“Most of the people in the state of Illinois, and I think this is true across the country, are much more affected in their daily lives by operation of the administrative and executive part of government than they are by 90 percent of the bills [of] the General Assembly.” Former Illinois Governor Dan Walker [1] …
A Statute Is the Starting Gun, Not the Checkered Flag in Phase II of Capital Lobbying Read More »
Ron Phillips[1], Republic Consultants, LLC, Washington, D.C., says the top 5 complaints he hears from new clients about why they dismissed their former lobbyists are the fired lobbyists’: 1) LACK OF A LOBBYING PLAN – seemingly no organized approach to winning their issue 2) LACK OF COMMUNICATION – between the client and lobbyist 3) …
A lawmaker on whose election I worked copped[1] a plea to “knowingly accepting gifts from a lobbyist with a value of more than $100.” He claimed friendship, not votes, led the lobbyist to give him hotel rooms and a strip club visit. His, perhaps sincere but pitifully incorrect, legal theory resulted in a $4,000 fine …
“Trust but Verify.” Making Sure You Start Out Legal Read More »
If you don’t know what you are going to do before you run into a compromising situation, then you’ll probably make a bad decision. A long-term lobbying career is built upon reputation. Having worked for governments, corporations, and universities, I have found that legislatively enforced ethical expectations for honesty, accuracy, and credibility somewhat shield a …
Advice for New Lobbyists: Are You Resolved to Protect Your Integrity? Read More »
Despite legislatures adopting sexual harassment policies and mandatory annual training, lobbyists should not presume sexual harassment will cease. Experience to date suggests sexual harassment training does little to change lawmaker behavior. In part this may be because the drivers for the behavior remain, a few of which include: legislatures remain overwhelmingly male; acquired situational narcissism; …
A dog trainer contacted me about “activists” trying to put him out of work by banning the use of rattlesnakes in his business. He teaches dogs in the western part of the US how to avoid getting killed by rattlesnakes. To teach the dogs to avoid rattlesnakes he needs rattlesnakes. However, using rattlesnakes is considered …
I spoke at an animal welfare conference. Several speakers gave interesting presentations. A researcher said that among millenials twice as many women as men research animal welfare on the web; among baby-boomers – four times as many women as men. A defense attorney said USDA wins in 100 percent of enforcement actions because they charge …
Contrary to what one-state lobbyists like to tell me, their states are not so unique and lobbying is pretty much the same in every state and for every group because: The US Constitution dictates organization and process; Lawmakers’ psyches are remarkably similar; and Lobbying is legislative sales. Personalities not process make one state differ from …
A passionate, educated, intelligent, and attractive mature woman attended a recent Lobby School to learn to lobby to stop pony rides. She says she can look at the ponies and see they aren’t happy so children must be denied pony rides. There is no convincing anyone driven by deep emotions of anything. I’ve “Lobby Schooled” …
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D NY) and Conor Lamb (D PA) both rejected PAC political contributions. Publix supermarkets announced it will make no more political contributions. Toyota will stop giving election objectors political donations. None of the corporations and associations for which I worked regularly made political campaign contributions. “And only about a third of the thousands of …
Lobbying larger state legislatures is analogous to driving on a crowded aggressive urban Interstate. Everyone is driving on the same road because that’s the only road to get where they want to go – that is, get a law. Each is traveling to a different ultimate destination, which is getting their law. Few are thinking …
An American lawyer living in Asia last week described to me the ubiquitousness of bribes for most interactions with Asian governments. For example, to get the court clerk in the national capital to forward paperwork to a provincial court he had to bribe the judge, clerk, and provincial court clerk @$100 US each. Prof. Frank Cavico …
Sen. Sasse describes the why and results thereof of elected lawmakers defaulting to the courts and executive agencies. This surrender occurs in Washington, D.C. and state capitols. Insiders Talk: Winning with Lobbyists Professional edition and abbreviated in the Readers edition discusses this trend in great detail and how we lobbyists can work effectively within the current constitutionally distorted system. …
Sen. Sasse Describes the Why and Results Thereof of Elected Lawmakers Read More »
A Peruvian lobbyist and I spoke about the similarities of lobbying in our respective countries. There are differences. Peru is unicameral while 49/50 US state legislatures are bicameral, Nebraska being unicameral. Political corruption there is rampant, as it is in almost all 3rd world countries. Legislative procedures vary. And international NGOs are attempting to force values upon …
Trust is the foundation of effective lobbying. Lawmakers and staff listen to those whom they trust and dismiss the untrustworthy. The elements of trust are scrupulous honesty, accuracy, and credibility. Scrupulous honesty means the whole truth, unshaded, without nuance. Arkansas state Senator Uvaldi Lindsey once told me he doesn’t trust lobbyists who are “technically accurate …
Scrupulous Honesty in Lobbying and the Seminar Business Read More »
Over supper recently, a private sector union lobbyist and I discussed union workers in the US illegally. When I asked him if by representing laborers regardless of immigration status his union wasn’t undermining American workers, his corporate response was that employers, not unions, are responsible for ensuring immigration status. This smacks of Sen. Uvalde Lindsey’s …
