Grassroots Efforts Work
HPBA's recent major legislative successes in the U.S. Congress - the 2009 Tax Credit included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the $20 million Certified Stove Program for changeouts amended to the House Climate Change bill - would not have succeeded without the important grassroots efforts of many of our members. To them we offer a rousing "Thank you!"
Local grassroots efforts have been effective tools in lobbying elected officials and these successes are a testament to their importance. In Maine, Senator Susan Collins (R) accepted an invitation from Jøtul North America, Inc. for a plant tour; the staff at Quadra-Fire displayed their products to local Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R) and the staff of Senator Maria Cantwell (D) at their Colville, Washington, facility; and, also in Washington State, Representative Jay Inslee's staff recently visited Travis Industries, Inc. All of these visits began, or continued, a discussion of the impact of HPBA's hearth industry on energy resources and the lives of their constituents.
The result of these grassroots encounters? Senator Collins led the charge getting the tax credit measure signed into law, and Representative Inslee worked to get the $20 million changeout amendment adopted. Both were supported by other Members of Congress we contacted, including the ones mentioned here. Simply put, grassroots inspired visits by Members of Congress and their staffs have had an enormously positive impact on the success of our legislative agenda.
We were fortunate that these Members of Congress with whom we collaborated became key figures in the 2009 ARRA stimulus package negotiations. Those collaborations led to the $1500 consumer tax provision for energy efficient upgrades, which included wood and pellet stoves. But, it is time to intensify our efforts and pursue an effort that will "fuel" greater congressional accomplishments in the future.
To do this, we need our affiliates to take an active role in keeping our current successes intact and act on future opportunities. This involves an active Affiliate Grassroots Lobby Campaign.
While we recognize that not all HPBA members can provide plant tours, there are many grassroots opportunities that the national HPBA staff can identify and help you coordinate. It is, however, up to you, the local constituent, to contact your local legislator because it is the local constituent who drives national politics. Therefore, we are asking our affiliates to actively lobby their Members of Congress on behalf of the industry.
We strongly recommend you use your graduates of the Government Affairs Academy to approach your Members of Congress to voice, explain and promote several key industry issues currently pending in Congress. Here are suggestions of how to make the program work using office visits, plant tours and Letter to the Editor campaigns. The details of these campaigns are attached and also available on our website (www.hpba.org).
Step 1: Have your affiliate contact Seth Voyles (HPBA's Manager of Government Affairs at 703-522-0086 or voyles@hpba.org) and commit to participate in the Affiliate Grassroots Lobby Campaign. Seth will help coordinate your efforts by identifying your congressional members and their staff, and especially those we want to target. (Targeted Members of Congress will include those on the committees with whom we deal most, such as Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture, Energy and Natural Resources, and Finance.) You can also go to http://www.hpba.org/government-affairs/take-action and click on "Legislator Search" to find your elected officials.
Step 2: Contact the district offices of your three Members of Congress and ask to speak to the staff person handling energy or environmental issues. HPBA will provide you with "talking points" to help you explain our industry, our needs and our future legislative agenda. Invite the Member or staff to visit a local HPBA manufacturer or retailer ("facility") to gain a better understanding of the industry, its members and its role in energy.
Step 3: Once you've gained the staff's interest and invited the Member of Congress to visit a local HPBA facility, explain why our industry is important to both local and national economies with job creation and innovative technologies. This will attract that member to accept the invitation. We will show you how to set up, publicize and do the follow up on a plant tour.
Step 4: Following any facility tour, a "thank you" should be sent to the participating Member of Congress and their office (and especially to those who are supporting our industry's efforts). The thank you comes in two forms: A personal note and a Letter to the Editor of your local press (samples are available). This is the best way to get - and keep - their support for our legislative objectives.
Again, our affiliates need to exercise their political assets - the Government Affairs Academy graduates. These are the people that HPBA has trained to push our industry agenda through the legislative processes, both state and national. Spreading the HPBA narrative of clean-burning efficient hearth products is the best way to get a return on your training investment. We can't stop now.
From our successes over the past year, we know the value of dialogue and working with a few Congressional members. Just imagine what can happen when we talk with all of them.
We thank you for your attention to this request, for your hard work in the past, and for the grassroots work you will be doing in the future.
For more information, please contact Allan Cagnoli at Cagnoli@hpba.org or Seth Voyles at Voyles@hpba.org.
