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- THE LAST WORD Making up for lost time I f you didn't attend the 1993 Government Affairs Conference, held mid-May in Washington, D.C. , don 't say to yourself, "Gee, I know I should've gone, but it's too late now. I'll go next year." Your efforts to help secure passage of a dollar coin bill are still needed-and you can do it right from the comforts of home. Sure, lobbying is best done face to face., with you sitting across the table from your congressman or senator. But how many citizens can afford to fly to Washington every time they want to voice an opinion? If we don 't like a lawmaker's stand on an issue, or if one hasn't been taken, we simply · call or write to tell them how we feel. They might not have paid attention in past years, but I think they're listening now. To cavalierly dismiss the wishes of the folks at home is to flirt with a one-way ticket back there. The dollar coin bills introduced in the House and Senate are H.R. 1322 and S. 549. It's important, of course, to secure as many co-sponsors of this legislation as possible, but the backing of some congressmen and senators is more vital than others. Specifically, the target lawmakers are those on the House Committee on Consumer Credit and Insurance and/ or the House or Senate Banking Committee. The following is a partial list of subcommittee/committee members who are either against the dollar coin or who have taken no position on it, along with their telephone numbers in Washington: • Rep. Joe Kennedy m-Mass.l: He's the subcommittee chairman; one staffer at the Government Affairs Conference said he was the biggest hurdle to passage of a dollar coin bill. Swamp his office with phone calls or letters! His number is 202/225-5111; the FAX is 225-9322. • Rep. Al McCandless CR-Calif.l: McCandless, a member of both the House subcommittee and the full committee, is a staunch opponent of the dollar coin-give him hell! His phone number is 225-5330. Other California lawmakers of note are Sen. Barbara Boxer (224-3553); Rep. Lucille RoybalAllard (225-1766); and Rep. Michael Huffington (225-3601). •Sen. Dori Riegle (D-Mich.l: He's chairman of the Senate Banking Committee-enough said. Riegle hasn't taken a position yet; prodding can be achieved by calling 224-8834. • Rep. Henry Gonzalez (D-Texasl: Gonzalez chairs the House Banking Committee, and the word in Washington is that he favors a dollar coin. But he hasn't given his official stamp of approval. Call 225-3236 to lobby this most influential congressman. • Sen. Phil Gramm CR-Texas): Gramm, a high-profile member of PLAY METER 180 JULY 1993 the Senate Banking Committee, is being stubborn. He continues to hold fast to the belief that we should have a dollar coin and a dollar bill. We all know he's wrong, that the dollar bill has to go. To help him see the light, call 224-2934. If you would rather write a representative , mail your correspondence to The Honorable (name), United States House of Representatives, Washington, DC 20515. Do the same for a senator but mail it to the United States Senate, Washington, DC 20510. If you're writing Kennedy, Gonzalez, or Riegle, begin with "Dear Mr. Chairman"; all other letters should begin "Dear Congressman/ Congresswoman (name)" or " Dear Senator (name)." Be courteous, to the point, and include key information, such as the bill numbers (again, H.R. 1322 and S.549) and reasons why the dollar coin should be supported. Space constraints keep me from going into those reasons; if you're not sure, call AMOA at 1-800-YES-AMOA for materials to help you make yourcase. D Christopher Caire Features Editor