Last week’s column about the Cuomo Administration’s
proposed regulations for employee scheduling closed out by encouraging the
reader to reach out to the Department of Labor while the public comment period
is underway.
Most folks would look at that suggestion
dismissively, fully believing that their opinion means nothing.
Don’t ever think that way.
Public comment works. I’ve seen it firsthand.
Back in 2011, this column looked at a proposal by
the Obama Administration which would have excluded all minors (except the
children of the farm’s owners) from most farm work and all animal husbandry,
which would have killed the future of agriculture in this country and destroyed
the 4-H and FFA. Thanks to the wonders of in the internet, the column went
viral almost overnight and farmers, high school students, ag colleges, talk
radio hosts, and politicians heartily voiced their opinions in the closing days
of the public comment period. After that column made its rounds, public input
increased tenfold to the US Department of Labor in a matter of just a few days.
We beat back the regulations and it was a huge win for farming….all because
people made their voices heard.
It’s wonderful that our government gives us the
chance to do that -- most don’t. Luckily we had founding fathers like Ben
Franklin and Thomas Jefferson who were adamant about citizen-driven
discussions, something that caught on in New England town halls and similar
movements that followed and continue to this day.
The process in a nutshell: When an executive
branch, be it at the state or federal level, is looking at creating policy or
has proposed a change in policy it opens up the public comment period during
which a special committee or the agency charged with enforcement of the new
policies accepts either oral opinions (at special meetings) or written comment
(via email, websites, or postal mail) regarding the proposals. After the period
closes, that group goes back to the drawing board and either alters or, as was
the case with the farm rules, scraps it entirely.
When delivering your comment there are five basic
rules you should follow.
Be educated. Take the time to download the new
rules and read through them. Also, read up on why they were created. Don’t take
the word of radio/TV talking heads, your favorite elected official or
columnists like me. Sure, we can lead you to an awareness or an understanding
of government action, but you need to take ownership of your knowledge of the
issues.
Be educational. Most policymakers have likely not
been in the line of work, science, or art that they might be looking to change.
But you have. Explain how the new rules will affect any number of things --
your workplace, your family, your community, the environment and the economy.
Your real world perspective, from being in the trenches, is what the writers
want to hear. Only you, being in the shadow of the dominos, can give the most
realistic story of what could happen.
Be professional. Although a proposed regulation
might get your goat, maintain a poker face. Anger and resentment never win over
people you are trying to influence. You have to be able to sell policymakers on
your ideas – so be a good salesman…be respectful and positive, never demeaning.
Be to the point. Some public comment periods can be
overwhelming to governmental agencies. With the aforementioned farm rules, the
US DOL received 13,000 written comments. That’s 13,000 letters and emails they
have to sift through and read individually. Don’t put them to sleep. Keep it
short, just a few paragraphs or nothing longer than a newspaper column.
Be yourself. Far too often, organizations you
belong to will tell you to send a letter that they’ve written to an elected
official or a department. Never, ever do that. If the individuals overseeing
the task see a few hundred of the same letter it ends up making said letter
meaningless, even when received in volume. It’s like activist spam. They want
fresh ideas. Fresh voices. Fresh perspectives. They want you.
It sounds like it could be a daunting task, but
it’s not. The daunting task come when you have to live with a series of laws
and regulations you didn’t want in the first place. So, do everything you can
to stop them from happening. We’re granted a special power as a part of this republic.
Use that power.
From the 04 December 2017 Greater Niagara
Newspapers
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