All You Ever Wanted to Know About Politics but were

Afraid to Ask

Presented by Representative Sherman

Packard (NH) and Bruce Downs

Meeting of the Minds 2012

Bikers in the Beltway

Personal Involvement With Politicians

Before They Are Elected

Call your town Clerk or Secretary of State for a list of candidates

Speak with the candidates that have announced their intent to run. Study the voting record of the incumbent, how did that person vote on your issues, let them know you are a member of a rights organization. Do you need to replace or educate that person?

Let your candidate know that you are going to support them early

Render the most assistance possible during the campaign• Phone banks, install signs, hold signs, attend fund raisers

Working with Elected Officials

After the candidate is elected there are many things you can do to continue to build trust and develop a lasting relationship with the elected official

Know their Committee assignments Attend Hearings Attend Town Meetings

Educating Politicians Politicians are our employees and they need to be

aware of our concerns When meeting with your elected officials be

prepared Emphasize your position Never lie or make up information If you do not have the answer tell them you will

get it for them Always follow up

REMEMBER THEY ARE TO BE EDUCATED NOT HARRASED

Legislative SessionBill Introduction

Sponsors and co-sponsors Committee Assignment Motorcycle Bills usually go the to

Transportations but not always Phone Trees to alert members

• Bring your members up to speed• Letter writing campaign• Call committee members• Attend public hearings

Lobbying Your Elected Officials

Each time you speak with your Representative you are building an exchange of open communication. By creating this open communication they may be more amicable to your views when you lobby them on helmet or other motorcycling issues.

Whenever you talk to your Representative, this is called lobbying

Make sure you have all the factsBack it up with written statements

and dataPoliticians may mislead you, but we

can never lie to them. It will come back to haunt you FOREVER

If the issue is a mandatory helmet law, you should have a clear understanding of your right’s group philosophy and its official position regarding helmet laws.

Be able to discuss the positive benefits of rider education

Be personable and politeWhen calling your Representative be sure

to ask their position on the issue and why. LISTEN carefully and take notes

Writing LEtters When writing letters as a lobbying tool keep them

short

Address the letter properly: The Honorable Sherm Packard

When writing to a Chairman, Sub-Committee Chair, or Speaker it is proper to address them as Dear: Chairman Packard

Your purpose should be stated in the first paragraph, list bill members: I am writing to oppose/support HB – or SB –

Be courteous, to the point, and include key information Address only one issue per letter, keep it to one page,

hand written is best and never use a form letter, it will influence no one

Dressing for Meetings with Elected Officials

Motorcyclist have a certain dress style that may or may not have an effect on the outcome of your meeting If you know the elected official and you are

comfortable with him/her it’s your choice If you do not know the elected official it is

better to wear a clean pair of jeans and a collared shirt for a man and a dress or skirt and blouse for a woman

Public Hearing

To those who will be speaking proper dress is a must

DECORUM

What to Wear to HearingsWhen a helmet bill or other motorcycling

issue is scheduled for a public hearing, it is perfectly acceptable to attend the hearing wearing leathers and most of all, your rights group tee shirts

However, NEVER, NEVER wear an obnoxious tee shirt with foul language on it

The exception to the above rule is those who testify should be attired properly; coat, shirt and tie for the men and dresses for the women

TestimonyOne of your speakers should be an expert

on the issueOne of your speakers should be a woman;

bring a different perspective to the issuePractice your testimony in front of a

mirror several times Be confident, friendly, but not too… Make your points short, do not belabor the

point Keep testimony to 3-5 minutes

It is okay to be nervous, try to be clear, articulate

Do not repeat yourselfIf previous speakers have already

testified on your point, skip itYou should always prepare your

speakers in advanceOnly the Chairman can control the

speaking order

During the HearingTestimony will be presented by both sides of

the issueUrge all members to attend the hearing, but

keep the speakers to what is neededThe large presence of motorcyclists will tell

the committee members how the group feelsNo outburst during the hearing, clapping,

boos, etc.Legislative hearings are not a popularity

contest, decorum is of the utmost importance

Written TestimonyWritten testimony is a mustCover sheet, double-space for member

commentsCheck grammar and spellingOriginal to the Clerk and copies for every

Committee memberWritten testimony can be different from oral

testimony, should be closeTestimony must be factual, back up with

data

If you have multiple speakers, try to hold one to the end of the hearing to rebut any previous testimony

You can ask the Chairman if you can present additional testimony and comments after the hearing

Finally, remember that all testimony is public record and anyone can request to view or copy it

We Hope You Enjoyed the Workshop

We will now try to answer your

Questions