Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
2009-02-16
February 18,
2009
members in New York State to request a meeting with you during the
(throughout New York State) showing their support for an economic recovery
plan that invests in clean energy, green jobs, and Healthcare. We were very
was there to review our very first petition installment – since it inspired him
This is our ambition over the next couple of months – to meet with our
local congressional representatives (or their staff) and make them aware of
ourselves and let you know about MoveOnmember’s major priorities for this
year as well as our legislative agenda for the upcoming weeks and months.
meeting between now and the following week (ending Friday, February 27)
Thank you in advance for considering our request and reviewing our
Sincerely,
You should have already chosen a location and start time, and
registered your event in our online tool. If you haven’t done so, click here.
Contents:
1. Requesting a meeting.
1. Requesting a meeting
Draft Letter to Schumer (to be delivered on 2/18)
2009-02-16
representative's politics, treating the staff you talk to with courtesy is the
told that he or she is unavailable, ask to speak with the District Director or
constituents.
* Explain that you want to share MoveOn's priorities for the new
Iraq war. You should also explain that you especially want to talk about how
we can best address the economic crisis by investing in the creation of a new
* Be persistent, and follow up. You may not get a firm answer right
away, so don't give up. Call back every few days to check on the status of
your request.
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/meetingrequest.doc
15, we're holding special preparatory gatherings. We'll invite local MoveOn
meetings, assign roles, and practice running through the meeting agenda. To
held a national conference call to go over what you need to know to make
http://www.spiderphone.com/RealCast/7802657763/a_RAM.ram -- or, to
listen to this recording over the phone: dial 1 (888) 550-5602 or +1 212-
812-2800, press #1 on your phone, and enter recording code 78026 57763
Draft Letter to Schumer (to be delivered on 2/18)
2009-02-16
* Sign-in sheet
summary
To make sure people can hear the special briefing we've recorded
* Check your sound: Sit across the room from the computer to
make sure everyone at your event will be able to hear sound from your
speakers.
* Bookmark the webcast page: You'll click here on the night of the
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/webcast.html
you'll want to find some time before your preparatory gathering to watch a
special 20-minute training video with everything you need to know about
(We'll also share this link with your guests before the gathering, so
At our meetings with Congress, we'll ask their support for a "Clean
justice groups. It's an important first step on the road to a green economy.
make buildings more efficient and install clean energy technology. And it
would help fill those jobs with a combination of job training and a big
To learn more about Clean Energy Corps before your meeting, check
out the following information from Green for All, a new organization helping
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/CEC_execsum.pdf
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/CEC_full.pdf
(We'll also share this information with your guests before your
preparatory gathering.)
As people come in, welcome them, ask them to sign the sign-in sheet,
Even though people will trickle in late, make sure to start promptly out of
introduce themselves by giving their name and the town they live in.
Then, briefly explain the purpose of the gathering—to prepare for your
Next, you'll need to decide who's going to play what role at the
congressional meeting. Pass out copies of the meeting agenda and sample
you stick to the agenda. This role should be filled by you or a trusted leader
photo petition from our "Real Voices for Change" campaign, showing local
change.
green job. If so, you could have someone share their story in order to put a
the member of Congress will support the creation of a Clean Energy Corps.
happens.
meeting to show our strength, even if they don't have a place on the
agenda.
Draft Letter to Schumer (to be delivered on 2/18)
2009-02-16
When filling these roles, you'll want to pick people who are comfortable
speaking articulately in front of a group, and who are prepared to follow the
agenda. Avoid giving a speaking role to anyone who seems like he/she
wants to talk about other issues or has his/her own personal agenda for the
meeting.
person, you can combine them. For example, the Meeting Leader could also
Next, if you haven't already, hand out the agenda for the meeting.
Everyone should take about 5 minutes to read over it. Quickly address any
you spend some time in advance thinking abut what response you might get.
Ask the group, "What do we know about Rep./Sen. [NAME]? What is his or
her record on job creation and climate issues? How might he or she react to
the idea of a Clean Energy Corps?" (If your group doesn't know very much,
In the remaining time, practice what to say in the meeting. The best
After you've finished a practice meeting, pause and take some time for
discussion. Go around the room and ask each person to share one thing they
thought went well in the practice, and one thing that could be improved in
If you have time, run through the meeting one more time, paying
careful attention to any areas that the group identified could be improved.
E. Wrap up (5 min)
Thank everyone for coming, and remind them of the date, time, and
location for the congressional meeting. Make sure you have the name, phone
number, and email address for every person who agreed to come to the
congressional meeting.
- -
member of Congress (or even their staff). If you are unable to get a meeting
scheduled, you should go ahead and plan a "drop-off" of the photo petition
and Clean Energy Corps information! Here are a few tips on how that works:
* You'll probably be able to have a meeting if you just show up. Plan
a time for your group to go to the office together. When you arrive, introduce
yourself to the secretary, explain that you tried multiple times to schedule a
probably find someone to sit down with you. If so, then hold the meeting as
deliver the petitions and Clean Energy Corps information. If they deny you
the chance to sit down, you can still make an impact. Tell the secretary why
you're there, and ask if you can leave the photo petitions and Clean Energy
Corps information for the member of Congress. Finally, ask for a sit-down
- -
Draft Letter to Schumer (to be delivered on 2/18)
2009-02-16
hold a national conference call for Meeting Leaders to review the agenda for
congressional meetings and offer some important tips. To join the call, dial
212-812-2800 and enter 6031 9796. And if you can be online during the call
The night before your congressional meeting, make sure you call
meeting. Make sure everyone knows their roles and has practiced what
* "Real Voices for Change Photo Petition" to share with the member
of Congress, available through your host tools page (the photos are coming
to bring a copy)
there's a problem. Below are a few tips—and for more, be sure to watch the
* Use the agenda. You want to make sure you follow the agenda we
provide—this is your handy guide to what you should cover during the
meeting, and it's what other members are expecting you to cover.
