. main
introduction & index

. feature
to lobby or not to lobby? James Fishwick asks the question

. interview
Peter Miller on CTCs in Jordan

. vistas
birthdays & education awards

Lobbying Versus Educating

what's Kosher and what's not, from James Fishwick

Being a VISTA is often tricky business. To succeed, you must learn to deal with, and even thrive on, ambiguity. When I think about what it means to be a CTC VISTA, I think of people with 37 job titles whose responsibilities constantly blur and overlap in unpredicted ways. First there is the unique partnership between AmeriCorps VISTA, CPCS, and CTCNet, which forms our project. Then there is the further layer added by your placement at your particular CTC. Who gives the orders? How do you structure your priorities? You are a capital-V Volunteer, but explain to me again the exact difference between your job and a full-time staffer's? What does it mean to "officially" be on call 24-7? And what's with all the acronyms anyway?

Adding to these complications is the distinction between "lobbying" and "educating." I assume that most, if not all, of us joined VISTA to become agents of positive change in our various communities and nation. Dialogue with our representatives and other citizens is a crucial part of our political process. It's how change takes place. But by joining, you agreed to the proviso that "AmeriCorps*VISTA members are prohibited from participating in political campaigns or voter registration drives, providing transportation to polls, lobbying and pro- or anti-labor organizing, or taking any action with respect to partisan or nonpartisan political activity while on duty or perceived to be on duty as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member." Hmmm. Seems to put a damper on things, doesn't it?

First, some simple definitions--my dictionary lists "lobbying" as "attempting to influence the passage or defeat of legislation or administrative rules and regulations". "Educating" is defined as "to provide with knowledge or training in a particular area or for a particular purpose." Obviously, these words often hold different connotations than their strict definitions as listed here. But there is real difference in the minds of the government and the Corporation. Your First Amendment rights are not completely suspended by your oath of service, but you are limited to stating your particular experience and any specific outcomes stemming from it (e.g. community impact).

To further complicate things, there are two distinct forms of lobbying. Direct lobbying is any attempt to influence legislation by contacting and persuading any member or employee who participates in the formulation of law. Probably more pertinent to our circumstances, Grassroots lobbying is attempting to influence legislation by trying to affect or change the opinions of the public.

Enough impenetrability, let's break it down.

You are NOT lobbying if:

« You provide general information. Anyone can educate decision-makers and citizens about the importance of policies or legislature. In other words, you're lobbying if you say, "Don't vote for the bill." You are not lobbying if you say, "I am concerned that this bill will (A, B, and C) and my data shows (X, Y, and Z)." This includes responding to written requests for information.
« You inform legislators about the results of nonpartisan study or research. Likewise, if you provide testimony at a legislative hearing regarding potential impact of a proposed bill or budget item. (I doubt this really affects anyone reading this.)
« You meet with a non-legislative group.
« You thank a legislator for their support of a piece of legislature after it has been passed.
« You document deficiencies in existing programs or funding.

You ARE lobbying if:

« You ask a legislator to vote for or against a particular bill. Pretty straightforward here.
« You ask citizens to contact their legislator and ask them to vote for or against legislation while functioning as an AmeriCorps member. Technically this is all the time, but you're not going to get in trouble if you try to convince your mom to vote for the Rev. Al Sharpton while you're eating her yummy pot-roast.
« You send a letter (or e-mail, phone call, smoke signal, etc.) to legislators and ask them to veto a bill.
« This is sort of a sticky subject, and there are probably instances where it's okay, but it's basically a poor idea to show up to any political function sporting your AmeriCorps pin or t-shirt. Especially if you're marching or planning to speak. Again, there is a weird blur between citizen you and VISTA you.

In summary, to get your opinions on politics and legislation across, it's best to stick to the old maxim, 'show, don't tell.' Or, in this case, 'teach, don't lobby.'