Most Dog Legislative Groups are ineffective compared to HSUS
and other Animal Rights groups, which having failed on
federal legislation, are now succeeding state by state.
04|21|09 © TheDogPress
-
We don’t have the funds (yet) but if we improve on our
individual expertise, we will become more effective and that
will generate funding. So when a reader sent this, we asked
for reprint permission because it is among the most helpful,
sensible, candid articles on lobbying we’ve ever seen.
(See
State Of Mine for current legislation in your state or
community).
Please share the information below with everyone you know who might
be willing to help at the grass roots level. Diane
Amble also advises developing good relationships with the
politicians’ staff and making frequent appointments with
legislators so they know your face. Try having the
Legislator give an award or recognition to a wonderful
volunteer in the community. Hook up with groups that visit
nursing homes, etc and get recognition for them. Their work
shows what dogs mean to families (voters) and the community.
Go to supermarkets like Wal-Mart to get hundreds of
signatures, each on its own letterhead, and send them to all
the Legislators. Yes, it is costly, but it has an excellent
impact. Hand out an educational flyer to people signing and
make sure to include contact info for your group.
Jenny
Thrasher, a contributor to
WeThePeopleUSA
shares
notes from a Lobbyist's Handbook.
- If you go to your capitol for any reason, dress up. No
jeans, no t-shirts. If you don't know what to wear, go into
your bank, and look at what the bank management is wearing.
Copy them. Thrift stores carry a lovely array of dress
clothes at very reasonable prices. This is very important,
because we are trying to break a stereotype, and want to
present a PROFESSIONAL APPEARANCE. Nice manners, a big open
smile and a handshake will open most doors. Also, take gum
and breath mints. Use them.
- The legislators are generally not as personally involved
in the outcome of these bills as are we, and most of them
are not looking at these bills with the aim to personally
attack us. For most of these Representatives, the bill in
front of them is just another bill they will vote on during
their session. Figure out a way to make it personal for
them, a way to make it matter that they not pass that bill.
- The best thing about passing a "puppymill bill" for most
legislators is that they think they are passing a "feelgood"
bill. It will be something they believe their constituents
will praise them for in the next election, and they
generally equate it to saving the puppies and kittens, then
move on to bills that they consider of genuine importance
that will affect far more constituents in these scary
economic times. Show them how detrimental it will be
economically to pass that bill. Show them just how many
constituents will be negatively affected by the outcome of
that bill in front of them, and that they will be crucified
in the next election for passing such a bad bill. Show them
the numbers of constituents who will not vote for them.
- Support your Lobbyists by going up to the capitol and
making the rounds with them. This shows faces to the
legislators, and shows that your poor lobbyist isn't just
working for their own sake. The legislators need to meet the
people who will be affected by bad laws, it then becomes
personal. It also becomes more real for us, because it's
very easy to sit 100 miles away and bitch, but do nothing.
Again, no one is going to save you. Go work towards your own
salvation- you'll feel better about yourself in the end,
because when we defeat this session's devil bills, you will
have that warm fuzzy feeling of "I did this! I helped make
this happen!" The reverse is also true, and you will have
no one to blame but yourself if you did nothing.
- Legislators serve on more than one committee.
Legislators also sponsor more than one bill. Figure out
which bills are the most important to them. You can usually
call up to the Capitol and just ask their aide. This is
politics, and all legislators have to operate on the "I'll
scratch your back if you scratch mine" policy. All of these
legislators have an interest in at least appearing to be
productive during their term. It gets them re-elected. If
Rep. Hoohah has sponsored devil bill HB 666, it's possible
that he has also sponsored or co-sponsored angel bill HB
777, which he could need support for, because it could be a
good bill. If angel bill HB 777 is in Committee, find out
how it's doing, and let Rep. Hoohah know how much you and
your 5000 club members would like to see it pass, but
because he has also sponsored devil bill HB 666, you and
your 5000 friends are going to have to oppose that one too.
There is nothing wrong with calling up the groups that will
be affected by angel bill HB 777 and asking them if they
want help with getting their bill passed, because you need
help getting your bill defeated. The two bills don't have to
be related. This tactic would be an end run around the AR,
and involves getting to know your politicians, and their
platforms. You could also find out which committees they are
on, and if your groups actively oppose each and every vote
that a particular Rep is likely to cast, he will get the
message loud and clear.
The bottom line here is that all this is politics, and as
important as it is to us, the legislators could very well be
getting tired of dealing with what they consider to be a
small segment of their constituency, and really want to move
on to other more "important" matters.
Help them feel ok with not passing these bills, let them
know that the media is being fueled by propaganda spewed
from the same source as the bill in front of them, and they
will more than likely understand what is going on.
Let them know also, if you are a member of the HSUS in order
to watch what that group is doing, and make those
legislators wonder just how many more of the 10 million
members of the HSUS are doing the same thing.
by Jenny Thrasher, courtesy of
Diane Amble
www.wethepeopleusa.us
www.nokillbill.com
http://www.thedogpress.com/SideEffects/09043-How2-Lobby_Amble.asp
Side
Effects
