you sharing your opinions and thoughts with me regarding this matter. Please be assured that I will keep your insights in mind should pertinent legislation be considered in the Senate."
Now, I'm no expert on Senate procedure, but as a senator, couldn't she introduce the pertinent legislation herself?
She concluded, "Thank you again for taking the time to share your ideas and concerns. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me."
Further assistance? She wasn't of any assistance! The only thing we established is that she's thankful I wasted my time on her.
I received Sen. Burr's reply over the weekend. While he did take three months to get back to me, his letter was a lot more positive.
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