This document discusses the importance of political participation over simply making financial contributions. It argues that meeting with your local legislators, building relationships with them, and participating in the political process through grassroots efforts can be more effective than money alone. The document provides several anecdotes and quotes to illustrate this point, such as a story about a man who called his legislator and convinced him to change his vote by threatening to tell his father. It emphasizes that if you don't participate in politics, you risk being governed by others without your input.

1. Presented by Joe Mapes

3. ONE MORE TIME….
IF YOU’RE NOT AT THE TABLE, YOU’RE ON THE MENU.

4. PARTICIPATION
VERSUS
COMMITTMENT

6. PARTICIPATION
What does participation in the
political, governmental and
legislative processes actually
mean?

7. PARTICIPATION
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Meet your State Senators and State
Representatives.
Go to their office in YOUR districts.
DO NOT call and request a meeting.
Drop by unannounced until you finally
meet them face to face.
Go with no agenda, but to offer yourself
as a resource.

8. PARTICIPATION
Find your Senator and Reps
1. “Google” Louisiana Legislature
2. Click who are my legislators tab
3. Input your street address and Zip Code

9. PARTICIPATION
You can’t beat the local boys on their home ground
Once you establish and maintain relationships with your
legislators, there is no known defense against this strategy
for your industry or profession.

10. PARTICIPATION
Grassroots participation trumps $$$$ every time.
All the contribution checks, golf rounds, smoke-filled card games,
steak dinners, and whiskey in the world cannot win when competing
against a group that has relationships with its politicians.

11. PARTICIPATION
A Pig and a Chicken are walking down the road.
They see a billboard with a plate of ham and eggs.
The Chicken says: “My, isn’t that a beautiful sight?”
The Pig says: “Well, I don’t know about that. For you,
it’s participation, but for me it’s total commitment!”

12. PARTICIPATION
There are 3 types of people:
1. People who watch things happen
2. People who make things happen
3. People who say, “what happened?”
DO NOT BE NUMBER 3

13. PARTICIPATION
Plato 428-347 BC
“One of the penalties for
refusing to participate in
politics is that you end
up being governed by
your inferiors and/or
your opposition.”

14. PARTICIPATION
THE JIM HARPER STORY RE: GRASSROOTS
Your call counts, and here’s a story
about my good friend Jim who called
when our legislation was to be heard on
the House floor in about 15 minutes. He
called me and said, “how’s our bill
doing”? I said, “we have the votes, but
one of your Representatives is voting
against us”. He asked for the Rep’s cell
phone number. He called him. The Rep
came off the House floor to see Sandy
and me with cartoon steam coming out
of his ears!

15. PARTICIPATION
….The Representative DID switch his vote
And was NOT happy about it!

16. PARTICIPATION
But said “We’ll still be friends”

17. PARTICIPATION
Jim Harper called me back. I asked him what he told the
Representative. He said, “I told him, boy, you’re gonna vote
for our bill, or I’m gonna call your daddy!”

18. PARTICIPATION
If you’re for something, somebody’s against it
If you have something, somebody wants it.

19. PARTICIPATION
THE GOLDEN RULE
GET INTO POLITICS, OR....
GET OUT OF BUSINESS

20. PARTICIPATION
How a Bill Becomes a Law

21. PARTICIPATION
How a Bill Becomes a Law

22. PARTICIPATION
How a Bill REALLY Becomes a Law

23. PARTICIPATION
At this point, you may be thinking,
"there's no way it's this easy."

24. PARTICIPATION
It's not easy, but it is simple. These are fundamentals.
Once they are in place, they are the
building blocks for the entire process.

25. Q&A
PARTICIPATION
TIME