I'm Mad As Hell, And I'm Not going To Take It Any More!

• 1. Network with other like-minded individuals: This may be a good first step. You can join the yahoogroup set up to link others concerned with issues in Grand Forks. Click Here To Go There

• 2. Letters To Editors: You can write a letter to the editor of the local and Provincial Newspapers. The Grand Forks Gazette, The Vancouver Sun, and The Vancouver Province all invite letters from citizens on various subjects, and the subject of just how this sort of pollution is allowed to happen may warrant a letter or two. Don't forget, though, that the effect of such letters is pretty well limited to assuring other like-minded individuals that they are not alone in their concerns.

• 3. Attend Forums and Public Meetings with Political Reps. Tues Feb 28, 7:00 PM at the Seniors Hall, Grand Forks City Park, for instance. Post notices of any you hear in the gf-issues yahoogroup.

• 4. Contact Your Political Representatives: You have elected representatives, at the City, Regional District, Provincial, and Federal Levels. And don't forget the Ministers involved! Letters and Phone Calls can have an effect - especially if there are lots of them! (tell a friend!) In order of effectiveness, they run like this:

• 1. Written Letters - these require a written answer, end up in a file folder in the politician's office, and thus get the most attention.

• 2. Phone Calls - it may take more than one, but a personal phone call to your representative, in which you explain politely your concern for our air quality, and your observations that it is being trashed on a regular basis here in the valley, will get some attention as well. Be sure to enquire as to what s/he can and is prepared to do about it, and to follow up from time to time to check his/her "progress."

• 3. emails - these are the easiest and quickest to do, and will get some attention, but, as with the rest of us, our politicians get hundreds of emails a week, and most of them get forgotten pretty quickly In fact, you'll find that they most often generate a "canned response" kind of answer that makes it fairly apparent that your email, and any concern it may have generated, went straight into the bit bucket.

• 4. Protest Rallies, Marches, etc. - if you find yourself thinking in terms of this kind of organized event, remember that it must be a media event - those with the power to do something about the subject of concern must be made aware that there is a groundswell of public opinion in favour of action - a well-publicized rally of a hundred people will have much more effect than a non-press-attended one of thousands. This is the kind of thing to plan and discuss when networking with other like-minded individuals.

Contact Information For Those With The Determination

• The Sun: www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html or Click Here

• The Province: www.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html or Click Here

  Help Required:

  Want to help? Join the yahoogroup and post a message or two with the contact information required to fill out the rest of this table. Then watch your information magically appear in a matter of mere days!