TL; DR
I have attached 4 letter templates for you all to send to your Senators and Representatives that advocate for better pay, paid leave, and election/voting reform
What's this about?
One of the biggest obstacles to a better world lies in money. It's difficult for everyday people like you and me to be directly involved in policymaking. We can, however, wield power in voting. As the title suggests, I've written out templates for you guys to send to your Congressmen. Basically, I write from the perspective of a voter who is advocating for issue XYZ. All you have to do is insert the name of your Congressmen as well as your own information to make it seem as though you are the one who wrote it.
People say they “don't have the time” to contact their Representatives, so I am doing this to help everyone out as much as possible.
What's the point?
Just one person writing about something won't make much of a dent. There's power in numbers. Reddit has made stock market managers quiver in fear. Surely, we have the power to make our voices heard and talk some sense into our representatives. It's an election year, after all. They'll be desperate for your vote
I'm tired of “talking” about things we can do, but I want to see change actually happen. I feel as though taking it to policymakers is one of the best ways to go about it. I 100% intend on attending protests to demand better pay and benefits, but I want to make sure Congressmen have this in writing as well
What topics did you write about?
Voting reform and better working conditions were the main focus. I want to emphasize this to you guys, but it's essential that we make Congressmen propose these bills as their own stand-alone bills. Nothing extra added to them. Make the corrupt politicians go on record for going against our best interests.
Can you make templates for other topics?
I sure can. Just give me your topic and your stance, and I'll do my best to help out.
Important note: Please note that I'm not a professional writer. These letters aren't perfect. These are to guide you and give an idea of what I feel is important to me. Feel free to edit these templates to your liking. In fact, I encourage adding your own words. Let your Congressmen feel your pent-up rage. Get the word out as much as you can. Send these to all of your Senators and Representatives. Make your voices heard. We are workers. Without us, our employers are nothing. Let them hear your demands!
Now then, without further ado….
Letter 1
Subject: Raise Federal Minimum Wage to $22/hour
To the Honorable (**Congressmen’s Name**),
My name is (**insert name**)) and I am writing to you today to ask you to vote in favor of raising the federal minimum wage to $22/hour.
Although America is often put on a pedestal and deemed one of the world’s richest countries, one crucial caveat to that statement is the distribution of that wealth. You might have heard that the difference between one million and one billion is (almost) one billion. While that might be a confusing statement at first glance, a mathematical approach to such a concept can help illustrate its meaning. Perhaps one of the most useful and familiar concepts is that of time. One million seconds equates to 11.57 days, whereas one billion seconds is the same as 31 years.
Someone making one billion annually can spend two million daily and still have 270 million left over for the year. To further emphasize the absurdity that exists in possessing that much wealth, an individual making $10,000 every day of his life would still not have accumulated one billion dollars even if 250 years passed. (10,000/day * 365.25 days/year = 3.65 million/year * 250 years = 913.125 million).
According to Forbes, there were 614 billionaires in 2020, which increased to 724 for the 2021 calendar year. Somehow, in the midst of a global pandemic, an additional 110 individuals became billionaires. Somehow, while millions lost their jobs, suffered homelessness, food insecurity, health problems, and even death, a handful of people possessed more wealth than all of them combined. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median household income was $67,521 in 2020, a decrease of 2.9 percent from the 2019 median of $69,560.
An individual working a full-time job earning federal minimum wage only makes $15,600 before taxes, assuming they work 40 hours per week for 52 weeks in a calendar year. If the pay rate were doubled, that same individual would only be making $31,200 before taxes. One cannot, in good faith, call either of these a living wage. While raising the federal minimum wage is a step in the right direction, believing that someone can support themselves and potentially others in their household with such meager wages is delusional, to say the least.
“Minimum wage was never meant to be a living wage” is one common argument that somehow persists despite being easily disproven. In his statement on the National Industrial Recovery Act, Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, “In my Inaugural, I laid down the simple proposition that nobody is going to starve in this country. It seems to me to be equally plain that no business which depends for existence on paying less than living wages to its workers has any right to continue in this country. By ‘business’ I mean the whole of commerce as well as the whole of industry; by workers, I mean all workers, the white-collar class as well as the men in overalls; and by living wages, I mean more than a bare subsistence level; I mean the wages of decent living.” FDR clearly intended to institute minimum wage as a basal income level from which Americans could survive.
Another common argument against raising the minimum wage is that it leads to a higher cost of living. Despite there being no increase in the federal minimum wage since 2009, the cost of living has continued to rise over the years. Inflation has continued to skyrocket while the wages of the working class have stagnated. As I’m sure you’re aware, it was declared that January 2022 observed record levels of inflation. What’s the point of refusing to increase wages if inflation is going to continue to increase regardless of wage status? People cannot continue living in these conditions. Nobody working 40 hours a week should have to struggle to make ends meet.
Decreasing military spending and increasing taxes on wealthy individuals would be two great ways to decrease the rate of inflation. Legalizing weed and taxing it would be another fantastic idea. That would prevent people from being wrongly incarcerated for the simple possession and recreational use of the substance. Those people can then go on to join the workforce rather than using our tax dollars by taking up resources in jails. However, those issues are for another day. Right now, I am focused on passing legislation that ensures that working-class Americans are able to afford the cost of living.
