Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Coalition

Legislative Day – March 13, 2003

Tips to remember when communicating with legislators:

Legislation doesn’t spawn in a vacuum
If they haven’t learned, you haven’t taught
Don’t surprise them
They like to be stroked with a little special treatment
Face-to-Face contact beats a phone call. A phone call beats a letter, and anything beats apathy
Talk to them when they have time to listen
If you can get their attention for 10 minutes, you’ll probably get their vote
Don’t expect them to remember your face or your name
Leave the minuet to George Washington---get to the point
Don’t feel uncomfortable if you didn’t vote for them
Don’t assume they have memorized every bill or bill number
Learn where they are “coming from”
Don’t ask the politically impossible
Leave your fanaticism back home
Learn to count
“Thank you” goes a long way
Squeaking wheels get the grease
Silence means everything is OK
Pull the feathers that cause the goose to honk the least
Corporations don’t vote
An organized minority beats an unorganized majority
They always remember where the money came from