Immediate short phone calls are most effective, although you might have to just leave a message. Short but pointed messages are needed. Below are a selection of thoughts which are quickly expressed. To use your own is better. (If you want to add your own ideas to this list, use the form at the bottom.)

• People are tired of excuses (no matter how good) for not acting on ethics legislation.
• People want the problem improved and are uninterested in an attempt to make political points.
• Here is an opportunity to pass fully discussed improvements to the ethical climate of government. Pass the house bills unchanged.
• The excuse "I want a better bill" is not valid. Work for a better bill next year.
• The excuse "Ethics cannot be legislated" is not valid. It may be true but you can sure make unethical conduct harder and remove sources of temptation.
• The excuse "People are not interested in ethics" is not valid. The time to ACT is now.
• The excuse "I just want a small change" is not valid. Change a law not a bill.
• I know that you want to go home, but ethics in government is a serious problem which must be addressed. The whole problem cannot be solved in a finite amount of time but the proposals which passed the house are a step in the right direction and can be passed unchanged in a very short time.
• There are those who say that "I am in favor of ethics bills but this little change will make them better". (People are sophisticated enough to know that this is sometimes a bid to kill the whole thing)

E-Mails

If nobody answers the phone a short e-mail indicates your interest in action.

A sample or two are below.  Make your own changes to make it more effective.

I tried to call but nobody answered the phone so I will comment by e-mail.
As one of your constituents, I urge you to help call the Senate back into action on the ethics bills passed by the House. If you think that the gay marriage bill is a political bill, do not pass it. BUT ethics is a bipartisan problem and too many people think that the recent senate actions are due to a desire not to face that issue.