Letter to the Editor: Kline Should Listen to all Constituents

To the editor:

Earlier today (Monday) I attempted to send an email to my "new" Congressman John Kline asking him to sign a letter to Secretary Salazar, regarding a Utah land grab, as many Congressmen and women have already done including several from MN. I say "my new Congressman" because puts my address, my zip code, in his district.

However, I found as you can see from the second attachment to this email (Ed.: see attached screenshot) that apparently the Congressman is not yet accepting comments from his "new constituents", because my zip code  was not found within the boundaries of his district. Apparently a citizen must have an "authenticated" zip code to communicate with the Congressman, and he has not yet taken into account the changes of redistricting, and therefore mine was not an "authenticated" zip code.

I thought that was curious for two reasons. First, because I should think that he would be interested in communicating with his new constituents...most of us in Mendota Heights will vote, and he is certainly aware of the redistricting changes, and second, apparently he is only interested in the views and concerns of those in his District.

While it is true that his primary concerns ought to be for those in his district, he is a U.S. Congressman and the issues before him involve many matters that have little or no impact on his district residents, but may have serious impacts elsewhere in our country. He ought, therefore, to be sensitive to the concerns of those outside his district as well, for all US citizens are his "constituents" and how he votes affects everyone, not just those who reside in his District.

 After all he takes political contributions from people and corporations outside his district.

Bernard P. Friel

Mendota Heights