Memo. To: Professor Rotondo From: Lauren Clines CC: N/A Subject: Governmental Relations Case Study Date Due: November 8, 2013

Transcription

1 Memo To: Professor Rotondo From: Lauren Clines CC: N/A Subject: Governmental Relations Case Study Date Due: November 8, 2013 This paper is a governmental relations case study which focuses on the Coalition for a Cleaner Iowa (CCI) s hopes to persuade Iowa s state legislature to pass Bill P age

2 Case Summary The Coalition for a Cleaner Iowa (CCI) is an environmental organization that prides itself on being a strong advocate for a cleaner environment throughout the state of Iowa. Currently, the organization is working tirelessly to persuade state legislatures to pass Bill 119, a bill that imposes stricter penalties for littering on state roads. Through an extensive amount of research surrounding various state legislatures and environmental organizations this case will develop a campaign that will include objectives that specifically cater to CCI s need to use its name, reputation and influence to pass the bill. Additionally, this case includes methods of evaluating tactics used to carry out CCI s primary objectives. Situation Analysis The Coalition for a Cleaner Iowa (CCI) is an environmental organization based in Des Moines. Since it was founded ten years ago, the organization has developed a reputation throughout the state for its firm commitment to cleaning up the environment. CCI plans to use a combination of direct and indirect lobbying techniques to persuade the state legislature to pass Bill 119, a bill that imposes stricter penalties for littering on state roads. Bill 119 is scheduled to come to a vote in three months (February 1, 2013), so CCI has a short period of time to persuade key legislators to exert influence in favor of passing the bill. In the midst of their efforts to pass the littering bill, CCI will celebrate its ten-year anniversary several weeks before the important vote takes place. Research In order to help persuade Iowa s legislature to pass Bill 119, extensive research must be done on the environmental and economic effects of littering. Such research will help create a call to action, from not only Iowa s government legislators also but the citizens of Iowa, in hopes of getting Bill 119 passed. Environmental Consequences of Littering It is not shocking that there are major negative environmental impacts of roadside litter. Cigarette butts are a major contributor, comprising roughly 38 percent of all litter (Keep America Beautiful, 2009). Many are unaware that each cigarette butt takes 12 years to break down, all the while leaching toxic elements such as cadmium, lead and arsenic into soil and waterways (Earth Talk, 2013). In addition to cigarettes, plastic beverage containers are also a major 2 P age

3 contributor to roadside litter (see figure ES -1). Like cigarettes, plastic bottles also leak toxins into soil and waterways. More directly, roadside litter has the potential to put people and animals lives in danger. After Massachusetts enacted a deposit law in 1983, doctors at Children s Hospital in Boston found a 60% decrease in glass-related lacerations that required stitches (Container Recycling Institute). Animals are not immune to the consequences of litter either, Livestock can be maimed or even killed by beverage container litter, either by stepping on broken cans and glass bottles, or by ingesting sharp pieces of containers that end up in their feed (Container Recycling Institute). Birds specifically are susceptible to the extreme dangers of littering, marine birds in particular are prone to mistake littered plastic bottle caps as food. Unable to digest or excrete them, the birds gradually starve to death (Container Recycling Institute). Economic Consequences of Littering One factor that many do not take into account when discussing the subject of littering is the economic impact it can have on a state such as Iowa. Litter is an extremely expensive societal practice. According to the organization, Keep America Beautiful: littering costs the U.S. $ P age

