We often hear people say they have written, called or stopped by a local public official's office only to feel rejected or ignored. People will write an e-mail expressing dismay, anger, support or questions for a project, proposal or new rule or law.

"I got some general stuff thanking me for my letter, but no real answers to my questions," goes the refrain.

We understand the feeling because editors and reporters often share that feeling. Calls or e-mails asking for a response sometimes seem to disappear into the ether. Like some of our readers, we at times feel like we are 15th on a 10-person list. It is frustrating whether you are doing your job or seeking a response to your problems or concerns.

But we also understand the flood of mail - we get over 1,000 e-mails each week, and scores of telephone calls. Some are spurious. Most are not, but it is hard to respond to all that need a response. We are absolutely certain that Seattle City Council members have a much worse flood.

New City Council member Bruce Harrell says in a story by Rose Egge in this week's paper that he is frustrated with limited feedback he gets from the community. He notes that the activists and those well versed in the city government get through because they know how to pull the right levers or use the system to their own advantage.

"Most people (in Seattle) are either enjoying their lives or struggling, and they don't have the time or resources to be committed to process," Harrell told Egge. "That doesn't mean they don't have an opinion though."

So Harrell says he is developing an online Citizen Engagement Portal and hopes to use technology to find the needs and opinions of those who are not activists. Then Harrell hopes the city's Web site will be able to offer their feedback in an electronic polling format.

Great, and a random poll of City Council members and their staffers showed support for any way that could better assess the feelings of the people for the Council to study.

One Council staffer made a very important point. Although 83 percent of the citizens of Seattle have and use the Internet (we are one of the most wired cities in America), what about the ones who consider the Internet and computers as newfangled toys or beyond their comprehension or budget? They are voters, citizens and they have opinions.

While another Council member says he gets "very few snail mail letters," some do still scrawl on paper with pens and pencils and put stamps on envelopes. Are they to be disregarded as irrelevant?

We don't think Harrell meant that, so we hope he and the City Council staff can find a way to better tabulate and consider such "quaint" communications.

But, do remember people, the Council members get a lot of pressures to respond and most do a good job of listening - it is their job to listen before deciding. You taxpayers would be miffed if Council had huge paid staffs just to answer all letters and e-mail.

But we urge the Council to take up Harrell's idea and tweak it for all citizens. We are heartened by his interest and of the interest of the Council members who responded to our e-mail questions on this subject.

We note, however, that some Council members did not bother to respond, and maybe that is what citizen's get peeved about.

- Jack Mayne