[Newspoetry] poem, new

[Anne Bargar]

Stimulus

Dear Representative Berns,

	I recently received a letter from your campaign asking for my
opinion on a variety of issues, including several which I have no use for,
such as land-based casinos.  You stated that, since you will be
representing the 103rd District (rather presumptuous at the time, since
the election had not yet been held), my opinions would be helpful to you
in Springfield.  My views, you stated, were important to you.

	I would like to point out, Mr. Berns, that you forgot to include
return postage on the envelope you enclosed for my convenience.  This
means that, if I am to respond (because, after all, my opinions are
important to you), I must use a stamp of my own purchase.  Had you
included return postage, I might have been more likely to respond to your
inquiry.  I realize that a stamp costs a mere $.37, so I fail to
understand why you couldn't include one.  After all, my opinion is
important to you, and as a person holding elective office, you do get a
bulk mailing rate, as evidenced by the stamp on the original envelope
which bore the "presorted" label.  Also, you have a successful engineering
firm just down the street from my apartment, and I am a part-time Parkland
college student, so I imagine your income far exceeds mine. 

	I would suggest that, if in the future your campaign lacks the
funds to send return postage with questionnaires, maybe it should spend
money more wisely. Rather than simply blanketing the mailboxes of District
103 with annoying material that negatively portrays your opponent (using,
if I understand correctly, inaccurate and undocumented misinformation),
you redirect some of those funds into a return postage pool.  You might
then prove to District 103 voters that our opinions actually are important
to you.  Otherwise, we can't help but think that you really don't give a
shit what we think.  

						Yours in all sincerity,




							Anne Bargar