4 billion every year (2009). Not included in this estimate are the indirect costs of littering, including decreases in property values, commerce and tourism, as well as the health effects of this form of waste (Giacoppo, 2009). The state of California alone spends 28 million cleaning up and removing litter annually (Earth Talk, 2013). The hefty cost states are spending on litter cleanups is potential money that a state could be using to create more jobs or to improve public education for its citizens. Unfortunately, Keep America Beautiful believes the full economic cost of littering is largely unknown, The true cost of litter remains largely hidden among our governments, institutions, and businesses. Most of the organizations surveyed were not able to compile the full costs,especially among the business community (Keep America Beautiful, 2009). Discussion Through the extensive amount of research surrounding the environmental and economic impacts of littering it becomes clear that littering is an extremely costly practice. Considering the economic downturn America is currently facing, states across the nation have had to slash budgets in areas such as education and ventures that promote job creation. The research conducted in the development of this case shows that the cleanup efforts associated with littering can cost states millions of dollars annually. Cost cutting and job creation are major issues that government officials and citizens are known to take an interest in. As a result of the research conducted, to persuade legislature and the citizens of Iowa to pass Bill 119, the sheer cost of littering creates a strong compelling argument as to why Bill 119 should be passed. Main Message Due to the short time frame of this public relations campaign, this case includes one main message that will create a call to action to persuade legislation and the citizens of Iowa to pass Bill 119. Main Message: Passing Bill 119 will drastically cut down Iowa s governmental costs. Littering costs the state of Iowa millions annually. Money used to combat littering could be used in other areas such as job creation or public education to help Iowa's economy. 4 P age

5 Target Public Iowa Government Officials (Direct Lobbying) Considering this case is primarily focused on persuading government officials to pass Bill 119 Iowa's key government officials are going to be obvious targets for this government PR campaign. Key officials to target are Iowa s two senators, Tom Harkin and Chuck Grassley, Iowa congressman, Steve King, Bruce Braley, David Loebsack and Tom Latham, as well as Iowa s governor, Terry Branstad. Iowa Government Committees (Direct Lobbying) In addition to government officials, it would also be essential to target the various environmental committees throughout the state of Iowa, in order to gain support to pass Bill 119. For this governmental campaign we will focus on targeting committees that are primarily concerned with environmental and transportation efforts in the state of Iowa. * Screen shots from Iowa s government website of contacts involved in environmental and transportation committees can be found in the appendix section of this case. Iowa Citizens (Grassroots Lobbying) Finally, in order to put pressure on government officials and committees, Iowa's citizens (of all ages) must be encouraged to ban together to get Bill 119 passed. Objectives To increase the awareness of the economic costs of littering in the minds of Iowa s government officials by 10% from November 1st to February 1, To increase the awareness of the economic costs of littering in the minds of Iowa s citizens by 15% from November 1st to February 1, To get 10,000 signatures on the Bill 119 Petition by February 1, To get Bill 119 Passed by Iowa state legislature on February 1, P age

6 Tactics Bill 119 Taskforce In order to get Bill 119 passed it is imperative to bring together as many organizations and citizens of Iowa against littering, to put pressure on state legislatures. Formulating a taskforce to get Bill 119 passed is a great way to gather people in support of the same cause. The Bill 119 Taskforce will meet every Wednesday from 7-8pm in the Capital Cafe located in the Iowa State Capitol building, on the ground floor (Iowa Legislature). During these weekly meetings, the task force will discuss additional tactics to pass Bill 119, as well as to assist in carrying out the efforts described later in this campaign. Additionally, in order to gain support, the Bill 119 Taskforce will partner with the Keep America Beautiful organization to further extend its reach to Iowa s citizens and legislature. Bill 119 Petition Considering Americans have the constitutional right to create a petition (See excerpt of First Amendment below) it would be in CCI s and the Bill 119 Taskforce s best interest to create an online petition to help gain recognition from Iowa s government to pass Bill 119. When signing the petition participants are also asked to provide their so CCI and the Bill 119 Taskforce can stay in contact with them about the developments of the Bill 119 campaign. The petition will look similar to that of the We the People section of the White House official website. To increase the number of signatures on this petition members of the Bill 119 Taskforce will be stationed at grocery stores and post offices around Iowa throughout this three month campaign. While at these petition stations, members of CCI and the Bill 119 Taskforce will educate people about the economic costs of littering and how Bill 119 will cut down Iowa's annual cost. Iowa citizens will then get the opportunity to electronically sign the petition using laptops and ipads provided by CCI s and Bill 119 Taskforce members at the various sites. The results of the petition will be sent weekly to Iowa s state senator, congressmen and of course the governor, in hopes of showing them that the passing of Bill 119 is important to the citizens of Iowa. Bill 119 Rally Another way to drum up attention for the passing of Bill 119 is through a peaceful rally outside the Iowa Capitol Building on Saturday, January 25th. Iowa citizens will be notified about this rally through blasts and stories running in the media at the time as well. This date marks a week prior to the voting day of Bill 119, on February 1st. The rally will provide the last big push to pressure Iowa legislature to pass Bill P age

