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Lobbying or Government Relations
Utilize the following tips when working with your member of Congress.
By John Peterson, PE, CPESC
Lobbying scandals over the years have caused
some members of the Land Improvement
Contractors of America (LICA) concern about
how the organization works with our federal
elected officials.
The emphasis placed on political fundraising in the
U.S. by lobbyists is a growing problem in Washington. A
number of lobbyists see channeling campaign funds as the
main entrée to the political arena in which their client’s
interests will be determined. This fixation on campaign
funds has dramatically changed the tenor on Capitol
Hill. Lobbying is legal. Campaign contributions, if made
legally, are not evil.
Lobbying has a rich history tied to the foundation of
the U.S. government, and its practitioners have often been
viewed skeptically. Webster defines “lobbyists” as “people
acting for special-interest groups, who try to influence the
introduction of or voting on legislation or the decisions of
government administrators.” Their work is considered by
many to be vital to policy making and is protected under
the First Amendment right “to petition the government
for a redress of grievances.”
There are a few general classes under which lobbyists
fall. Corporate lobbyists represent individual companies
that employ them to push company interests on Capitol
Hill. Nonprofit and public-interest lobbyists work for
grass-roots causes or voluntary organizations. If LICA
does anything that would be considered lobbying,
this would be the category it would fall in. I think of
what LICA does as government relations work and not
lobbying. Contract lobbyists work for whoever hires them:
private companies, unions or any other group interested
in persuading a lawmaker to vote in a certain way. The
common thread among lobbyists is a desire to contribute
to public-policy formulation. One member of Congress
said he often finds lobbyists to be a valuable asset because
they focus on particular subject matters that he could not
get anywhere else.
Over the years I have been compiling helpful tips on
working with Congress. They are useful for all who may
have reason to contact legislators at any level: federal,
state or local. Some of these tips are: Don’t underestimate
legislators; be understanding, practical and informed; be
a good opponent; don’t run down the opposition; don’t
assume your legislators know everything about your issues;
don’t talk without the facts; don’t forget there is always
another side to your issue; don’t expect commitment on
the spot; be reasonable; never break a promise; learn to
evaluate and weigh issues; don’t change horses in the
middle of the stream; be realistic; don’t sulk when you
don’t win; be thoughtful, friendly and say thank you; and
don’t leave never to return.
Our LICA legislative activity is completely within the
rules and is part and parcel of the process of government.
We are unpaid volunteers and are expert contractors
dedicated to the professional conservation of soil and water
with information vital to members of Congress as they do
their duty. We do not give any funds to politicians.
I’m reminded that the more we choose to believe our
U.S. lobbying problems come from not having enough laws,
the more we distort the truth that the problem is corrupt
people, not a corrupt system. As the saying goes, for a man
with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. The politicians’
hammer is legislation, and they’re always ready to use it. Be
sure of what you ask for. You might just get it.
John Peterson, PE, CPESC, is the
LICA director of government relations
and is president and chief executive
officer of Burke, Va.-based KEMPS
Consultants Inc., consultants in
natural resources public policy, water
resources and erosion and sediment
control. He may be contacted at
jwpeterson@cox.net.
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