K Street Cafe

The average number of recorded contacts from constituents dropped in October on all issues, with the exception of Social Security. Fewer constituents reached out to their representatives via letters, emails and phone calls in general, likely due to the Congressional recess.

The announcement that there would be no cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for 2011, however, sparked engagement from constituents, garnering 167 contacts on the issue of Social Security. Many of these contacts came as a result of an AARP petition.

The top ten CCI issues for October were: (1) Social Security, (2) Financial Services, (3) Health Care, (4) Taxes, (5) Immigration, (6) Abortion, (7) Budget, (8) General Government Issues, (9) Technology, and (10) Economy. Full CCI data is available below.

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Will Social Security Get Social Media in the Government 2.0 Age? (The Huffington Post)
The Social Security Administration looks into the possibility of adopting social media in accordance with open government plan.

Can Social Media Save the World? Some Nonprofits Give it a Try. (The Christian Science Monitor)
A look at how a few nonprofits are harnessing the power of social media to promote their cause.

Gowalla Gets Political (Examiner)
Gowalla invites politicians to educate voters and stay connected by opening up “Events” feature.