7 Iowa Kids Against Litter Bugs Getting children involved in any cause is an influential way to get attention from government officials. More importantly, although children do not have the ability to vote, targeting them will help influence their parents voting decisions. Due to Bill 119 s focus on littering, this is a concept kids of all ages understand, and is a great opportunity for kids to learn about the government and being environmentally conscious. To promote kids involvement in the passing of Bill 119, CCI, The Bill 119 Taskforce and the Keep America Beautiful foundation will work together to go into Iowa schools and educate children about the consequences of littering. This program will give children the opportunity to sign their own petition called Iowa Kids Against Litter Bugs. By getting children involved in the passing of Bill 119, it will show Iowa s government that preserving the environment and passing a bill that will have strict penalties for litterbugs, is important to kids and future generations of Iowans. Special Events CCI 10 year Anniversary New Year s Ball On December 31st the Collision for a Cleaner Iowa will host a New Year s Ball to celebrate their 10 year Anniversary. This ball will be a formal event and Iowa s government officials and prominent citizens will be invited to attend. The ball will be in the Iowa State Capitol Building, in Des Moines. During the ball guests will dine and enjoy lovely live performances by local musicians. Throughout the evening members of CCI will speak to the successes CCI has had in the last 10 years while also mentioning current projects the organization is working on (Bill 119). At the ball, guests are also encouraged to sign the petition at the various ipad stations located around the venue. Evaluation To evaluate this government relations campaign, CCI will go back to the objectives (stated below) and measure their successes using a variety of evaluation methods. To increase the awareness of the economic costs of littering in the minds of Iowa s government officials by 10% from November 1st to February 1, To increase the awareness of the economic costs of littering in the minds of Iowa s citizens by 15% from November 1st to February 1, P age

8 To get 10,000 signatures on the Bill 119 Petition by February 1, To get Bill 119 Passed by Iowa state legislature on February 1, Surveying Measuring Iowa's government officials and citizens awareness of the economic costs of littering can be done quantitatively using a survey. CCI will conduct a survey prior, during and following the completion of the campaign. Once information is gathered from all three surveys, CCI will be able to gauge the increase or decrease in awareness of the economic costs of littering in the minds of Iowa s government officials and citizens. Basic Mathematics At the end of the PR campaign, CCI will look at the number of people who signed the Bill 119 Petition and observe if their goal of reaching 10,000 signatures by February 1, 2014 was met. Outcome To evaluate the final objective of getting Bill 119 passed in Iowa, CCI must observe the outcome of the legislative voting taking place on February 1, Conclusion Thorough research has been conducted in the processes of formulating the key messages that would be the most successful in persuading CCI s target publics (Iowa's government officials and citizens) to get Bill 119 passed. In order to reach CCI s intended target publics and meet objectives outlined in this PR campaign, tactics and a special events have been developed and plan to be carried out successfully. Finally, the evaluation of this plan will help determine if the tactics implemented to increase awareness and get Bill 119 passed by Iowa's legislature were successful. If all of the objectives outlined in this plan are met, the implementation of this plan will be successful. 8 P age

9 Appendix 9 P age

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11 Works Cited "Committees." The Iowa Legislature. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Nov < "Container Recycling Institute." Container Recycling Institute. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov < Giacoppo, Jennifer. "Litter Costs the U.S. $11.5B Annually." Earth911com. N.p., 11 Dec Web. 06 Nov < "Litter Research 2009: Litter Quantificaton and Costs." Keep America Beautiful. N.p., Web. 06 Nov < 2009>. Talk, Earth. "Litter Trashes the Environment." About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Nov < 11 P age