* Control the conversation. Our elected officials work for us, and we
don't allow your member of Congress, or his or her staff, to redirect the
* Don't linger too long on the "Real Voices" photo petition. The
off-subject, it's your job to politely step in and get things back on track. If
necessary, saying something like "Thank you for offering your thoughts, but
I'd like to give someone else a chance to talk now"—and then call on
* Make sure you get an answer. Elected officials often hedge when
asked directly about a concrete proposal like the Clean Energy Corps. You
may not be able to get a firm yes or no answer, but follow up until you're
satisfied that the official you're meeting with understands the request and
relationship with them and their office. So be cordial, and express your
thank-you note to the person you met with—and one to anyone in the office
B. Send in photos
Make sure someone at the event takes photos with a digital camera.
send the photos from the same email address you used to host or sign-up
for an action. Please also be sure to send the photos as attachments, not
Also, please take a minute to fill out a short survey. The surveys are
want to make our future events better and easier for you. This is the best
way to let us know how to do that. We'll email you the survey just after the
aboutpresscontact ushome
Draft Letter to Schumer (to be delivered on 2/18)
2009-02-16
primarily helps members elect candidates who reflect our values through a
organizations.
Congressional Meeting Agenda
cities where they live—any more, and it could end up taking the entire
meeting!
[DISTRICT/STATE]
war in Iraq.
here in [DISTRICT/STATE]
and the issues they care about—here it is. [Present the petition.]
Guide for Organizing a Congressional Meeting
minutes)
economy.
global climate change, and free our nation from its dangerous
justice groups.
efficient and install clean energy technology. And it would help fill
Energy Corps.]
If you don’t get a firm answer, try to pin them down -- see the next
Thank the person for having a meeting with you, make a plan to be in
If the person
Corps
• Ask whether we can share their support with Green for All
Is interested in a Clean
noncommittal
Guide for Organizing a Congressional Meeting
respond to them as well as you can. (If you don’t know the
• Ask when you can expect to hear back from the office.
Is skeptical or hostile to a
• Thank them for taking the time to meet with you. You
respond to them as well as you can. (If you don’t know the
Guide for Organizing a Congressional Meeting
• Ask when you can expect to hear back from the office.
More info on Clean Energy Corps
recent years specifically to connect the dots between creating jobs for low-
founder, Van Jones, wrote a New York Times best-seller called the Green
Collar Economy -- and there's a great profile of Van in a recent New Yorker
magazine that goes in-depth explaining the origins of Green for All, and how
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/01/12/090112fa_fact_kolbert.
As for their political connections, Green for All is friendly with groups
Right now it's a proposal with a lot of interest on Capitol Hill, but it
grassroots groups to show Congress that there's a clear demand for this
visionary plan.
The stimulus that passed on Friday included $500 million in funding for
program. This is related to the CEC, but it's not the same. The CEC isn't just
job training; it's a massive public works program like the Civilian
Conservation Corps. So now that the stimulus has passed, the CEC is a great
Has Green for All sent their report for Clean Energy Corps to
proposal?
Green for All has been circulating the proposal in Washington, and
"people are generally excited by this bold idea." Now they are working to
Green for All has said that members of Congress who may be
support passing the Clean Energy Corps into law this year. This is an
appropriate question for potential champions as well as folks who are on the
our meetings to our campaigners and the Green for All campaigners in
Washington so they can best evaluate which Senators & Reps to follow up
with.
Clean Energy Corp 1 page Summary
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/CEC_execsum.pdf
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/CEC_full.pdf
The Clean Energy Corps (CEC) is a combined service, training, and job
creation effort to combat global warming, grow local and regional economies
and demonstrate the equity and employment promise of the clean energy
paper that explains why the CEC is needed and how it would work.
prices and energy insecurity, job losses, and an increasing scarcity of hope
To address these intersecting challenges, Green For All and its partners
propose a Clean Energy Corps in a new white paper, Clean Energy Corps:
The CEC would be a combined service, training, and job creation effort to
combat global warming, grow local and regional economies and demonstrate
the equity and employment promise of the clean energy economy. The CEC
would:
defenses against climate disruption, and enlist America’s public lands in the
fight against climate change by planting trees and restoring wetlands and
rivers; and
energy efficiency measures to our nation’s building stock. This effort will
our national energy costs and contribution to global warming. It will also
more than pay for itself through on-bill recovery of a portion of the energy
savings achieved.
PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE
[CELL PHONE #]
of Green Jobs
share their priorities for the year and call for bold leadership from Congress
offices across the country over the Presidents’ Day Recess, focused
worsen and the threat of global climate change grows more serious, we’re
hoping [Rep./Sen. NAME] will help lead the way to a greener and more
prosperous future.”
please download “Clean Energy Corps: Jobs, Service, and Equal Opportunity
http://www.greenforall.org/what-we-do/working-with-
washington/cec_report
progressive agenda. We do not accept any donations over $5,000, and the
###
“Drop off” Summary Checklist – Wed Feb 18
Letter to Schumer
Photo-petition
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/CEC_execsum.pdf
*******
PRESS RELEASE TEMPLATE
Lead Presenter
could spare 10-15 minutes discussing our priorities in 2009 – and our plan
Pitch Person – This person presents the Policy Proposal — please include a copy of
http://pol.moveon.org/congressmeeting/CEC_execsum.pdf)
Meeting scribe — Important! Please take note of staff person’s response. We will
need to pass along info about how members of Congress responded during these meetings
to our campaigners and the Green for All campaigners in Washington so they can best
Media Persons
Take Photos; Write articles; Send out Press Releases to local media outlets (see