[Capr-announce] I-933 . . . have you written a letter to the editor recently?

[Rodney McFarland]

This message is one of a series about the Property Fairness Initiative to
address concerns raised
by the initiative's opponents. We hope that you find this information
useful.

If you find this helps you understand I-933 better, please feel free to
share it with your friends and neighbors. 

 

  _____  


Many supporters of the Property Fairness Initiative are wondering what they
can do to help voters decide to say yes for I-933.  At this stage, one of
the most important things any of us can do is to write a letter to the
editor of our local newspapers.  The more people we can provide accurate
information to, the better.  There are still a lot of undecided voters out
there who are wanting to know more about the initiative and why we need it
to be enacted.

While there are some suggested letters circulating around the state, we
think it's best that you write your own letter, from your own heart.
Editors have a pretty good eye for what comes from you as a member of the
"grass roots" and for the "boiler-plated" letters they often refer to as
"Astroturf".  (If there's one thing that really irks them, it's seeing the
letter they published appear in a competitor's paper.)  The "from the heart"
letters stand a much greater chance of being printed, especially considering
how many of Washington's newspapers have decided to come out in opposition
to Initiative 933.

During campaign season, most newspapers try to balance the number of letters
to the editor on ballot initiatives, so that the for and against sides are
both fairly evenly represented.  A lack of letters supporting an initiative
generally means that the editors have not gotten any publishable letters
from their readers.  So, how do you go about writing a letter supporting
I-933 that will stand a good chance of being published?

First, know your subject.  You can download the text of I-933 at:

http://www.propertyfairness.com/933text.htm 


Next, learn as much as you can about the initiative.  You can visit . . .

http://www.supporting933.org


. . . as your starting point.  There you will find some information on
I-933, stories brought to us by property owners who have been impacted by
unfair land use regulations, information you can use when you discuss the
Property Fairness Initiative with friends and neighbors, and more.

Our site links to the main Property Fairness Coalition website, which is
located at:

http://www.propertyfairness.com/


The Property Fairness Coalition site provides opportunities for sending
<http://www.propertyfairness.com/contribute.htm>  your donations to support
the final push to bring victory for I-933, as well as more comprehensive
information and news about the initiative itself.  One of the best places to
start on the site is:

http://www.propertyfairness.com/933learn.htm


Information in hand, it's time to write the letter.

First, check the editorial page of your newspaper.  It is usually where you
can find the information you need for submitting a letter for publication.
In addition to the letter itself, you are usually asked to provide your
name, address, and phone number.  This is so the editors can contact you
when they are making sure the letter really is from you.  If they don't have
the contact information, they won't be able to publish your letter.

Next, decide what you want to tell the readers.  Because you want to
persuade people to vote for I-933, you might opt to concentrate some of the
many good things I-933 will do for Washington's private property owners.
For instance, the open governance provisions of Section 2 provide a lot of
points that lead to the development of land use regulations and
non-regulatory alternatives that protect resources, but don't weigh heavily
on property owners.  

Tell readers what you want them to know about I-933, why you are voting for
it, and why they should, too.  Just be yourself, and write your letter as if
you were having a conversation with someone.  

Finally, if you are writing a letter to the editor for more than one
newspaper, don't use the same letter for one as you do for another.  Editors
prefer to publish letters that are not available to their competitors.

If you haven't written one of these before, don't worry, you'll do just
fine.  When you send yours in, how about including us in your CC list?  We'd
really like to be able to read your letter, too!

  _____  

Please join us in voting YES for I-933

If you wish to be added to or removed from this email list, please send your
request to messenger at supporting933.org.

.

 

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