The demands of the working class are nothing more than the demands of practical reason. There is nothing “radical” about wanting to be paid fair wages for labor. There is nothing “radical” about wanting to live comfortably above the poverty line. There is nothing “radical” about doing away with a system that chains workers to the brink of financial ruin. Without labor, there is no product, and therefore, no profit. If theft is punishable by the law, why do we allow our employers to steal the worth of our labor without repercussion? Who should be paid? The laborer who sells hours of his life converting raw material into finished products or the employer who sits and earns well over double the laborer’s worth?
It should also be worth mentioning that higher wages incentivize people to return to work. The reason so many Americans were fine with collecting unemployment was because that safety net paid more than their regular jobs. It only makes sense to take advantage of that. If, however, workers are enticed with better pay and benefits, they will be more likely to return to work. There is no “labor shortage.” Employers refusing to pay workers the value of their labor is what they should be doing to begin with. Executives making five, ten, or even twenty times the amount that regular workers make means they should be able to produce the labor of those people by themselves. Businesses that can’t afford to pay their employees a living wage shouldn’t be operating a business to begin with.
With all this being said, I want Congress to pass legislation that would raise the federal minimum wage to $22/hour. Although $45,000/year before taxes still seems relatively small, it would certainly be a step in the right direction. I want to emphasize the fact that I want this proposition to be voted on a single bill. Don’t attach it to other pieces of legislation. Similarly, don’t add other unnecessary provisions to the bill that would include other issues. I want to hear corrupt politicians attempt to argue against raising the federal minimum wage. Forcing Congressmen to officially state their stance in the form of a House/Senate vote would give Americans a better idea of the officials they have in political office. Together, we can reshape our Congress to embody the interests of the working class.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your response.
Letter 2
Subject: Institute Mandatory Paid Leave
To the Honorable (**Congressmen’s Name**),
My name is (**insert name**)) and I am writing to you today to ask you to vote in favor of instituting mandatory paid leave for all employees that work for an employer with over 100 workers.
The fact that America is one of the only countries without mandatory paid leave is an embarrassment. Workers are living, breathing human beings who have lives outside of work. They should be able to enjoy time off without worrying about their finances. Simply “saving money” is not a viable solution for many reasons that I won’t discuss for brevity’s sake. Simply having the weekend off isn’t a viable alternative either. It’s unpaid, and unfortunately, many employers discriminate against workers who are unable to work those days. Not to mention that working-class Americans continue to struggle to make ends meet even when working overtime well over 40 hours per week.
Maternity leave is one form of paid leave that should be instituted without a second thought. Parents need to be able to spend time with their new family members and their bodies need time to recover. Expecting them to allocate all of their vacation time to care for their child is cruel and unjust. I understand that not all businesses are able to institute this, but employers with over 100 employees should be required to offer maternity leave as well as paid leave for all workers. An annual minimum of 5 weeks paid leave should be offered to all employees, regardless of whether or not they intend to have children in the future. If employers can afford to pay executives millions of dollars in salaries and bonuses, then surely, they can afford to spend money on the workers who actually run the business and generate their profit.
I want to emphasize the fact that I want this proposition to be voted on a single bill. Don’t attach it to other pieces of legislation. Similarly, don’t add other unnecessary provisions to the bill that would include other issues. By forcing Congressmen to voice their opinions on a single issue, constituents can get a better grasp of the kinds of people they are electing to represent them. Together, we can weed out politicians who work against the interests of Americans while electing those who would better represent us and our values.
Thanks for reading this letter and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Letter 3
Subject: Make Election Day a Federal Holiday
To the Honorable (**Insert Congressman’s name**),
My name is (**Insert your name**), and I am writing to you today to ask you to vote in favor of making Election Day a federal holiday.
The right to vote is one of the most important–if not, THE most important right. The U.S. government was founded on the idea that America would be governed by the people, for the people. I firmly believe that foundation should be represented in our laws. Although early voting exists, there is no guarantee that working-class Americans are given time off work to exercise their right to vote. By treating Election Day as a federal holiday, elections would provide a more accurate depiction of what kinds of policies voters are for and against in their respective areas.
I want to emphasize the fact that I want this proposition to be voted on a single bill. Don’t attach it to other pieces of legislation. Similarly, don’t add other unnecessary provisions to the bill that would include other issues. Voting reform needs to happen now. By forcing Congressmen to voice their opinions on a single issue, constituents can get a better grasp of the kinds of people they are electing to represent them.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Letter 4
Subject: Institute Paper Ballots in Voting Booths
To the Honorable (**Insert Congressman’s name**),
My name is (**Insert your name**), and I am writing to you today to ask you to vote in favor of instituting paper ballots in elections.
Both Democrats and Republicans alike will benefit from this legislation, as it would help make elections more secure. Since voting machines can be hacked, instituting paper ballots allows poll workers and electors to confidently report election results. Possessing physical copies of ballots would make it easier to count ballots, and would help eliminate the chance of voter fraud from occurring.
I want to emphasize the fact that I want this proposition to be voted on a single bill. Don’t attach it to other pieces of legislation. Similarly, don’t add other unnecessary provisions to the bill that would include other issues. Voting reform needs to happen now. By forcing Congressmen to voice their opinions on a single issue, constituents can get a better grasp of the kinds of people they are electing to represent them. Together, we can weed out politicians who work against the interests of Americans while electing those who would better represent us and our values.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your response.