Question
How come Governor Romney gets a day of good press for a "bull horn" moment, no matter how insignificant the issue, no matter how goofy the opinion. Rarely do the reporters include any comments from affected constituents, even more rarely is there any next day follow up to expose the goofiness.
Hecate's Answer
While all Governors and other heads of Government are often wrong, they cannot appear to be in doubt at the bull horn moment. Hence the power points and the timing of the press conference late in the day so that the press does not have the time to research the doubt before the deadline. The next day, they have other stories to cover. Sooner or later, what comes around will go around, and some enterprising reporter will write a story listing all the goofs. Look for those stories to start appearing as this Governor gets closer to running for President. You can help by building a relationship with the reporters and making sure they keep a list of the goofs you know about.
Monday, September 26, 2005
Working with Staff -- The Good and the Bad
Question:
All the professional lobbyists and former legislators we talk to tell us that we should not consider it insulting when we are told we can't meet with the individual legislators in our delegation, and are referred to staff. And while we have built a wonderful relationship with some staff people, others need some active listening training to put it kindly, and at least one staff person has been downright rude. And if that's not enough, the good ones seem to leave after a few years!
Hecate's answer
After every meeting with staff -- good or bad -- write a polite note to the legislator, recapping the meeting,listing the specific requests you made, and any follow up actions. If the meeting went well, say so and compliment the staff for being helpful and responsive. If there have been any promises made to follow up, mention them. If the meeting did not go well, your polite note should restate the problem, your proposed solution and be specific about how the staff person responded to each point. End by simply saying your group was "disappointed", and hope to have the another opportunity to present your information.
Of course the good ones leave, sometimes to higher ranking, better paying jobs in Government, sometimes to the dreaded private sector to become very effective lobbyists, sometimes to run for office themselves. At least they know what they are getting into.
All the professional lobbyists and former legislators we talk to tell us that we should not consider it insulting when we are told we can't meet with the individual legislators in our delegation, and are referred to staff. And while we have built a wonderful relationship with some staff people, others need some active listening training to put it kindly, and at least one staff person has been downright rude. And if that's not enough, the good ones seem to leave after a few years!
Hecate's answer
After every meeting with staff -- good or bad -- write a polite note to the legislator, recapping the meeting,listing the specific requests you made, and any follow up actions. If the meeting went well, say so and compliment the staff for being helpful and responsive. If there have been any promises made to follow up, mention them. If the meeting did not go well, your polite note should restate the problem, your proposed solution and be specific about how the staff person responded to each point. End by simply saying your group was "disappointed", and hope to have the another opportunity to present your information.
Of course the good ones leave, sometimes to higher ranking, better paying jobs in Government, sometimes to the dreaded private sector to become very effective lobbyists, sometimes to run for office themselves. At least they know what they are getting into.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
It's All About Accomplishment
Question:
At least the President is acknowledging that the Federal Government must invest billions of dollars to help the low income survivors of Katrina "get themselves back on their feet", and he seems willing to find the money to pay for their health care and create an array of innovative housing and jobs programs.
Meanwhile our Governor is getting lots of national press by continuing to promote himself as a candidate for President and pushing for tax cuts. He will no doubt get lots more press (and raise more money from out of state contributors)when he announces that he has failed because he is a "red speck" in a blue state. Talk about setting yourself up to win the blame game.
Meanwhile the Democratic Legislative Leadership has been working hard all summer to get ready pass legislation to spend the Governor's proposed tax cut on a new jobs program and comprehensive health care reform that will help the low income residents of Massachusetts. And neither one is getting any positive press for "doing the right thing"at all.
Hecate's Answer
Well good for you for at least acknowledging that the President is doing the right thing "at last". Hecate wonders if he has any political capital as a lame duck to convince his conservative supporters to fund the programs.
As for the press covering your Governor every time he opens his mouth, that's because he opens his mouth often. His staff brainstorms clever quotes over the newspaper headlines every morning, and then arranges "press opportunities" for him to opine. It's a win win, because even when the clever quote is particularly insensitive or stupid and prompts a strong reaction (i.e. his proposal to phone tap local Muslim leaders) he gets a second day of press "clarifying" his original remarks.
As for the Democratic Leadership not being acknowledged for their hard work over the summer, that's because they've been keeping their negotiations with all the key stakeholders quiet, which Hecate thinks is too bad for their public image as Leaders but problably good for the policy making process.
Anyway neither of them care as much as you may think they should about their public image. The Speaker has to care what folks in his district and 159 legislators think about him, and the Senate President only has to care about 39 other senators and the folks in his district. And they don't have to worry about a national image at all!
For them, it's all about accomplishment.
At least the President is acknowledging that the Federal Government must invest billions of dollars to help the low income survivors of Katrina "get themselves back on their feet", and he seems willing to find the money to pay for their health care and create an array of innovative housing and jobs programs.
Meanwhile our Governor is getting lots of national press by continuing to promote himself as a candidate for President and pushing for tax cuts. He will no doubt get lots more press (and raise more money from out of state contributors)when he announces that he has failed because he is a "red speck" in a blue state. Talk about setting yourself up to win the blame game.
Meanwhile the Democratic Legislative Leadership has been working hard all summer to get ready pass legislation to spend the Governor's proposed tax cut on a new jobs program and comprehensive health care reform that will help the low income residents of Massachusetts. And neither one is getting any positive press for "doing the right thing"at all.
Hecate's Answer
Well good for you for at least acknowledging that the President is doing the right thing "at last". Hecate wonders if he has any political capital as a lame duck to convince his conservative supporters to fund the programs.
