THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610180033
SECTION: COMMENTARY PAGE: J5 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Opinion
SOURCE: MARGARET EDDS
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 80 lines
As a rookie lobbyist for the Norfolk public schools a decade and a half ago, Kay Kemper patterned her days around a couple of guys named Rocky and Elliot.
Back then, before taxpayer-paid lobbyists became a major force in the Virginia General Assembly, Rocky and Elliot were a novelty. They worked for the Fairfax schools, and they'd been in Richmond long enough to have a clue about how things happened and why.
``Every time Rocky and Elliot got up and left a committee room, the rest of us (in the public education lobby) got up and left like ducks,'' recalled Kemper. To this day, she adds, the group refers to itself as ``the duck team.''
Sixteen years of bill-drafting and backroom-strategizing and vote-counting have transformed Kemper from baby quacker to Mamma Duck. After three sessions working for Norfolk schools and 13 as Old Dominion University's woman-on-the-scene in Richmond, Kemper is recognized as one of the best at what she does.
Or did. Earlier this year, at 50, Kemper left her ground-breaking job as ODU's first female vice president to launch a government-relations consulting firm, Capitol Strategies. And while she's now selling her expertise, including at grassroots lobbying workshops in Norfolk and Virginia Beach later this month, she's also happy to hand out free advise.
Her message, delivered with a touch of irreverent humor and a deep fondness for the people and the process, is an optimistic one - that PTAs, and neighborhood civic groups and citizens with a cause - can make a difference in Virginia if their purpose and their strategy merit success.
``If you have a good product and a good strategy, you can be successful, but you have to have both,'' she says.
Kemper is not oblivious to the impact of the mounting millions spent lobbying the 140 lawmakers each year. But she argues that the Virginia Assembly's part-time nature makes members more accessible than those in many other states.
``Money matters, but money doesn't rule,'' she concludes.
Kemper's prototype for a successful lobbying effort in Richmond is the Virginia Education Association. While most grass-roots groups can't match the membership or the clout of the teacher's lobby, they can study their success.
These, Kemper says, are the elements.
First, the VEA is everywhere. Members come from all over the state. Groups with a legislative agenda should scour the hinterlands for ways to build coalitions, thereby broadening their base.
Second, they're informed. They know the players and the process. Such information can be acquired. One basic hint, a la Kemper: The most persuasive way to start any letter or conversation is, ``I am your constituent.''
Third, their issues have widespread impact. While groups can't fabricate universal importance, they can brainstorm about ways to make as many lawmakers as possible feel connected to the idea.
Fourth, VEA issues generally are easy to understand. In a setting where most members are balancing jobs at home with a frenetic two months away, making issues as clear and uncomplicated as possible is a must.
And fifth, while the VEA has the advantage of substantial financial resources, the group is also extremely organized. The latter, Kemper believes, can substitute for the former.
Beyond attending to the broad process, Kemper also has her own set of cardinal rules for lobbying:
First, never lie. And lying, in this case, extends even to obfuscation. As important as selling your case, she says, is honestly laying out who's opposing it and what their arguments are likely to be.
Second, remember that ``they're in charge.'' Don't yell at legislators. Don't harass them. Say thank you. Being nasty may help you win a battle, but it's just as likely to cause you to lose the war.
And third, plan for the fact that legislative wars rarely are won or lost in a year. Some issues stick around for decades. A cause that fails one year may be resurrected the next.
The important thing when setback comes is to re-evaluate and regroup, says Kemper. Is there a way to broaden support for the issue? To make it easier to understand? To forge a compromise or build a coalition? To reduce the cost?
``You cannot say, this is my position and I will not bend, or you're doomed to failure,'' she says.
In short, get your ducks in a row, and then jump into the pond. ``Democracy is messy,'' says Kemper, ``but it's a wonderful system.'' MEMO: Ms. Edds is an editorial writer for The Virginian-Pilot. by CNB