To The Editor:
Has anyone else encountered a similar problem dealing with Senator Sanders or should I say his office?
I recently sent him a one-line question requiring a yes or no answer: "Does the United States possess ANY chemical weapons?" In a matter of minutes I received a seven-paragraph, carefully crafted and canned response on the senator's stand on Syria. No reference to my question.
I then emailed the senator's office regarding the lack of security at the Washington Naval Base after the horrible shooting where none of the military personnel were or were allowed to be armed. Again, a quick response, this time a canned letter dealing with gun control in the public sector. No reference to the matter of the question.
Next I contacted his office regarding a news item I had read and heard and asking if it were true. "If YOU allow the government to shut down, do you still get paid?" Surprise, surprise, a canned seven-paragraph response on the federal budget. No mention of Congressional pay.
I have called his office three times seeking answers to my questions and have been told three times that my concerns would be "passed on." To where they have been passed remains a mystery. The latest explanation was that the office is busy and they do their best to respond in a timely manner. They have, but the answers do not address the questions. The staff had no explanation except to say it will be "passed on" and a disconnect.
Has Senator Sanders become so disconnected from his constituents, become so lacking in responsiveness and so forgetful for whom he works that this arrogant type of conduct is allowed, fostered and condoned? To me, he is only reinforcing the widely held opinion that Congress has become an elitist group with little or no responsibility to the voters who elected them and the citizens of their former home state.
Steve Joslin
Graniteville
