ANCPR News Release

North Carolina's Clueless Congressman

Is Congress Reading What You're Writing?

March 26, 1999

For the few people who take the time to write their elected officials, some may wonder if their letters are ever read. A Winston-Salem, North Carolina constituent of Congressman Richard Burr now knows the answer: they aren't. It all started when a member of ANCPR (a child support reform group) wrote his Congressman objecting to child support policies (see Exhibit A). The Congressman replied with a hearty "Thank you for expressing your support" letter to the very policies he was objecting to! (see Exhibit B).

"No doubt this letter has been filed in a folder labeled pro child support," said John Smith of ANCPR. "No wonder lousy legislation passes - these guys can't understand - or don't care - what the voters are saying. "Often we see the meaningless form letters. They're pretty funny to read since they can be applied to any issue," Smith noted. During the impeachment hearings, almost anything written to Congress came back with an autoreply having something to do with impeachment. I guess the staffers used impeachment as a vacation."

"This lack of due diligence on Congressman Burr's part, really helps out lobbying groups such as ACES. "Only Congress would listen to a woman who kidnapped her children, denied the children visitation by their father and their grandparents, stole Christmas gifts from her children and finally put her own kids up for adoption - without the knowledge or consent of the father - for the sole purpose of denying him visitation. That's ACES. That's who has Congressman Burr's ear," Lowell Jaks, Director of ANCPR said.

Adding insult to injury, the Congressman's letter closes with "If you have additional suggestions, please let me know." Why? You didn't take time to read the letter I sent. Why would you read the next letter? "Congressman Burr, do you read legislation with the same attention to detail as you read your constituents' mail?" Smith asked.

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