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Cut Junk Mail
Private Citizen, Inc.
National
Cut Junk Mail Month
April 1 - May 1, 2006
 
Tell your Congressional Representative in Washington that it's time for a do-not-mail list.
You can modify the letter (below) and send it via the Internet or by postal mail.
Instructions:
The following letter has two types of text. If you decide to send it via the Internet, cut and paste the text that is not underlined. If you send it by postal mail, replace the underlined text with your information.
 
To get the name of your Congressional Representative click here to the House of Representatives' website. There, you will enter your zip code. It will then send you to a webpage with your Congressperson's name. The site also gives you the opportunity to send him/her your message.

If you would rather send a postal letter you can find your Rep's address here.
 
 To deliver your message by telephone, you can call the Capitol switchboard by dialing 1-202-225-3121.
Your name
Your address
Your city, state  zip

The Honorable Jane / John Doe
House of Representatives
Address
Washington, DC  Zip
                                                                                                                                         Today's Date

Dear Representative Doe,

This concerns the increasing amount of unwanted and unsolicited printed material I receive through the mail. 

Such material includes printed commercial advertisements, charitable requests, and political leaflets sent by organizations I do not want to hear from.  Furthermore, it is common for organizations to continue mailing me solicitations for months after I have asked them to stop.

This useless junk mail is a burden to me. It also takes a toll on the environment during its production and as a result of its incineration or disposal in our dwindling landfills.

I am aware of the Direct Marketing Association's (DMA) Mail Preference Service (MPS).  Like the DMA's Telephone Preference Service (TPS) , the MPS was not primarily created to stop unwanted solicitations, but rather to prevent pro-privacy legislation by diverting citizen complaints that would otherwise be directed to legislators. Indeed, proof of the TPS's failure is the recently established national do-not-call list. The speed and near unananmity of Congress's vote to give the Federal Trade Commission authority to create the federral list indicates your recognition of the need for legislative limits on the privacy abusive practices of the direct marketing industry. Like the TPS, the MPS has failed in its (publicly stated) purpose.

In 1990, the trade publication, DM News quoted the president of the DMA as saying, "The goal of the DMA is to discover and to thwart possible government regulation, and we have done it." Good for them. Bad for privacy loving Americans.

Now that junk calls have been legislatively hobbled, direct marketers are ratcheting up their junk mailings. I ask that you protect the privacy rights of citizens by drafting or cosponsoring a bill to limit unwanted junk mail as well as the merchandising of our personal information without our affirmative, data specific and explicit consent.


Sincerely,

Your signature
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