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Building Your Political Action Group
You are one person, but, you can choose to become a one-man (or woman) political force all by yourself. If you really want the Auto Body Labor Rate Bill to become law in Massachusetts, we’re all going to have to work for it and support it in every way that we can. Using the sample letters provided in this information packet and names of all of the legislators who must be contacted, you have the potential to deliver dozens and dozens of messages targeted to the appropriate legislators at just the right time for action. Here are a few ideas:
• Your primary group should include your spouse, your voting-age children living in Massachusetts, and your employees along with their spouses and voting-age children.
• Your “secondary” group could include your vendors (make sure you talk to them when they want to take an order from you) and their employees, the people you know at your bank (the manager, perhaps others), your insurance agent (make sure they are working for YOU), other local businesses you trade with (dry cleaners, coffee shops, etc.), fellow members of organizations you belong to (place of worship, Chamber of Commerce, fraternal organizations, etc.), your extended family, and friends. Let’s face it, these people want and need you to keep your business going strong.
Everyone you get engaged in your effort has great potential to help
you. Between their places of employment and their residences, each person could be represented by up to four legislators – two different senators and two different state reps. Think of the number of messages for which you could be responsible. So, while we certainly want you to focus on sending out your messages, consider that with a little effort, you could do so much more.
Keep Track of Your Actions
Another way to become a political force for change in our industry is to track all of the actions you take on behalf of the Labor Rate Bill. Not only will tracking your actions likely keep you organized and focused on what you want to accomplish, but you can use your Tracking Worksheet to keep our office up to date as well. Imagine the impact of our committee and lobbying people meeting with legislators and telling them that we know they have received 137 letters on this bill! Make several copies and use the Tracking Worksheet we have provided for you. After you’ve taken action, fax that sheet to us for our files.
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