Targeted Lobbying

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Targeted Lobbying
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Whats New?
Everything
Nothing
Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
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Senate
The newly elected Senator from New Mexico Tom
Udall (NM) was a former member of the House
Appropriations Committee
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Who should we be talking to?

• Targeted Lobbying Efforts
• Home-district
• Appropriations Committee

Senate Appropriations Committee
Robert Byrd (D-WV) replaced by Daniel Inouye
(D-HI)
Republican replacements not yet named, total may
be only 13 based on proportionality.
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111th Senate Appropriations

• Appropriations Committee(s)
• The Committee controls the purse strings for key
  childrens/school services
• early childcare and education,
• key child welfare services, and
• all programs administered by the U.S.
• Departments of HHS, Labor, and
• Education

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House of Representatives
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Changes
Eight Republican members from the 110th will not
be present for the 111th.
Ray LaHood (IL-18) retired and is nominated to be
the new Transportation Secretary.
Current committee member Zach Wamp (R-TN-3) has
announced he is running for governor of Tennessee.
Democrats must also fill the void of Bud Cramer
(AL) now retired and Tom Udall (NM) the newly
elected Senator from New Mexico.
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111th House Appropriations
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What have you heard?

• Newly elected members of Congress are not
  included on the above lists at this time.
• Once committee assignments for all incoming
  members are complete in January, 2009, this
  information will be updated on the lobbying
  calendar.
• National Perspective of 8002 a StrengthNeed to
  share information and perspectives.
• Too much information for one person to know
  (especially me)
• Information and opinions created and shared
  differently across the countrywe need to use
  these different perspectives when lobbying.
• As you learn of changes in congress or with your
  representative which impact our lobbying efforts,
  please be sure to let me know
• tschneider_at_ccsd180.org

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Now that youre an Incumbent
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the new congress and our Lobbying efforts

• Our Message to Newly Elected Members of Congress
• With so many new seats to protect, these newly
  elected representatives will be looking to find
  ways to visibly help schools.

• Our Message to Democrats
• Joys/Pitfalls of single-party rule.
• Appropriation process should be much smoother.

• We want to be sure to contact (and include in our
  lobbying efforts) newly elected representatives
• In your district,
• In your state,
• On Appropriations Committee

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Nafis view of The New Washington

• NAFIS/Forkenbrock on the FY 09 Budget
• Continuing Resolution until March 6th.
• Omnibus Appropriation in January being developed
• 2M increase for Section 8002

• NAFIS/Forkenbrock on the Stimulus
• Survey on Capital Improvement
• Projects which can be done in either 60 days or
  24 months?
• Focus on non-funded construction/repair Impact
  Aid
• Contact

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8002 Lobbying Message on the FY 09 Budget

• Impact Aid is a critical source of revenue which
  impacted schools in your congresspersons
  district or state.
• Most importantly, provide specific examples of
  how important Impact Aid has improved childrens
  lives.
• Impact Aid is the Federal Governments obligation
  to schools and the children and communities our
  schools serve.
• This obligation was created when the Federal
  Government
• took the land and placed the tax burden on the
  remaining tax-payers.
• Emphasize the importance of their support
  of increased appropriations and the
  reauthorization (whenever that
  happens) language supported by NAFIS.

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Stimulus 09

• As someone once said around here Theres a New
  Sheriff in Town

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Stimulus 09 and You (8002)

• Spend Quickly
• List Capital projects
• Immediate expenditures via salaries of teachers
  and other ESPs that would have been eliminated
  without the finds that are owed to the districts,
  but not met due to the underfunding of Impact
  Aid.
• Educational programs the stimulus would fund
  already developed and ready to go now.
• i.e. summer school, after school programs

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Stimulus 09 and You (8002)
That also means an economic recovery plan that
is free from earmarks and pet projects. Pre
sident-Elect Barack Obama, January 8, 2008.

• Not Wasteful Earmarks/Legitimate Spending
• It is already determined that the Federal
  Government owes the districts these funds.
• Process is already established to award and
  distribute funds

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Stimulus 09 and You (8002)

• Positive Impact on the Economy
• Schools one of the largest employers in many
  communities.
• No Additional funds spent on administration of
  these funds as this is already in place.

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Stimulus 09 and You (8002)
To give our children the chance to live out
their dreams in a world that's never been more
competitive, we will equip tens of thousands of
schools, community colleges and public
universities with 21st-century classrooms, labs
and libraries. We'll provide new computers, new
technology and new training for teachers so that
students in Chicago and Boston can compete with
children in Beijing for the high-tech, high-wage
jobs of the future. President-Elect Barack
Obama, January 8, 2008.

• Build for the future
• Education of children
• The benefits of the educational programs the
  stimulus would fund.

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Stimulus 09 and You (8002)

• Transparency
• Oversight at the Federal Level
• Oversight at the Local Level by Local School
  Boards
• Could we use the Dept. of Ed using FY 05 Budget
  to be sure funds are distributed equitably and
  based upon previously established rationale and
  oversight.

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Section 8002 Is Unique in requesting funds from
the Stimulus Package

• Section 8002 Districts lack funds due to a
  situation that the Federal Government Created
• The bail out of Wall Street, the loans to auto
  makers, the stimulus packages that have been
  approved or are being considered, including
  infrastructure improvements, may or may not be
  warranted but it angers me that the government
  can spend almost a trillion dollars for these
  things and does not meet its obligation to school
  districts impacted by federal presence within
  their boundaries.
• In other words, the government is willing to
  spend billions on problems that it may or may not
  have caused while continuing to ignore meeting
  the needs of students in districts where the
  government definitely causes the problem.
• Tom Davenport

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Act Now

• We are not alone in wanting this money, but we
  are exceptional in that our Section 8002
  situation was created by the Federal Government.

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What to do?

• Contact your Legislators Now
• Sample Letters on Web Site
• Budget Talking Points
• Stimulus Letter
• Stolen Ideas (Voices for Children/AASA)
• Lobbying Tips with Introductory Letters for
  Congress
• Can be loaded with information off of the Share
  Point Site
• Legislative Calendar, How a Bill Becomes Law
  etc.
• Most Importantly
• Use your own district information.
• Examples of how kids lives are better thanks to
  Impact Aid
• March may be too late but we will be asking you
  to meet with appropriators from your state again.
  (Share Point)

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USB Drives for March Visit to Washington

• Let me know if you want to order more to
  distribute in Washington in March.
• Orders by February 1st.
• 5.25 each (with a minimum 125 total order)
• Can be loaded with information off of the Share
  Point Site
• Most Importantly Your own district information.

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AgainWhat have you heard?

• Information and opinions created and shared
  differently across the countrywe need to use
  these different perspectives when lobbying.
• Any other thoughts?...
• As you learn of changes in congress or with your
  representative which impact our lobbying efforts,
  please be sure to let me know and I will share
  with all
• tschneider_at_ccsd180.org