Sample letters

How to write your legislators

Legislators pay little or no attention to mass mailed post cards or form letters. Use our letters as a starting point, but tell your story in your own words, as this will have the biggest impact.

The best way to get your legislator’s attention is with a short, well-reasoned letter.

Some suggestion when writing:

• Make letter neat and easy to read (type or print).
• Identify the issue at the top of the letter and if possible, identify the specific piece of legislation by House or Senate file number before writing.
• Be brief; never write more than one page. Get to the point quickly i.e., "I hope you will support (oppose) HF___________"
• Use your own words, not a form letter or postcard. Succinctly state your reasons for supporting or opposing the bill. Use terms they will understand and avoid abbreviations. Be polite and reasonable.
• Finally, say "thanks" and sign your own name in handwriting. Include your home phone number and address so the legislator can verify you are a constituent, and hopefully, respond.
  
  

2008 Session
Letter to Taxes Conference Committee

Dear Sen. or Rep. (Name here):

I am writing to you today because of your position on the Taxes Conference Committee.

As you probably know, the Department of Revenue has projected an average statewide property tax increase on seasonal property of over 20%. This has come on top of double digit increases for the last several years. Enclosed please find a copy of my tax history as an eye-opening example of the problem.

In the 2001 tax reform, seasonal property was included in the State General Tax because initial runs showed that without such inclusion, seasonal would get a bigger property tax reduction than homestead. Well the numbers were wrong. In 2002, seasonal owners got the least amount of reduction, and our tax bills have increased at a rate far above any other class since then. I would ask you to simply remove seasonal from this onerous tax. During this current budget crisis, this revenue neutral solution is a great way to correct a terrible injustice.

Also in 2001 the state began to phase-out Limited Market Value (LMV). It could not have come at a worse time, during an unprecedented and unrealistic market. IN much of the country, this remarkable real estate bubble has "popped." Not in the state's lake districts. Current research shows that market value increases continue to outpace LMV phase out. Some owners, were LMV to expire today, would see their bills double or even triple in a single year. Please look at the difference between the assessed and limited market values on the copy of the enclosed bill. I simply cannot afford the increases this represents.

Now is not the time to phase our LMV on seasonal property. You must either extend LMV for seasonal or write legislation that provides circuit breakers or other protection for seasonal owners. Again, given the current budget deficit, reinstating LMV is a revenue neutral way to provide relief where it is needed most--on the property class that has had the biggest increases.

And finally, the current system places extreme pressure on lakeshore and forest land owners to develop their land. These incentives must be tempered so that people are not forced to develop that which they would rather leave natural--at a huge benefit to the state. Please consider passing Blue Waters this year.

Thank you for all your hard work on my behalf.

Sincerely,

(your name, address, phone number)

 

2008 Session - Sample Letter 1

Dear Senator or Representative

There are three bills that I would like you, as my representative, to promote with the legislative leadership and among your caucus members:

* Blue Waters, which lowers the tax on undeveloped lakeshore, for people who sign a covenant to leave this wild land undeveloped.

* Changes to the Sustainable Forestry Initiative that would require assessors to change the tax class on enrolled land to "Timber Land," and

* Targeted Tax Relief, a bill that would extend targeted tax relief to seasonal owners who are in danger of losing their properties because they cannot afford the dramatic tax increases of late.

Please take a leadership role with your caucus as many good people in your district are being hurt. We have had a cabin in the (__?__) area for (__?__) years, and it is a wonderful family retreat. We raised our children on the lake. We have watched our taxes on these recreational properties climb every year.

Enclosed please find a copy of my projected 2008 property tax statement. In addition to our home property taxes, these increases are more and more difficult to handle. We want to pay our share. . . we live in a wonderful state and the well being of the community where our cabin resides is important to us. We just don't think it is fair that we are paying more property taxes than many locals, who use far more services than we use. Also, we cannot vote on any of the levy increases local communities put forward.

Thank you for giving this your time and support, and please contact me if there is anything I might be able to do to help you in this effort.

Sincerely,

(your name, address, phone number)

 

2008 Session - Sample Letter 2

Dear Senator or Representative:

I wanted to drop you a line and encourage you to shepherd an important provision through the 2008 legislative session:

Blue Waters

Blue Waters legislation is long overdue. In 2005, the Star Tribune ran a six part series focusing on the many problems caused by the explosive, speculative market in Minnesota's forests and and lakeshores. In addition, the DNR reports that over development of lakeshore is one of the main causes of surface water pollution in the state, yet escalating tax pressure force just such over development. The State is in the process of increasing shoreline regulation to address these issues, but have overlooked a far more expedient, popular, and cost effective way to protect Minnesota's natural heritage - incentive.

Blue Waters allows lakeshore owners with at least 300 feet of shoreline, who have owned this land for at least eight years, to enter into a covenant whereby they agree to restore to a natural condition, or leave in a natural condition, this land. Blue Waters creates a new tax classification for protected lands with a tax rate of 0.65 percent. The covenant lasts eight years, and can be renewed. If the covenant is broken, or the land sold, the difference in taxes between what would have been paid, and what was paid, is due.

Blue Waters has wide support ranging from the DNR and the Minnesota Taxpayer's League to the Minnesota Lakes Association, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, Earth Defenders, and Superior Wilderness Action Network (SWAN).

Please put Blue Waters on your radar screen, and do what you can to guide it through the conference committee process. Preserving Minnesota's lakes is critical to our continuing quality of life here. We cannot let the land of ten thousand lakes become the land of ten thousand lake Calhouns.

I appreciate all that you have tried to do for cabin owners in the past, and count on that good will to help finally solve a problem that is quickly snowballing out of control.

Sincerely,

(your name, address, phone number)