COMMUNICATING WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS

Democracy means "the rule of the people"-all of the people. Local and state elected officials, senators and representatives represent all who live in their states or districts, not just those who voted for them. No more important source of information is available to politicians than the people who live and work in their district, county or state. In our "competitive" democracy, every citizen falls into one of two categories: players and victims. Players are individuals who not only vote but actively compete within the political and policy-making area. The rest are victims.

As a citizen, you are a constituent to three members of Congress-your two U.S. senators and your U.S. Representative-as well as their counterparts in the state legislature. In our representative democracy, these are the only people who represent you. You can make a difference by communicating your views to your elected officials. Loggers, forest landowners, and employees of forest products companies all can serve as important sources of forestry information for their elected officials.

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