Lobbying, fund-raising and Conference calls for Retrogression Relief

logiclife

Registered Users (C)
(also cross posted on Thread S 1932 and on immigrationvoice.org)

Yesterday there was a conference call where members of immigrationvoice.org participated and pooled ideas. The structure for fund-raising is up and running and the flow of funds is thick and fast so far.

We need these funds to work professionally this time with the help of a strategist who will act as a field coach when we work to lobby congress for eliminating retrogression etc.

A lobbyist does not write Java, C++ code when he needs a computer program. Similary, we cannot match the quality of work done by lobbyist to get a legislation passed. Its not our expertise. Previous efforts of meeting with congressmen have generated very very limited results. No member of congress is going to be rude to you and say "get lost". Everyone will respond by saying "Sorry, we will work for you next time.". They like to hear you and they like to respond but not each congressman will actually do something about it. I am not saying that those efforts never work. They do. But do we have the luxury of time until that happens??

TO IDENTIFY the ears that listen most, we need a lobbyist. TO KNOW THE TIMING when to write letter, meet a congressman in person WE NEED A LOBBYIST. TO learn how not to talk like an Oracle programmer but to talk in a way that convinces congress, we need a lobbyist.

Go to immigrationvoice.org and contribute generously. I have been asking only for comments/posts/ideas so far but now I am asking for funds. Either you can wait for "Others" to do something and rely on legislation that might never come. Or you can DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF and act on it.

Sitting on H1B forever, until hell freezes over is going to be a lot tougher than contributing few dollars to non-profit org that will work to eliminate retrogression, allow you to file you I-485 and put your GC within visible distance from where you are now. Go to immigrationvoice.org now.
 
Yes, personal checks are acceptable

There is an e-check facility in paypal and also the credit-card method thru paypal. I am not sure of manual paper check in mail that you can send. I will get back to you on that and post it right here.

Thanks,
 
logiclife....any idea how much fund will be needed to do a lobbying...

can you write some details about the steps in the lobbying effort...
 
techy2468 said:
logiclife....any idea how much fund will be needed to do a lobbying...
Just to give you an idea of the funds required, it is just sufficient to see the funds which anti immigration groups are spending. http://www.publicintegrity.com/lobby/profile.aspx?act=clients&year=2003&cl=L010033 indicates the amount that FAIR spent - a whopping 260k in 2004 when things were "dull" and 2030k from 1998-2004 . This is just 1 organization. I am not saying that we can compete with this kind of organization - just wanted to give you a feel of what we are up against.

techy2468 said:
can you write some details about the steps in the lobbying effort...
Lobbying in this case is a misnomer after the Jack Abramoff stuff :) . What we need is a person who can direct us in the right way. A strategist if you will. Now what use is that? A few sample uses
-Try getting an appointment with your lawmaker and you will realize that it is not easy as it sounds. Even if you manage to get an appointment, is it with a lawmaker who has in the past helped the immigration community? During the S.1932 so many of us called. All of us came back feeling that they have atleast noted what we said. But the result - back to square one. So there is something we are missing in terms of what we are doing. If we know what it is, there is no need of an experienced strategist.
-The politics of immgration is having many complexities - the post 9/11 scenario, the economic downturn, the all encompassing anti-illegal-immigration debate. So we need to talk with different people having different goals if need be.
-We have neither the time, the experience nor the reach to identify the opportunities where a future clause can be inserted in some bill to alleviate our problems. And this last minute dash to the end line has not helped in the past - we need a sustained consistent directed effort.
Without going into the specifics, I feel that this is the way a strategist can help:
1. Identify feasible goals that can be achieved and are representative of the people in this forum. We should not have to piggy back on H1s or illegal immigration - we need an identity of our own
2. Identify the champions amongst the lawmakers, alliances, organizations who are willing to shoulder some or all of the responsibility in passing provisions to solve retrogression
3. Identify opportunities for us to meet/interact with those mentioned in 2.
4. Help us in putting our points across cohesively and in a way relevant to the political situations
5. Keep a close monitor on the progress and the situation so as to identify the opportunities as they arrive.
So in short, after getting professional help, we can put our efforts in a channelized fashion.
 
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Lobbyists do not come cheap

Guys and Gals

Lobbyist do not come cheap. I recall till the recent nuclear tests conducted by India, the Indian government did not hire any lobbyist firms. And when they started looking for one after the tests, they were in for a "sticker shock".

Can someone in DC call any of the lobbying firms and ask what kind estimates are we looking at?

I know generally for $1500 to $5000, one can get an invitation to a dinner fundraiser by a politician. If we target even 100 politicians, we are looking at $150K to $500K just for such dinners.

We are better off meeting with American Indian Donors (many of whom may be our employers but a lot will not be - most such people are doctors/ lawyers, etc.) who can make a case for us.

Guys and Gals - simple question - can we raise even $150K in one month (assuming Feb is the D-date)? This implies $5K each day. At $100, we need 50 people every day. At $50, we need 100 people every day. At $25, we need 200 people each and every day.

Regards

GCStrat :)
 
sandeep....at last some info.....but i have a question.....are you actively involved in lobbying effort in either isnamerica.org or immigrationvoice.com ?
 
techy2468 said:
sandeep....at last some info.....but i have a question.....are you actively involved in lobbying effort in either isnamerica.org or immigrationvoice.com ?
I am involved in the immigrationvoice effort currently - I strongly believe that we need a professional direction. And as usual all the help is welcome.
 
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