Tube City Almanac

November 16, 2005

And It Wasn't Even Sent Postage Due!

Category: default || By jt3y

I'll give him this much: He had the stones to respond.

Let me back up. You may remember the wise-cracking, sarcastic letter I wrote to my state senator last month, congratulating him on his pay raise, and explaining what life was like for those of us peons in his district.

Well, lo and behold, I arrived home last night to find a thick, creamy envelope in the mailbox, embossed with the Seal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (Motto: "Virtue, liberty and per diems"), and inside, a response.

Now, frankly, an appropriate response would have been "go take a flying jump at a rolling doughnut, you malcontent." But either he's too polite for that, or he didn't get the sarcasm. (I tend to think he did get the sarcasm, but is playing it cool, or is being equally sarcastic himself. He helpfully printed out several web pages for "low-income assistance programs" and attached them to the letter.)

Anyway, I'm no less distrustful of him. But I am impressed that he responded to someone who was clearly trying to bait him (namely, me):



Incidentally, I figure it took about 30 minutes for him to write that letter, so I did some quick math. At his current rate of pay, divided over 52 weeks in a year, and assuming he works 40 hours per week, that letter cost the taxpayers of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania $25.

Believe me, I got more than $25 worth of satisfaction venting on him in the first place, so I'll call that part even.






Your Comments are Welcome!

can’t you see the sarcasm in his responce – refering you to a social agency for assistance – in other words – i’m not going to help you because you didn’t help me
terry - November 17, 2005



I tend to agree that his reply was equally sarcastic as my letter, but is phrased the way it was for fear I’d do something like post the letter on the Internet. But maybe he (or more likely, his staff) thought I seriously needed help. (I do need help, but the kind of help I need requires a license to write prescriptions for psychotropic drugs.)

In any event, one other thing struck me about his letter: At no point does he say he’s sorry for accepting the pay raise in the first place.
Webmaster (URL) - November 17, 2005



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