Upload
santos
View
86
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Politics but were Afraid to Ask. Presented by Representative Sherman Packard (NH) and Bruce Downs. Meeting of the Minds 2012. Bikers in the Beltway . Personal Involvement With Politicians. Before They Are Elected - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
Citation preview
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Politics but were
Afraid to Ask
Presented by Representative Sherman
Packard (NH) and Bruce Downs
Meeting of the Minds 2012
Bikers in the Beltway
Personal Involvement With Politicians
Before They Are Elected
Call your town Clerk or Secretary of State for a list of candidates
Speak with the candidates that have announced their intent to run. Study the voting record of the incumbent, how did that person vote on your issues, let them know you are a member of a rights organization. Do you need to replace or educate that person?
Let your candidate know that you are going to support them early
Render the most assistance possible during the campaign• Phone banks, install signs, hold signs, attend fund raisers
Working with Elected Officials
After the candidate is elected there are many things you can do to continue to build trust and develop a lasting relationship with the elected official
Know their Committee assignments Attend Hearings Attend Town Meetings
Educating Politicians Politicians are our employees and they need to be
aware of our concerns When meeting with your elected officials be
prepared Emphasize your position Never lie or make up information If you do not have the answer tell them you will
get it for them Always follow up
REMEMBER THEY ARE TO BE EDUCATED NOT HARRASED
Legislative SessionBill Introduction
Sponsors and co-sponsors Committee Assignment Motorcycle Bills usually go the to
Transportations but not always Phone Trees to alert members
• Bring your members up to speed• Letter writing campaign• Call committee members• Attend public hearings
Lobbying Your Elected Officials
Each time you speak with your Representative you are building an exchange of open communication. By creating this open communication they may be more amicable to your views when you lobby them on helmet or other motorcycling issues.
Whenever you talk to your Representative, this is called lobbying
Make sure you have all the factsBack it up with written statements
and dataPoliticians may mislead you, but we
can never lie to them. It will come back to haunt you FOREVER
If the issue is a mandatory helmet law, you should have a clear understanding of your right’s group philosophy and its official position regarding helmet laws.
Be able to discuss the positive benefits of rider education
Be personable and politeWhen calling your Representative be sure
to ask their position on the issue and why. LISTEN carefully and take notes
Writing LEtters When writing letters as a lobbying tool keep them
short
Address the letter properly: The Honorable Sherm Packard
When writing to a Chairman, Sub-Committee Chair, or Speaker it is proper to address them as Dear: Chairman Packard
Your purpose should be stated in the first paragraph, list bill members: I am writing to oppose/support HB – or SB –
Be courteous, to the point, and include key information Address only one issue per letter, keep it to one page,
hand written is best and never use a form letter, it will influence no one
Dressing for Meetings with Elected Officials
Motorcyclist have a certain dress style that may or may not have an effect on the outcome of your meeting If you know the elected official and you are
comfortable with him/her it’s your choice If you do not know the elected official it is
better to wear a clean pair of jeans and a collared shirt for a man and a dress or skirt and blouse for a woman
Public Hearing
To those who will be speaking proper dress is a must
DECORUM
What to Wear to HearingsWhen a helmet bill or other motorcycling
issue is scheduled for a public hearing, it is perfectly acceptable to attend the hearing wearing leathers and most of all, your rights group tee shirts
However, NEVER, NEVER wear an obnoxious tee shirt with foul language on it
The exception to the above rule is those who testify should be attired properly; coat, shirt and tie for the men and dresses for the women
TestimonyOne of your speakers should be an expert
on the issueOne of your speakers should be a woman;
bring a different perspective to the issuePractice your testimony in front of a
mirror several times Be confident, friendly, but not too… Make your points short, do not belabor the
point Keep testimony to 3-5 minutes
It is okay to be nervous, try to be clear, articulate
Do not repeat yourselfIf previous speakers have already
testified on your point, skip itYou should always prepare your
speakers in advanceOnly the Chairman can control the
speaking order
During the HearingTestimony will be presented by both sides of
the issueUrge all members to attend the hearing, but
keep the speakers to what is neededThe large presence of motorcyclists will tell
the committee members how the group feelsNo outburst during the hearing, clapping,
boos, etc.Legislative hearings are not a popularity
contest, decorum is of the utmost importance
Written TestimonyWritten testimony is a mustCover sheet, double-space for member
commentsCheck grammar and spellingOriginal to the Clerk and copies for every
Committee memberWritten testimony can be different from oral
testimony, should be closeTestimony must be factual, back up with
data
If you have multiple speakers, try to hold one to the end of the hearing to rebut any previous testimony
You can ask the Chairman if you can present additional testimony and comments after the hearing
Finally, remember that all testimony is public record and anyone can request to view or copy it
We Hope You Enjoyed the Workshop
We will now try to answer your
Questions