Well, for starters, CLSA should start a phone train to start calling legislators. Anyone near Sacramento should visit their representatives. Better yet, a small delegation of surveyors (like we used to do).
We should identify key committee members. The Executive Board should send a letter to key officials and the members should be encouraged to write letters, and how CLSA gets it voice heard (like we used to do).
I am sure the members can afford a phone call and the time to write a letter. We could easily develop a simple form letter that comes in from all over the state. To be sure, there are a hundred things that can be done with a campaign that does't take any association resources.
It is all very basic and easy to do. I remember lobbying for CLSA in Sacramento. When we did, we were successful.
All that is requires is a campaign and work.
Here are some strategies:
Schedule an appointment in advance by calling your member of the assembly's scheduler. Be firm in your request to see the member. If you have trouble getting time to see the member, consider talking to the chief of staff about your desire for a meeting, or plan to meet with the staff person who works on survey issues. (More often than not your meeting will end up being with staff not the member).
Prepare and send beforehand a memorandum or agenda that outlines what you plan to discuss at the meeting and who will be attending. Staff will appreciate the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the issues and brief their boss. Include bill numbers when referencing particular legislation.
Gather any background material that may be useful, including some memento of a preservation project—a poster, artifact, or the like.
Reconfirm a week or so before the meeting.
If several people will be attending the meeting, coordinate your remarks in advance, including deciding who will take the lead and how.
Bring copies of your memorandum/agenda and a list of meeting participants, including contact information for each, to hand out at the start of the meeting. Present any memento you have brought. Note: Make sure that the cost of this memento is beneath the maximum allowable amount.
Acknowledge the member’s support for preservation.
Get to the point of the meeting quickly, be succinct, and keep the meeting as brief as possible.
Discuss the bill by using its number and title. If you are not lobbying on a particular bill, be specific about what you want the member to do for you.
Use specific examples from your member’s state or district to support your point.
Bring materials to illustrate your point. It is always a good idea to leave some concrete reminder of your visit for the staff or member to refer to later. A one-page briefing sheet is particularly effective. As preservationists we are lucky to have some great images of our work—before and after photos can be powerful tools.
Be prepared to answer questions on preservation, not the legislative process. Remember, you are the preservation expert; you know more about preservation than they do.
Always look for opportunities to be of service to the member. For example, offer to send follow-up information regarding issues that came up during the meeting.
Suggest a follow-up, i.e., a meeting in the district or with the district staff, or offer to keep the member regularly updated on what you have discussed. Ask the member who your point of contact should be on the matter.
AFTER
Send a thank-you note to both the member and the staff along with any additional materials you have offered to provide. Use the note to briefly restate and reinforce your arguments.
Publicize the visit. Include a story in your organization’s newsletter. Send photos and press releases to the local newspaper.
Let other organizations involved in the same issues know about the meeting and what was discussed.
Lobbying in Person in the District Office
Lobbying by Letter and E-Mail
They typical method for contacting a representative usually begins with an email. When composing the message write something very specific in the subject line. A staffer will be more tempted to delete or forward an e-mail before opening it if he or she doesn’t know what it is about. In the e-mail message, be sure to include all your contact information such as street address, telephone number, and title and organization if appropriate.
A representative constituent sentiment by analyzing the mail received on the subject. Both the quantity and the quality of letters are important.
The following suggestions will maximize your letter’s effect.
Discuss only one issue per letter.
Keep letters to one page.
Mention the bill number, its title, and the area of your concern in the first paragraph.
Relate the legislation to a local issue or law, and use local examples to show the effect on the district.
Ask a specific question about the bill or issue. This will increase the chances of receiving an individual response, not a form letter.
Always request a specific action, for example, “Please vote ‘Yes’ on H.R. 1111.”
Do not put a “cc” reference at the bottom of the letter to your representative or senator. This would suggest that other recipients are almost as important, and lessen the letter’s impact.
It is advisable to first submit your letter by email and then mail it as a follow up. This speeds your message on its way, which can be important when time is a factor. Also, staffers often prefer email to letters, which take more time to open and handle.
Lobbying by Phone
While letters or personal visits are the most effective methods of lobbying, telephone calls can also get results. Telephone calls can be especially important for time sensitive lobbying efforts. You can also make a follow-up call to check if your letter or e-mail has been received and registered. The same rules that apply to letter writing will also work for phone lobbying.
Remember:
Be concise.
Identify yourself as a constituent.
State the reason for your call by bill number and/or subject.
Ask a specific question or request a specific action.
Relate the bill to a local example or problem State your position as “for” or “against” the bill.
Ask where your member of congress stands on the issue.
Follow up the phone call with a letter.
As you know I have been involved in numerous political campaigns including organizing the voters of San Diego to recall their mayor. I organized a campaign, and implemented it.
All it takes is work and a strategy.
Here's an article from USA Today about those efforts:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nat ... n/2585373/
Read this one:
https://www.inc.com/guides/2010/11/seve ... cians.html
Please read the attached article when I organized CLSA to file the Amicus Curiae brief in the San Dieguito case. It can be done if there is leadership on these issues.