MAXIMIZE YOUR POLITICAL POTENTIAL

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MAXIMIZE YOUR POLITICAL POTENTIAL
Scott Stenger Stenger Government Relations, LLC
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Know The Players
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Find out who all of your local, state and federal
elected officials are for your League and prepare
a handout to all members with the names and
contact information (i.e. address, phone numbers
emails) for those elected officials.
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Create Key Contact List
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Governor Jim Doyle Madison Office P.O. Box
7863 Madison, WI  53707 608-266-1212 Website
http//www.wisgov.state.wi.us/
US Senator Herb Kohl 14 West Mifflin Street,
Suite 207Madison, WI 53703Phone (608)
264-5338Fax [phone] Website
http//www.senate.gov/kohl/gen_contact.html
US Representative Tammy Baldwin Madison Office 10
E Doty Street, Suite 405 Madison, WI
53703 Telephone [phone] Fax
608-258-9808 Website http//tammybaldwin.house.g
ov/
Senator Mark Miller Room 409 SouthState
CapitolP.O. Box 7882Madison, WI 53707-7882
Telephone [phone] or (877)
862-4825 Fax [phone] Email
Sen.Miller_at_legis.wisconsin.gov
Village President Jeff Miller 306 DeForest
StreetDeForest, WI 53532Phone (608)
846-6751Fax [phone] Email
jmdeforest_at_charter.net
Representative Eugene Hahn Room 15 WestState
CapitolP.O. Box 8952Madison, WI 53708
Telephone [phone] Fax [phone]
Email Rep.Hahn_at_legis.wisconsin.gov
Village of De Forest Trustees Jack Sullivan
Email sullivan_at_vi.deforest.wi.us Abe J. Degnan
Email degnan_at_vi.deforest.wi.us Megan Blount
Email mblountdc_at_vi.deforest.wi.us Erich Ruth
Email ruth_at_vi.deforest.wi.us Eric Beasley
Email beasleye_at_vi.deforest.wi.us Paul Blount
Email blountp_at_vi.deforest.wi.us
US Senator Russ Feingold 1600 Aspen
CommonsMiddleton, WI 53562-4716 Telephone
[phone] Fax [phone] Website
http// feingold.senate.gov/contact.html
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Communicate With The Public
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Write/email your local papers a letter to the
editor on an issue of importance to you and the
local/state league. For example, write a letter
to the editor on what a smoking ban would mean to
you and how it would impact you and your
business. Tell a personal story so others can
understand the issue from your perspective. Also
send out press releases on your charitable
contributions.
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Sample Letter

• Dear Editor,
• I am writing about the proposed smoking ban
  legislation that has been introduced in the state
  legislature.  I am a tavern owner in town and I
  strongly oppose a smoking ban for bars.  I have
  done everything to make my bar friendlier for
  non-smokersI have installed expensive smoke
  eaters and made my dining room smoke-free.  I
  have played by the rules and I think I should be
  able to make the decisions that affect my
  business.  The state shouldnt be able to make
  decisions that may lead to the demise of my
  tavern.  My bar is my livelihood.  If I lose
  customers because of the ban, I could lose
  everything.
• Sincerely,
• John Doe, owner, John Does Bar

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Use The Internet
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There is no more useful tool than the Internet
when it comes to researching an issue.  Go the
the TLW website at www.tlw.org or simply google a
topic to find the relevant information you are
looking for.
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Promote! Promote! Promote!
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Toot your own horn! On a regular basis provide
information (press release) on charitable
contributions, funding for Safe Ride programs,
etc. to all of your elected officials as well as
letters to the editor let others know of the
volunteer and charitable work your local league
does for the community.
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Sample Press Release

• Sunday, August 19, 2007
• Contact John Doe, owner, John Does Pub, County
  SafeRide Coordinator [phone]
• La Crosse County SafeRide Gives 800th Ride
• On Saturday night, the La Crosse County SafeRide
  Program delivered its 800th patron safely home,
  free of charge. In an effort to combat the
  problem driving under the influence, the La
  Crosse County Tavern League operates a service to
  escort people home when theyve had too much to
  drink. When a patron of one of our member
  taverns has had too much to drink we provide free
  rides home to them so that they arent driving
  drunk. This keeps the patron safe, as well as
  keeping more drunk drivers off the street.
• The Tavern League gets matching grants from the
  state to pay for these services. To date, we
  have raised over 15,000 for the program. We are
  increasing the awareness of the program by
  advertising in the local paper and in our
  taverns. The more rides the SafeRide Program
  provides, the better off the community is.
• The SafeRide Program is just one of the ways that
  the tavern industry is giving back to La Crosse.
  We also hold fundraisers and raffles to benefit
  many organizations, including the Muscular
  Dystrophy Society and Childrens Hospital. The
  La Crosse County Tavern League encourages people
  to drink responsibly.

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Play A Home Game
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Invite elected officials to your league meetings.
Keep an ongoing dialog with all of the elected
officials in your League by inviting them to
local meetings to speak, League events, etc. You
dont want to only be contacting them when there
is a problem.
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Make It Easy!
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Utilize email! This is one of the easiest and
most effective ways to get your message out.
Create a database of emails ranging from members,
patrons, vendors, employees, family and friends
to contact on issues as needed. Put up a sign at
the bar urging interested patrons to provide
their emails to receive updates on issues ranging
from tax increases to smoking bans. Building a
strong email database will allow you to
effectively get your message out instantly with
no cost for stamps.
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Thank You!
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Dont forget to thank your representative for
listening. Elected officials hear from all sides
on every issue. Some times they side with us
other times they may not. Be sure to thank them
for taking the time to listen to your concerns
regardless of the issue.
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Contribute To A Campaign
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Making donations to elected officials is an
indication that you are tuned in to the
legislative process.
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Keep It Simple
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Tell your own story.  Nothing makes a point
better with legislators than a constituent who
can explain what impact a proposal will have on
his/her business.  If you dont tell them, they
wont know, so be sure to communicate your story
in some fashion.  If you dont, the other side
will tell it for you.  A great example of this is
the other side telling elected officials that
smoking bans in fact help tavern business.