Support ATAA sponsors for Autism Votes

We’re big fans of Autism Votes, and today’s email about the ATAA (Autism Treatment Acceleration Act) S.819 co-sponsor drive led me to realize that the usual model of sending emails to ask for something is not all that I need. While the AV email suggests calling to register support, I thought it would be great to send an email thanking my state’s two senators, one of whom is a sponsor ofthe bill and one of whom is a co-sponsor. Here are the two emails I sent:

Sen. Menendez:

Autism S.819

Dear Senator Menendez,

I wanted to write briefly to thank you for sponsoring the ATAA S.819. From someone who is not a registered Democrat, you should know that your sponsorship of this legislation has greatly improved your chances of getting and maintaining my vote in the next election.

New Jersey needs leadership and action on critical issues facing the state. Autism is such an issue; as a parent of a child who has autism, this disease is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT issue facing my family.

Thank you for your support.

Richard J. Colosimo, Esq.

Sen. Lautenberg:

Autism S.819

Dear Senator Lautenberg,

I wanted to write briefly to thank you for cosponsoring the ATAA S.819. From someone who is not a registered Democrat, you should know that your cosponsorship of this legislation has greatly improved your chances of getting and maintaining my vote in the next election.

New Jersey needs leadership and action on critical issues facing the state. Autism is such an issue; as a parent of a child who has autism, this disease is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT issue facing my family.

Thank you for your support.

Richard J. Colosimo, Esq.

I’ve written before referencing the concept of becoming a single-issue voter, and I think that the momentum that’s been built can probably use some additional depth to push legislators and other public officials off the fence.

Today, I registered ivoteautistic.com, which will serve two goals: first, collect stories, letters, emails, and videos of support for candidates who have expressed (and actually voted) in favor of autism issues. We’ll buildand maintain a specific list, and we’ll collect (or share, based on other tools) records of votes. We’ll figure out how to legally support candidates in elections in terms of endorsements and grassroots-style support.

We will be designing bumper stickers and other materials as soon as we can. To join our mailing list, either leave a comment on this post or email me directly at rick@asdworld.com.