THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 16, 1995 TAG: 9512160248
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
They're church volunteers, social workers, welfare recipients and advocates for children, battered women, the homeless and others in need.
They're not happy with the direction of Virginia's welfare-reform revolution, saying it goes too far, too fast, and it will hurt families and children.
They feel powerless as average citizens to make themselves heard or effect change - particularly now, when the opinions of a fed-up public and politicians largely run against them.
So almost 30 of them showed up Friday morning at the YWCA for what could have been called Lobbying 101. It was a workshop for the uninitiated on how to navigate in the world of wingtips, wheeler-dealers and policy wonks in the General Assembly.
They wanted the nuts-and-bolts of how to influence lawmakers, and they brought in the pros to teach them.
State Sen. L. Louise Lucas, who has seen political influence from both sides, showed them how persistent they sometimes will have to be to give voice to the traditionally voiceless: Once, when she was working for a social agency, she followed Norfolk Del. George H. Heilig Jr. into a state Capitol men's room to bend his ear about a bill she wanted.
Freda Stanley, a former administrative assistant in both houses of the General Assembly who now lobbies for the mentally disabled, advised them to get to know the issues, the system and like-minded lawmakers - work in their campaigns, write them, visit them.
Those attending listened, took notes, asked questions.
``These are people who haven't done this before; these are the people we want to empower,'' said Virginia O'Keefe, chairwoman of the Social Justice Committee of St. John the Apostle Catholic Church in Virginia Beach.
O'Keefe is one of the organizers of The Coalition for the Common Wealth, a grassroots combination of church, women's and social-service organizations questioning the current reforms in public assistance. The Coalition sponsored Friday's workshop and an October symposium on welfare reform.
Teresa Stanley, social minister at St. Nicholas Catholic Church and another Coalition organizer, said she felt frustrated and powerless, ignored in the ``game'' of politics in Richmond - a game that she and others don't know how to play.
``We should be in charge,'' she said, her voice rising. ``We vote for these people. We put them in office.''
Sen. Lucas, a vocal critic of Gov. George F. Allen's welfare changes, said taking charge takes work.
``Until we transfer this body of people up to Richmond, we're just having a conversation,'' Lucas said. ``And you've won me. You need to convince the people up there . . . .''
Send cards and one-page letters to legislators, the senator and Freda Stanley urged the group. Send information about specific cases showing the effects of laws on real people, and convince those people to testify at hearings.
Tell General Assembly leaders who the advocates want on the committees that will handle most of the bills the advocates are interested in. Monitor the development of laws starting at the subcommitee level. Send letters to committee chairs, who have more power than other legislators.
Try to get patrons for bills from both political parties, to better ensure passage. Assign people to literally follow lawmakers around on the days favored bills are being considered, to urge them to vote.
Coalition members distributed tips on talking with and influencing legislators - ``Be personal,'' ``Don't be argumentative,'' ``Get a commitment'' were some headings - lawmakers' address and phone lists and a sample lobbying letter.
Others shared their own tips. A woman with experience lobbying for child-support laws suggested going for captive audiences: Catch elusive legislators on elevators, ``because sooner or later they all have to go on an elevator.''
At workshop's end, Coalition members made plans to go to Richmond on Jan. 10 when General Assembly committee assignments are made - a Sen. Lucas suggestion - and again on Jan. 15 for the statewide Anti-Poverty Advocacy Day.
``They're very gentle to citizen advocates,'' Freda Stanley told the group.
``And they'll be gentle the first year, the second year. But the third year, they won't be so gentle. They'll consider you an equal. And you'll feel like one, too.'' by CNB