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In the News Truth is main factor for success, lobbyists agree
In the News Truth is main factor for success, lobbyists agree | Truth is main factor for success, lobbyists agree |
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Savannah Morning News | November 3, 2007 ATLANTA - Two months before the General Assembly convenes in January, lobbyists are busy gearing up. Part of their current job is learning the issues that likely will be debated during the session and reporting them to their clients or association members for instructions on which stance to take. The monitoring role is important, especially in a period with so many huge issues in play. Many lobbyists also see themselves as strategists. Should an unwanted bill be weakened with amendments - or killed outright? Should it be fought publicly with newspaper ads, protest marches and letter-writing campaigns - or quietly derailed in committee? For those decisions, a lobbyist needs to have a good read on the mood of the legislators, say veterans of "Gucci Gulch." That's what former Gov. Roy Barnes dubbed the hallways where the paid lobbyists hang out, with or without expensive Italian loafers. In the coming weeks, as corporate and nonprofit lobbyists write their strategy memos, they'll use impressions from dozens of committee meetings on issues ranging from the regulation of tanning beds to funding transportation. They've been attending the meetings as much to assess mood and strengthen relationships as to simply monitor committee decisions. At the same time, they're learning the personal agendas of lawmakers. Knowing Legislator ABC cares about job creation and Legislator XYZ is most concerned about traffic congestion helps in formulating an argument for each that emphasizes how a given bill may advance those personal agendas. The path to success Once a lobbying strategy has been formulated, what's the most effective tool for success? Savannah contract lobbyist Lee Hughes offered the common answer. "The key quality in a lobbyist is integrity," said Hughes, who lobbies for Gulfstream Aerospace, Chatham County and others. "... I don't think you can apply your integrity selectively. People have to believe that you're telling the truth whether you're speaking to a legislator, a client or a clerk." Hughes' thinking is echoed by many others. "Truthfulness and candor are absolutely No. 1," said Joe Fleming, lobbyist for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. "Your creditability is about everything you've got." John Bozeman, a contract lobbyist for GeorgiaLink, put it another way. "In the end it goes to trust. If they're taking a leap of faith in you, they'd better be able to trust you," he said. "They're putting their political careers in your hands every time they trust you." Working in the rumor mill under the Gold Dome provides many opportunities to spread gossip, said Bozeman, one-time lobbyist for Gov. Sonny Perdue. Breaking a trust or spreading gossip is as harmful to a lobbying relationship as it is to one between friends. And, public perception to the contrary, the confidences are usually about legislative tactics rather than juicy moral lapses. Perks of the job Few lobbyists claim firsthand knowledge of grossly unethical behavior. Most say they won't jeopardize their own careers to win a vote for a client. Of course, campaign donations, lavish dinners and tickets to ball games aren't illegal, but the lobbyists who've used them, and those who don't have the funds for them, say relationships are more important than gifts. "It's a unique relationship because a legislator could be your biggest advocate on one issue and your biggest foe on the next," said Rebecca Bukant, lobbyist for the Georgia Trial Lawyers Association. The donations, dinners and tickets can be a quick route to relationship building, they say, but simple human interaction in hallways can achieve the same goal. So, building the foundation of networks, legislative relationships and plotting lobbying strategy is keeping the paid advocates busy in the run up to Opening Day. But when the gavel bangs on Jan. 14, anything could happen. "You can plan all you want, but sometimes the bulk of your work is on things that you could not have anticipated," Hughes said. Walter Jones is the Atlanta bureau chief for Morris News Service and has been covering state politics since 1998. Source URL: http://savannahnow.com//node/389391 |