How Do I Write a Professional Letter to the Governor of New Jersey?
One of the benefits of living in a democratic country is the ability to become involved in various political processes. For example, ordinary citizens can lobby their elected representatives to pass laws that are important to them. Citizens can express criticism or support of their government of elected officials freely. While organizing coalitions, rallies and protests are means of expressing one's political views, you may also write a letter to your elected officials. If you would like to write a letter to the Governor of New Jersey, in particular, send a copy to his office.
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Instructions
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Determine what the key issue is you wish to notify the governor about. Choose a specific subject that is clear and defined. For example, "New Jersey schools are underfunded and classroom sizes are too large" is a more effective statement than, "Things are getting bad for New Jersey schools."
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Personalize the issue. Often times, elected officials are aware that there is a problem, but do not know the direct impacts of the problem on the community. The governor, especially, is even more removed from the issues, as he does not represent a specific community, but rather the entire state. To help get your point across, you may write, "My child is in a class of 32 and is unable to receive adequate attention from her teacher. As a result, she has underperformed on state testing and we are concerned about her ability to enter advanced courses next Fall."
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Identify a solution. The governor's main jobs are to help in developing a state budget and to approve or reject legislation that impacts communities across the state. He may also encourage members of the legislator to carry certain legislation that aligns with his political goals. As such, identify legislation that you would like him to support or veto that will help to mitigate the problem you are addressing in your letter. Or, you may even identify legislation that you are in support of, though want changes to. Notifying him of a flaw in legislation may encourage him to work with legislators to craft legislation that better represents what community members want. Lastly, ask the governor to include or eliminate funding in his budget for programs that will address the issue you are most concerned about.
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Address the letter to the following address:
Office of the Governor
PO Box 001
Trenton, NJ 08625
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Sign your name and include your address and contact information. Write legibly so that all of your information is clear.
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Tips & Warnings
Contact the legislative members from your district to help address local issues as well.
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