Great guide to legislative activism: "The One-Hour Activist"

[blondeatlast]

by Christopher Kush;

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?isbn=0787973009

He's a lobbyist for the many health related foundations; such as the American Heart Association, Arthritis Foundation, etc.

Very quick read, it covers everything from writing your Congressperson to running for office yourself.

If your local library doesn't have it, ask them to get it--every library shoulsd have one (I purchase books for a major library system, btw). It's essential.

Or you could always donate a copy... :hi:

[UL_Approved]

1. Kick. n/t

:kick:

[kevinmc]

2. Will spread the Word..............

I think a lot of people will be interested in this book, will post on my blog and post on the blogs I use.

[OzarkDem]

3. Key to Legislative Advocacy

is doing your homework on the issues. There are a lot of groups out there who don't put enough work into their legislative agenda and proposals. If you want to advance your agenda, check out all the groups proposals and spend time reading the legislation as well as the position papers backing it up.

Good bills have to be both well crafted and backed by legislators who can get wide support in passing them.

Once you've chosen a bill to support, learn about how its going to move through Congress. A good advocacy group will help you follow it every step of the way and encourage grassroots action at each step.

Finally, build a relationship with your elected officials, whether D or R. Be positive and polite when communicating with them. If you've done your homework on an issue, they'll respect your opinion and even sometimes may call you for advice.

Another good source for advocacy "how to" is Congress.org

http://www.congress.org/congressorg/issues/basics/?style=legis