Nonprofits received tips on getting the attention of elected officials Wednesday (Oct. 9).
The advice came from experts—elected officials and their staff, as well a chamber of commerce official.
They spoke at the Nonprofit Advocacy Clinic, sponsored by the Nonprofit Center of North Central Florida and held at Santa Fe College’s Center for Innovation and Economic Development (CIED).
“You have to make your case and show your face,” said Kamal Latham, vice president of public policy for the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce.
You need a somewhat different approach to elected officials who see themselves as representatives than you do for those who regard themselves as trustees, Latham said.
The “representatives” give great weight to the number of people on each side of an issue, while the “trustees” focus on the merits of your arguments, Latham said.
Participants represented health care organizations, social service organizations, business clubs and the League of Women Voters of Alachua County.
The generally cordial exchanges became somewhat tense when the subject of the partial federal government shutdown came up during the presentation of Jessica Norfleet, a constituent advocate for Congressman Ted Yoho.
Donna Waller of the League of Women Voters challenged Yoho’s insistence that passing a continuing resolution on the federal budget be tied to changes in the Affordable Care Act.
“His statements are inhibiting, and they keep him from getting an accurate gauge of what the public thinks,” Waller said.
The shutdown is hurting Florida because national parks are closed and because tourists are holding off on travel due to uncertainty about the economy, said environmental advocate Jeannette Hinsdale.
“I don’t think the congressman understands how the economy works,” Hinsdale said.
Norfleet thanked Waller and Hinsdale for being polite in their comments. “As long as we have courteous, open dialogue, we can get things done,” she said.
Yoho can intercede with federal agencies such as the Veterans Administration and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, Norfleet said.
Yoho recently met with representatives of ElderCare, who shared their position on a pending bill. “Now he’s working through changes they want,” Norfleet said.
State Sen. Rob Bradley is very interested in hearing from constituents, said Legislative Assistant Tonya Shays.
The high volume of email, including spam from advocacy groups across the country, makes it hard to get your message through via email, Shays said. “It’s much better to call me,” said Shays, whose office is at CIED. “You name it, I’ll report it to him.”
Shays encouraged participants to testify before legislative committees. “Everyone and anyone can testify,” she pointed out.