From my time working with candidates and government employees in the past (and it's been more than a few years), the order at which things get attention is roughly:
* In-person meetings/appointments
* Personal letters
* Phone calls
* Personal, well-reasoned emails
* Form letters (box 'em and weigh 'em)
* Form emails
Online petitions generally barely got noticed. They were less than form letters or emails. Most politicians figure the amount they should concern themselves with specific issues is roughly equivalent to the amount of effort their constituents will put into contacting them about it. Online petitions, likes, etc. were basically considered fluff - if the most someone can do is click a button, they're not that invested in the issue. Someone willing to take time out of their day to meet with you, now there's somebody that's motivated and really cares about something. Personal letters carry a surprising weight. Few people are willing to sit down and write a thoughtful but concise letter, and those that do are often the constituents likely to raise a stink if you don't at least acknowledge them.
Short version: Write them a letter. It will probably get the most notice, and it will demonstrate there are a lot of folks around the country that care about what happens to this engine. As the old slogan goes, the world is run by those who bother to show up.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/10/2019 04:36PM by ND Holmes.