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Editorial: Get your voice heard
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Since the November election, readers have been contacting us seeking contact information for new lawmakers who would soon be representing them in the Statehouse and Congress. We promised to do so as soon as we could. Now that they've taken the oath of office and begun setting up their offices, we can provide you with much of what you need to share your opinions with your representatives. We will add any additional contact information as it becomes available in our "Where to Write" box which frequently appears in Viewpoints. Additionally, in the list which appears below, we also include the names of veteran lawmakers who continue to serve Illinois Quad-Cities constituencies. We're delighted so many of you are so eager to let your representatives know what you think. Some might find it surprising, but we're told your elected policymakers often are eager to hear from you, as well. What the people who elect them have to say matters to them. But please keep in mind, they're very busy people. To be heard you must take a bit of extra care in crafting and sending your message. Last July, Jim Nowlan, a former Illinois legislator and senior fellow at the University of Illinois Institute of Government and Public Affairs, wrote on these pages that those who wish to correspond with legislators or members of Congress should remember four things: -- Your contact with their office is important to lawmakers. -- Most try to respond. It's smart politics. -- They receive "boatloads" of written communication, mostly via email. -- And "good information is valuable to a legislator who cannot be expert on the myriad topics that he or she confronts." That makes it important that your communication be clear, concise, factual and personal. "The lawmaker receives plenty of info, pro and con, from lobbyists for interest groups, most of which are headquartered outside the lawmaker's district," Mr. Nowlan wrote. "Personalized information that explains how a piece of legislation specifically affects you or your business is invaluable independent communication." In fact, don't believe for a moment that those interest-group generated mass emails do as much good as a word or two that comes directly from you. (For that matter, they aren't much good for letters to the editor, either; if we sniff out the stuff the industry calls astroturf, we won't print it.) So make sure your thoughts and words are your own. Though we've included their Washington and Springfield addresses in the list below, we're told constituents may get better results when they contact their lawmakers' local offices. Sometimes, a phone call is better than a letter. However you choose to do so, here is how to contact your legislators: U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, 1009 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515; phone (202) 225-5905. District office, McKesson Building, 100 19th St., Suite 101, Rock Island, IL 61201-8018 , phone (309) 786-3406, fill out contact form at https://bustos.house.gov/contact/email-me State Sen. Darin LaHood, R-Dunlap, M103-F State Capitol, Springfield, IL 62706, phone (217) 782-1942, fax (217) 782-9586. District office, 64 Prairie Street Suite 4, Galesburg, IL 61401, phone (309) 343-8176, SenatorLaHood@att.net State Rep. Don Moffitt, R-Gilson, 223-N Stratton Office Building, Springfield, IL 62706, (217) 782-8032. District office, No. 5 Weinberg Arcade, Galesburg, IL 61401, phone (309) 343-8000, fax (309) 343-2683; moffitt@grics.net State Rep. Mike Smiddy, D-Hillsdale, 284-S Stratton Office Building, Springfield, IL 62706. District office, 201 N Main St Unit 2, Port Byron, IL 61275, phone (309) 848-9098, email repsmiddy@gmail.com U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., 309 Hart Senate Bldg., Washington, DC 20510; phone (202) 224-2152; fax (202) 228-0400; visit www.durbin.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/contact U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., 524 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC, 20510; phone (202) 224-2854; visit www.kirk.senate.gov/?p=comment_on_legislation State Sen. Mike Jacobs, D-East Moline, 127 Capitol Building, Springfield, Il 62706, phone (217) 782.5957. District office, 606 19th St., Moline, IL 61265; phone (309) 797-0001; email jacobs@sbcglobal.net State Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, 263-S Stratton Building, Springfield IL 62706, phone (217) 782-5970, fax: (217) 558-1253; email jserra@hds.ilga.gov. District office, 1504 3rd Ave., County Office Bldg, 2nd Floor, Rock Island IL 61201; phone (309) 558-3612; fax (309) 793-4764; e-mail pverschoore@qconline.com 
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Today is Saturday, May 18, the 138th day of 2013. There are 227 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: A large variety of children's wagons and gigs have arrived in thecity and are being sold at war prices.
1888 -- 125 years ago: All Rock Island retail houses, with the exception of a clothingstore and a jewelry store, have agreed to early closing hours during the summer months.The store will be closed at 8 p.m.
1913 -- 100 years ago: Baseball enthusiasts in Rock Island are attempting to raise$20,000 to keep the Island City Park open, despite the fact that the city has no franchise inorganized baseball this year.
1938 -- 75 years ago: The organization of a third rural young people's unit will beundertaken tomorrow night at the Milan Presbyterian Church, with Mrs. Mildred K.Wellman, home advisor, and Robert Smith, county farm adviser in charge.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Deere & Co. will begin a "big switch" on its telephone systemMonday morning. The extension numbers of all 1,600 telephones on the firm's EastMoline and Moline exchanges will be changed Monday morning.
1988 -- 25 years ago: East Moline's June Jamboree VI -- Nostalgia Days, will seemlike a '60s revival with the appearance of stars like Bobby Vee, Freddie Cannon, PeterNoone, Turtles, The Grass Roots and Lou Christie. This year's festival has beenexpanded to five days, June 22-26, at the Northeast Park complex.
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