[NLA] NIFL Director Faxes to Congresspeople -- update as of 9/24/02

[David J. Rosen]

NLA Colleagues,

A lot is at stake with the NIFL Director position: NIFL as an _adult_ 
literacy leader, and its initiatives such as Equipped for the Future, 
and LINCS, among other important work.  If you value NIFL's _adult_ 
literacy work, now is the time to show it.  If you think it is important 
for the adult literacy field to count in Congress, now is the time to 
send your fax. If you have enjoyed the opportunity to point out on this 
list some of the inadequacies of our field, now is the time to send your 
fax. We earn the right to complain on the NLA list by exercising our 
democratic responsibilities, by contacting our elected representatives 
and advocating for our field.  For those who were not ready before, but 
are ready now, I will re-post Jon Randall's message which explains what 
to do.  It takes less than 30 minutes.

 From e-mail messages I received through today, at least the following
Congresspeople were sent letters urging them to sign on to the NIFL
Director "Dear Colleague" letter (and the Secretaries of Labor Education
and HHS were mailed copies.) Note that some Congresspeople now _have_ 
signed on, but many more signatures are needed.  Please remember to 
_fax_ your Congressperson -- and _mail_ the secretaries. Then do a 
follow-up phone call.  Please hold off on contacting your Senator until 
we have a sponsor of a Senate "Dear Colleague" letter.

These are in the order that I learned about them.  Check to see how well 
your state is represented.  It's good to see South Dakota weigh in. 
Massachusetts has made at least 8 contacts so far. The smallest state -- 
Rhode Island -- has made at least 3. Where are the faxes from the 
biggest states such as  California and Texas? Why haven't we heard from 
  Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Maine, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and 
New Mexico? There are 650 people on the NLA list.  39 have taken action. 
  If you haven't taken action yet, now is the time. Fax your 
Congressperson. Send copies of your letter by regular mail to the three 
Department directors.

Here's the list of Congresspeople who have been contacted:

Mark Kirk, 10th district, Illinois (2 faxes)
Michael Capuano, Massachusetts (4 faxes)
Barney Frank, Massachusetts (1 fax)
Ron Simmons, 2nd District, Connecticut (1 e-mail).
David Price, North Carolina (1 fax)
Anthony Wiener, Brooklyn, New York (1 fax)
Langevin, Rhode Island (Letter and call)
Patrick Kennedy, Rhode Island (letter and call)
Steve Rothman, New Jersey (Letter)
John Olver, Western Massachusetts (e-mail)
Russ Holt, New Jersey
Henry Bonilla, San Antonio, Texas (fax)

Katie Shriver in Congressman Ted Strickland's office
(D Ohio) who, in a conversation, said she would contact Congressman
Sawyer's office and get a copy of the letter so the congressman could
sign on

Called and wrote DeWine's office (Ohio) requesting that he co-sponsor
the Dear Colleague letter

Ted Strickland, Ohio
Ralph Regula, Ohio
Timothy V. Johnson, 15th district, Illinois
Albert Wynn, Maryland
Bernie Sanders, Vermont (2)
Jim Saxton, New Jersey
Martin Sabo, Minnesota
Sen. Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania
Benjamin Cardin, D-Maryland (fax)
John Larson, First District, Connecticut (e-mail)
Stephen Lynch, US District 9, Massachusetts (2 faxes)
Ray LaHood, Illinois, (fax)

Tim Johnson, Illinois (fax) The Congressman's office called to confirm 
that he has signed on!

Representative Portman, Ohio
Lincoln Chaffee, Rhode Island
Mike Doyle, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Edolphus Towns, Brooklyn, New York (fax)
Senator Hilary Clinton, New York (e-mail)
Congressman Thune, South Dakota (fax)

Total: 39


Thanks to these 38 people -- I hope others have sent faxes but
just have not e-mailed me yet.


David J Rosen
NLA List Moderator



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