The Public Affairs Pilot

Posted 2010-07-29

“A Nation of Lobbyists:” Grassroots and Social Networking.

Poltico recently published an articled entitled “An Obama accident: nation of lobbyists” describing the rising power of grassroots public affairs campaigns. MediaPostNews recently released a major study which clearly ties social media efforts to increased business success. And the St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, in its most recent newsletter, highlighted Weber Johnson Public Affairs and its aggressive use of Social Media in Public Affairs campaigns. With huge issues like Nationalized Health Care and “Cap and Trade” on the march, and less high-profile issues with equally profound impacts on business being pushed every day, industry should look to Weber Johnson and the kind of “nation of lobbyists” and social networking campaigns we specialize in. It is more important than ever.

In the public affairs world, interest in bringing constituents’ voices into the lobbying game has been growing since the early ’90s, when technology and new media began to make reaching and influencing individuals possible on an unprecedented scale. Firms devoted to grass-roots work or that touted a “campaign-style” approach to lobbying began to spring up, bringing both average Americans and local “influencers” into the process.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0709/25364.html

Over the years, Weber Johnson has been a leader in grassroots organizing, and mobilizing the “nation of lobbyists” on behalf of clients with Federal, State and Local needs. Said one client, of Weber Johnson’s work:

“We engaged WeberJohnson Public Affairs to garner grass-roots political support for a rezoning decision by a City Council. The proposed project had received favorable City planning staff support, but had encountered significant neighborhood opposition. WeberJohnson successfully mobilized support from citizens, businesses and stakeholder groups to target City Council members. We received unanimous City Council approval at the end of WeberJohnson’s 45-day engagement, after months of struggle. As a company that has dealt with similar problems like this all over the world, we found real value in WJPA’s work.”

One of the latest tools which Weber Johnson is using successfully is communication and organization utilizing Social Networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. In business, politics and public affairs, there are some who are still skeptics. From MediaPostNews, “In short, is it worth it? A study released Monday (July 20th 2009) says ‘yes,’ drawing a link between brands’ social media efforts and revenue growth.” This study can easily be extrapolated onto efforts in political and public affairs campaigns.

The St. Paul Chamber of Commerce feature story for their July issue of NEXUS highlighted Weber Johnson as a success story in the Social Networking space. The St. Paul Chamber is, “actively using Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter to communicate with members, deliver member services and create awareness for the organization.” They point to Weber Johnson’s activity utilizing these tools as an example of the increased use of social networking in public affairs and in this new “Nation of Lobbyists” we are finding as Grassroots Public Affairs campaigns become increasingly important.

During the remainder of the August recess and on into the fall, there will be significant Federal policy battles to be waged on high profile issues like “Cap and Trade” and Health Care, and a significant number of other issues which business and industry had better be prepared for. The same is true for State Legislatures here in Minnesota and across the Country where Weber Johnson does work. Many of the legislative battles will be won and lost during the interim, and the organization will play a huge role in whether battles are won or lost. Weber Johnson has a strong reputation and is well equipped to help engage the “Nation of Lobbyists” using both traditional tools and the ever expanding virtual tools organizations, business and industry are turning to in order to achieve their public policy goals.

The point of the Politico article discussed here is that more than ever, constituent mobilization and engagement of the citizen lobbyist is not just important but critical in the Public Affairs arena. We successfully use ever arrow in the quiver, including key new Social Networking tools, to back up and support our client’s direct lobbying efforts.

Follow us on Twitter @weberjohnsonpa or visit www.weberjohnsonpa.com to learn how we can help.

Governor Pawlenty; Leader on the Big Issues

There is no doubt about it, that Health Care reform and Cap and Trade are the two most high profile and controversial issues dominating the public policy debate today. They are also two of the biggest opportunities for bi-partisan cooperation. Here in Minnesota, these two issues even eclipse the back and forth the Minnesota Vikings have had in the process of signing former rival Brett Favre in terms of the news cycle.

Interestingly, on each of these issues (even the Favre issue to a certain extent), Governor Pawlenty has been in the spotlight across the country. We’ve had the good fortune to have a close relationship with Governor Pawlenty, and have been able to see why he has become such a critical state and national player in these and other important issues of the day.

In June, Governor Pawlenty penned a letter to Minnesota’s Congressional delegation expressing serious reservations about the Waxman-Markey Cap and Trade bill taken up and passed by the house. In his request that they oppose the bill, he cited that the bill would have a demonstrably negative impact on our economy, while doing little to impact its intended goals of reducing climate change.

Governor Pawlenty, known for his innovation and forethought on energy issues cites that Waxman-Markey will:

  • Raise electricity rates 90 percent after adjusting for inflation
  • Raise residential gas prices by 74%
  • Raise an average family’s annual energy bill by $1,500

These key problems with the bill, among other serious issues, along with the disproportionate negative impact Governor Pawlenty highlights for rural communities and agriculture, were the impetus behind Governor Pawlenty laying out a better path. Incentives to conserve, incentives to move towards renewables, dramatic expansion of our use of nuclear, and deployment of technological advance to reduce carbon emissions while demanding other countries follow suit were among Governor Pawlenty’s key tenants for energy reform expressed to members of Congress.

