Ideas for Working with Elected Officials
Over the years, the Nevada SHPO has had some successes and failures dealing with elected officials and in particular with members of Congress. Ron James, the Nevada SHPO, has provided his thoughts on what has worked best. According to him:
"These strategies have resulted in successes in three areas: additional programs; set aside funding; and increases to the HPF. After eight years of small successes and media coverage, the speaker of our assembly asked me “what would you do if we actually gave you some money?” Fortunately a friend of mine on legislative staff alerted me that the question was coming. This gave birth to a $2 million annual preservation bond. The program was reauthorized in 2005 as a $3 million annual program. Success has a way of breeding success, and this program has inspired considerable set aside funding. I have not asked the state or the federal government for this sort of funding. Others have requested it on my behalf. Again success breeds success, and I believe that this gradual growth of the program has attracted the attention of our congressional delegation, even when funding came from the state. We must look at this holistically, and so I hope this was a factor in inspiring one of our US Senators to work for the most recent large increase in the HPF. I believe he was important in achieving that increase, and I believe his efforts were inspired by a series of successes, initially small, begun two decades ago.
Unfortunately, those successes I have seen have depended on hanging around for the long haul. I have administered my office for 22 years, and some of these strategies took years to yield results. Nevertheless, I stumbled into these rules, but it would have been helpful if I had these ideas laid out before me when I started. Perhaps my observations will now help someone else."
Senator Richard H. Byran, a former Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator, is considered one of the foremost political figures of the 20th century in Nevada. He reviewed Ron James' Ideas and made the following comment:
"Well done. You have provided excellent advice. Although you mention it, I would emphasize relationship building as a must. Not everyone will share the same degree of enthusiasm for the cause but a lot can be accomplished because folks want to be helpful because they like you or, as you pointed out, you befriended them or acknowledged them earlier in their career. Implicit in all of this is making reasonable requests. I saw many administrators in my time who were competent, I'm sure, but had little or no credibility. For example asking for large increases when the state was in a recession or who were not team players who saw the big picture. Some of the smartest people on the IQ scale were the most obtuse. I haven't added much. You covered the bases."
- Acquire credibility through efficiency and good products. This sounds obvious, but experience has shown that some administrators decide they will start producing as soon as they are supported at appropriate levels. That will never occur. Support will always be inadequate. Either we work with what we have or we will never produce a thing. Over the years, I have been told my agency delivers the “best bang for the buck.” That reputation reverberates among elected officials who are always looking for a good cause and a good bargain. When one of our members of Congress was looking for a way to give a historic property some set aside funding unrelated to preservation, he ran into obstacles. He needed an agency to rise to the occasion and thought of my office because we have a good reputation. He sent the money through my budget, but gave me “a little extra” for a worthy preservation project of my choice.
- Work the media. Having produced good products, it is important to work the media. This can be as much work as producing the products, but it is essential, and although it may also be obvious, it is surprising how few agencies actually work with the media. It may be embarrassing to “toot one's own horn,” but this is the best way to let elected officials know your agency is such a good cause. News of our archaeological discovery in an African American saloon, ca 1869, of the world's oldest bottle bearing a “Tabasco Pepper Sauce” imprint, echoed around the world. Nevada elected officials proudly refer to the discovery, automatically putting them on our side.
- Befriend all elected officials, no matter how powerless. Small office holders have a way of coming up through the ranks, and all elected officials talk to one another. I was one of the few people who would talk to a freshman assemblyman who had done something really foolish with his e-mail. I don't agree with his politics and his conduct was indeed foolish, but I have always found something in him I genuinely like, and I wasn't about to turn my back on him at that moment. Surprisingly, he survived, moved to the state senate, and is now in a very powerful position. He has ambitions for higher office. I believe he will always remember that I was kind to him at a low point. It has paid off so far and may work for all of us if he ever goes to Congress.
- Help elected officials recognize opportunities to be supportive with letters of support, phone calls, and funding set asides. They can't always help in substantive ways, but most elected officials want to be seen in a positive light for doing productive things. Give them the chance to participate, even in ways that may in fact be meaningless. Every track star started walking with steps that were neither fast nor particularly impressive. Let elected officials know “it sure would be great if you could call this person” or “sign a letter to this effect.” We may recognize that sometimes these small acts will achieve next to nothing, but it gives the elected official a chance to participate, and those seeds may yield bigger things.
- Similarly, thank elected officials for the smallest things. Elected office does not always allow incumbents the chance to do big things, but that doesn't mean they haven't tried. Thanking them for even the small things, no matter how inconsequential, is a way of making certain they know they are appreciated. When given the opportunity, they may feel inspired to do bigger things.
- Cultivate staff of elected officials. You will only rarely be friends with elected officials, but you can be friends with their staff. Seek out those of like mind, particularly those working for elected official inclined to be antagonistic to our cause, and make certain they know how much you appreciate their efforts, even (or especially) when they fail. This may sound exploitive, but it needn't be. I rarely ask anything of my friends working for elected officials. I have found people I genuinely like, and we enjoy conversations together when our paths cross. Most of what they have done for me has been at their own initiative, not because I requested it. Of course, it doesn't hurt that I thank them and their bosses for the small things and that I tell them of agency successes (see points above), mentioning that even more could be done with increased support. Everything stated here works doubly for spouses.
- Similarly, let staff and elected officials know it's OK if support or increases are not possible and that you'll like them anyway. This is building for the future, and the benefit may not surface for years, but it is important and effective. For example, I always ask my representatives to sign letters of support for the HPF, but I always let them know it's OK if they can't or won't sign. I explain that it was something I needed to ask, but that I fully understand their position and that I do not want them to compromise their position in any way. One chief of staff of an elected (and frankly antagonistic) official told me that signing a letter at that time would weaken that official's position in another arena. I told him that it was more important to preserve the integrity of my representative's position and power and that I supported his decision not to sign. That did not yield a signature for our cause, but it put me on the same side as an antagonistic elected official. His chief of staff appreciated the support and understanding, and he has tried to help our cause ever since.
- Recognize that some elected officials will never be supportive and keep an appropriate distance. This is a tough one, because to be too far removed eliminates opportunities for progress, but be careful about putting preservation on an unwanted radar screen. I can think of one member of Congress, who during his tenure opposed preservation, but there was one property he really liked, and we were able to work together on it. I would never approach him on a “big picture” preservation issue involving funding, the regs, or the law, because I know where he would fall out, but we can all hope that having worked with him on a small issue, something of his innate antagonism has been blunted. By the way, we failed to achieve our goal regarding the property, but at least he knows I tried.
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For corrections or comments on the website please contact Kristen Harbeson at harbeson@sso.org