As for the press covering your Governor every time he opens his mouth, that's because he opens his mouth often. His staff brainstorms clever quotes over the newspaper headlines every morning, and then arranges "press opportunities" for him to opine. It's a win win, because even when the clever quote is particularly insensitive or stupid and prompts a strong reaction (i.e. his proposal to phone tap local Muslim leaders) he gets a second day of press "clarifying" his original remarks.
As for the Democratic Leadership not being acknowledged for their hard work over the summer, that's because they've been keeping their negotiations with all the key stakeholders quiet, which Hecate thinks is too bad for their public image as Leaders but problably good for the policy making process.
Anyway neither of them care as much as you may think they should about their public image. The Speaker has to care what folks in his district and 159 legislators think about him, and the Senate President only has to care about 39 other senators and the folks in his district. And they don't have to worry about a national image at all!
For them, it's all about accomplishment.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
Hope is Not a Course of Action
All of us who advocate for the poor, the elderly and the disabled in Massachusetts are struggling to manage our ongoing anger towards the Romney administration for their unwillingness to help the poor and homeless “get back on their feet” in Massachusetts at the very same moment our agencies and organizations stand beside him contributing our private and personal resources to welcome the poor, elderly and disabled homeless survivors of Katrina.
The front page of the September 9 Globe illuminated the contradictions in the Romney administrations’ stance toward the poor.
Evacuees arrive on Cape above the fold and Back Bay Shantytowns dismantled below the fold.
The first story illustrates the Governor’s willingness to help the survivors of Katrina for as long as it takes for them to “get back on their feet”. The second story illustrates his willingness to knock right back down hundreds of homeless men and women who had set up encampments on state owned property.
There are a lot of contradictions in our work too, but this much is clear.
We’re glad the Governor has had the opportunity to demonstrate his humanity for those less fortunate and we support spending our taxpayer money on cash, housing and medical care to survivors from other states. That sense of decency was not apparent in the FY06 budget process when he vetoed hundreds of budget amendments providing for tiny incremental improvements in housing, cash assistance and job training programs. Thankfully our Legislature, including many Republicans, over rode those vetoes.
We hope that the Governors sense of decency can extend to those in Massachusetts who have suffered a variety of personal and family disasters and who are not fortunate enough to be able to get back on their feet without government’s help.
We hope Governor Romney will support equipping his administration with the resources necessary to create a culture of opportunity for these unfortunate, and stop worrying about them possibly enjoying a short period of dependency.
What can we do to get him to reconsider his refusal to help he thousands and thousands of poor elderly and disabled residents on the edge of disaster here in Massachusetts?
Hecate's Advice
Hecate knows that you and hundreds of advocates from a thousand different organization will continue to do the political organizing and mobilizing work it takes to keep families safe and healthy in the Massachusetts economy.
Keep your hope alive, as Jesse would say, but also start working on a concrete solution. How about encouraging the Democratic Leadership in the House and Senate to put those incremental restorations you fought so hard for back into the upcoming supplemental budget and on his desk to sign this time. Maybe his heart is softening.
And then you can offer him another Hero Opportunity. Here’s a script.................
“We have the capacity to end homelessness in Massachusetts, to make our public schools the best in America, and to provide affordable healthcare to our people. But to do it we would have to stop cutting taxes and we may have to repeal some tax cuts. I know that won’t be politically easy, but it is the right thing to do for the people of Massachusetts and I will make it happen.” If Romney took the lead, nobody could stop him. He would improve the lives of millions of ordinary people, and strengthen our state’s economy for generations.
The front page of the September 9 Globe illuminated the contradictions in the Romney administrations’ stance toward the poor.
Evacuees arrive on Cape above the fold and Back Bay Shantytowns dismantled below the fold.
The first story illustrates the Governor’s willingness to help the survivors of Katrina for as long as it takes for them to “get back on their feet”. The second story illustrates his willingness to knock right back down hundreds of homeless men and women who had set up encampments on state owned property.
There are a lot of contradictions in our work too, but this much is clear.
We’re glad the Governor has had the opportunity to demonstrate his humanity for those less fortunate and we support spending our taxpayer money on cash, housing and medical care to survivors from other states. That sense of decency was not apparent in the FY06 budget process when he vetoed hundreds of budget amendments providing for tiny incremental improvements in housing, cash assistance and job training programs. Thankfully our Legislature, including many Republicans, over rode those vetoes.
We hope that the Governors sense of decency can extend to those in Massachusetts who have suffered a variety of personal and family disasters and who are not fortunate enough to be able to get back on their feet without government’s help.
We hope Governor Romney will support equipping his administration with the resources necessary to create a culture of opportunity for these unfortunate, and stop worrying about them possibly enjoying a short period of dependency.
What can we do to get him to reconsider his refusal to help he thousands and thousands of poor elderly and disabled residents on the edge of disaster here in Massachusetts?
Hecate's Advice
Hecate knows that you and hundreds of advocates from a thousand different organization will continue to do the political organizing and mobilizing work it takes to keep families safe and healthy in the Massachusetts economy.
Keep your hope alive, as Jesse would say, but also start working on a concrete solution. How about encouraging the Democratic Leadership in the House and Senate to put those incremental restorations you fought so hard for back into the upcoming supplemental budget and on his desk to sign this time. Maybe his heart is softening.
And then you can offer him another Hero Opportunity. Here’s a script.................
“We have the capacity to end homelessness in Massachusetts, to make our public schools the best in America, and to provide affordable healthcare to our people. But to do it we would have to stop cutting taxes and we may have to repeal some tax cuts. I know that won’t be politically easy, but it is the right thing to do for the people of Massachusetts and I will make it happen.” If Romney took the lead, nobody could stop him. He would improve the lives of millions of ordinary people, and strengthen our state’s economy for generations.
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