Likewise, Governor Pawlenty has been a champion of Health Care reform while leading the charge against movement towards a socialized system. As Governor Pawlenty often says in reference to MN’s crown jewel for health care, there is no Mayo in Canada. There is also no American Telecare, Medtronic or Elk run, two cutting edge Minnesota Companies and a bioscience development on the verge of true health care reform.

In a recent Washington Post Editorial, Governor Pawlenty writes:

If you tie money to results, you’ll get better results. Unfortunately, government often dumps money into programs without regard to accountability and outcomes. This past week, Democrats in Congress have been busy tinkering with a Washington takeover of the health-care system, but perhaps they should look instead to the states for models of market-driven, patient-centered and quality-focused reform. Rather than taking power away from states, federal health-care reform should use the lessons we’ve learned tackling this crisis in our back yards.

Congress has an opportunity to take a genuinely bipartisan approach to health-care reform, which is unquestionably needed. Instead of tweaking the Democrats’ plan to put Washington bureaucrats in charge of health care, I recommend a do-over. There are many common-sense elements that could form the basis for bipartisan health-care reform, including: medical malpractice reform, prohibiting coverage denials based on preexisting conditions, guaranteeing portability, electronic prescriptions and medical records, streamlining billing codes and practices, price and quality transparency, pay-for-performance measures, one-stop primary-care “medical homes,” chronic disease management initiatives, tax equity for health insurance purchases, increased incentives for health savings accounts, creating the ability to purchase insurance or form risk pools across state lines, and much more.

Governor Pawlenty has been a true leader on health care in Minnesota, and is quickly emerging as a national leader on real reform focused on real results.

As we approach big issues like Health Care, Climate Change and others in the upcoming weeks and months, there are opportunities to come to bi-partisan solutions through growing grassroots coalitions and the kind of leadership displayed by Governor Pawlenty here at home and at a national level.

Climate & Healthcare: When Solutions Become the Problems.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

My Dad had a saying, “Don’t let today’s solutions become tomorrow’s problems.” His point: know what you’re doing and don’t do anything to make matters worse.

As Congress sputters on the President’s healthcare and climate initiatives, I thought about Dad’s advice but concluded that to be applicable to the President’s situation there needs to be a corollary: “don’t let the solution become today’s problem.”

There are a lot of similarities between healthcare and climate initiatives. Both are major, “changing-life-as-we-know-it” initiatives affecting all Americans with a lot of very complicated moving pieces and competing interests.

Candidly, I agree with President Obama that America should do something to address greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and the rising costs of health care.

The problem is that the President’s solutions have become problems and, perhaps, even bigger problems then the problems they are designed to solve. One reason is that the President and Democratic Congressional leaders are trying to convince us that their solutions are cost-free and easy. This just doesn’t pass the laugh test. Americans are used to their political leaders stretching reality, but that stretch has to be within the realm of commonsense credibility. And, it’s just not credible to say that we can reduce GHGs without increasing the cost of energy or that healthcare coverage can be expanded without increasing the amount of money government takes from us.

Another reason the President’s solutions have become the problem is their complexity. The President’s climate and healthcare initiatives are both mammoth pieces of legislation that most people haven’t read, let alone understand what they do or how they will do it. Obviously, some will lose; some will win; and some will win and lose at the same time. Americans don’t need to know everything about every piece of legislation and are used to (and willing to) make these kinds of trade-offs. But, we need to understand the broad themes and how they are likely to affect us. Unfortunately, the size and complexity of the initiatives prevent such understanding, leaving him unacceptably saying, “trust us, we’re the government, we know what we’re doing and we’re here to help.” No wonder the thinking, swing members of the Congress are balking.

The third reason his solutions have become the problem is the speed he is pushing them. Again, I turn to one of Dad’s sayings: “if you don’t have time to do it right the first time, why do you think you’ll have time to fix it the second time?” It was his version of “haste makes waste.” The President wants to make major changes to three of the biggest sectors of the economy (energy, healthcare and financial services) in less than 12 months. That’s fast; too fast…it’s turned the solution into the problem.

For many, most, the President has won the argument that climate and healthcare are problems that deserve solutions. But his solutions have become problems. His best course is to slow things down, skinny the bills and focus on improving one or two high leverage elements in each topic and make sure the substance of the efforts match the low cost rhetoric. For energy, that means focusing on promoting more renewables, enhancing our energy efficiency efforts and growing the nuclear industry. As for climate? These first items will make a big dent in emissions. In the mean time spend the intervening time getting an international GHGs reduction agreement and thinking through how to implement a cap and trade program and the other regulatory tools…perhaps a Blue Ribbon Task Force could be convened.