Tips for Lobbyist—the Five C’s of Lobbying
Whenever you are writing to, meeting with, or calling a legislator, keep in mind the “Five C’s" of lobbying.
1. Courteous—Always be courteous, even if you and your legislator don’t
see eye-to-eye on an issue. The most important factor is to keep the lines
of communication open.
2. Candid—Explain the program. Don’t give arguments on both sides of a
topic—you may be setting yourself up for defeat. Stick to your topic.
3. Correct—Tell what you know. Don’t state the facts with statistics or information you don’t understand perfectly. In letters, make absolutely certain your grammar, spelling, and punctuation are correct.
4. Concise—Don’t be long-winded or try to oversell a topic. On paper, stick to one-page letters that focus on a single topic. If there are several issues you wish to address, it’s best to write separate letters on each.
5. Constituency-based concerns—Zero in on what’s going on with retired teachers in your area. Legislators are naturally most interested in what’s happening in the area they represent.
Contacting Legislators is important
You may get addresses of legislators and email addresses at the following website:
Welcome to the Tennessee Retired Teachers Association
website
Representing
The key to success in any legislative program is lobbying. Lobbying starts at the local level. Get to know your local legislators. Talk to them as often as you can. How to talk and what to talk about is a primary focus of this page. Below you will find the TRTA Legislative Program, tips for lobbying, the actual bill numbers, links to legislators e-mail, and a section called “Today’s Priority”. Each of these will help you as you talk with your legislators. Legislators do not know what we what until we tell them. The process of telling them is called “lobbying”. It does not need to be a difficult task. The more legislators hear, the more they listen. Let’s make this a banner year for TRTA by getting an early start. We can’t wait until January. Gerald Lillard TRTA President-Elect
Tennessee Retired Teachers Association
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM 2011-2012
1. Continue to keep the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System funded on an actuarially sound basis. 5. Endorse and support the 2011-2012 TEA Legislative Program as passed by the TEA Representative Assembly, including but not limited to:
· Work to assure that the benefits of the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System accrue only to retirees and beneficiaries.
· Strive to be certain that the state’s monetary contribution to the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System never be less than recommended by the independent actuarial firm that determines the state’s contribution.
· Strongly urge when reductions are made in the state contribution level, the additional funds not needed to meet the goals set out by the actuarial firm will be used for retiree benefits.
2. Continue to work toward tax fairness with adequate funding necessary to address the growing needs of public education and retirees.
3. Request that the 107h Legislature:
for update on TEA sponsored legislation
visit:
www.teateachers.org