A new board of directors called to ask my opinion about their executive director sleeping with their contract lobbyist. They feared this all too cozy relationship was not in the best interests of the association. In fact, their lobbyist was doing a poor job but the executive director lover took no correction. After our extended …
All Too Cozy – Association Staff and Contract Lobbyists Read More »
Last month a major-league lobbyist shared with me the top 5 complaints he hears from clients when they hire him after firing their contractors. In the next several blogs I’ll offer suggestions to clients on how to avoid these complaints from arising. While I have a client-centric bias, I hope both clients and contractors will find these suggestions …
For a Successful Client – Lobbyist Relationship – Create A Lobbying Plan Read More »
A big reason clients give as an explanation for firing their lobbyists is the lack of communication. Lack of communication can occur at either the lobbyist’s or the client’s initiative. I say initiative because non-communication is a conscious choice. Sometimes a lobbyist doesn’t want to “waste” time communicating with clients, especially bad ones. Or some clients may be …
For a Successful Client – Lobbyist Relationship – Communicate Read More »
Have you ever heard this joke? A potential client asks a lobbyist, “How much would a retainer cost us?” Lobbyist: 12 thousand dollars. “How much for you to lobby for us?” Lobbyist: 30 thousand dollars. “How much if we lobby together?” Lobbyist: 60 thousand dollars. Some contractors don’t want clients to do anything more than write checks. There are …
For a Successful Client – Lobbyist Relationship – Include Clients in Lobbying Read More »
The fourth reason clients give for firing their contractors is they don’t understand the fees they are paying. Lobby School students at times say to me, “We pay our #$%! lobbyist too much #$%! money for what we are getting!” Yet, I suspect they, like most consumers of lobbying services, really don’t know what they …
For a Successful Client – Lobbyist Relationship – Have a Clear Fee Structure Read More »
Another reason clients fire their contractors is: lobbyists not reporting progress and success. This complaint is a subcategory of Reason Number 2 for Firing – Failure to Communicate. It flows from 1) fundamental disrespect for the client, 2) inadequate engagement documents, or 3) unenforced engagement documents. Fundamental disrespect for the client: If lobbyists conclude you are in over your head, …
For a Successful Client – Lobbyist Relationship – Report Progress and Success Read More »
This next series of posts is intended to help new lobbyists find their places in their organizations and in the lobbying world. For each reader, your answers set the foundation for your professional future, success, job satisfaction, and longevity. Let’s consider some questions that should be considered before you take a job. Those of you already employed must …
Advice for New Lobbyists: Who Do You Want to Be? Can You Escape Burnout? Read More »
In our last essays, we examined two foundational questions new lobbyists must face: Who do you want to be in your organization; and, are you strong enough to avoid burnout? In this post, we consider the office context into which you will be working, specifically your employer’s level of government affairs (GA) sophistication and its …
Advice: How Government Affairs Sophisticated Is Your Employer? Read More »
The previous two posts dealt with questions fundamental to you having a successful lobbying career: Post 1) Who do you want to be in your organization? and, Can you escape burnout? Post 2) How government affairs (GA) sophisticated is your employer? and, How committed is your employer to your GA program and to you? In …
Advice for New Lobbyists: How to Work in a Logical, but Irrational Environment Read More »
Bolster your training and supplemental resources. Learn your employer’s political history and landscape. Identify internal and external political resources. Evaluate the wisdom and efficacy of making political contributions. Make the rounds. Build constituent teams. But first, because these blogs are about you, let’s reconsider my earlier pre-hire questions for job-seekers: Who do you want to be in your …
Advice for New Lobbyists: You Got the Job. What’s Next? Read More »
You have the job. You are going to get supplemental training and avail yourself to advanced reading. You have learned your principal’s political history and landscape. Your next steps toward being successful in your new career are to: Identify internal and external political resources. Evaluate the wisdom and efficacy of making political contributions. Identify internal and …
Advice for New Lobbyists: Assessing Your Chances of Legislative Success Read More »
“Neither Liberty Nor Property Is Safe When the Legislature Is In Session.” Does This Suggest State Legislatures Can Reverse Federal Constitutional Protections? (From Reason) “The American Bar Association’s House of Delegates rejected a resolution to endorse the affirmative consent standard, which holds that an [sexual] encounter should be considered assault unless each participant obtained a …
Neither Liberty Nor Property Is Safe When the Legislature Is In Session Read More »
A state executive agency is a special interest-government hybrid. It’s a special interest in that its own interests compete for favorable legislation and appropriations against other special interests. At the same time, it’s government because the legislature created it, tells it what to do via statute and budget, and its staff are state employees. Lawmakers are obligated to fund agency …
Only the total novice would dish out $ to some “authority” who knows little or nothing related to our state of NV. NV is so separate and unique.
Some years ago, I lobbied to change a Medicaid system predisposed to nursing homes rather than the state providing much less costly equivalent care in a person’s home.
