follow the money a webinar for the american public transportation association

Follow the MoneyA Webinar for the American Public

Transportation Association

Topics

• About the Webinar• Clarifying Terms (Appropriations versus

Authorization)• The NORMAL Process• What’s Happening with Current Appropriations and

Budget Items• Advocacy Approaches for Each Stage

Who’s Speaking?

Stephanie Vance, Advocacy Guru• Former Capitol Hill Staff• Lobbyist• Author of 5 books on advocacy

including the recently released “The Influence Game: 50 Insider Tactics from the Washington D.C. Lobbying World That Will Get You to Yes”

About the Webinar

• What’s happening?• Muting• Q&A• Recording and Follow-Up Materials

First, a Round of Applause…

Success in CR Highway Transit / MAP-21 Efforts

… And a Recognition of Challenges

High-Speed Rail, New Starts, Reserves – and more!

Clarifying General Legislative Terms

• A fiscal blueprint

Budget

• Allow programs to exist & make changes

Authorizations

• The actual dollars going out

Appropriations

• Revenues coming in to the government

Tax Legislation

Drilling Down: Clarifying Budget Process Terms

Budget

Budget Reconciliation

Appropriations

AuthorizationTax Legislation

Continuing Resolution

Omnibus / Minibus

The Normal Process: Key Steps for the US Budget Process

Source: National Priorities Project

Current Status: FY 2013 – Start of FY 2014

Sequestration (FY13 and ongoing)

CR (FY13) FY2014

Impact on FTA's New Starts/Small Starts, Amtrak Operations and Capital, among others

Final numbers through 9/30/2013

Fixed some sequestration issues: MAP-21 implementation and highway safety

• House Budget passed

• Senate Budget passed

• President’s Budget Expected April 8

• Appropriations pending

APTA Resources

FY 2014 BUDGET Details (Note: Budgets are not line-item specific)

House Republicans Senate Democrats President

• No change to MAP-21

• Cut high-speed rail• Possible cuts to New

Starts• HTF tied to actual

receipts• Additional funding

options left to House Ways and Means

• No general reserve fund to counter HTF shortfalls

• No change to MAP-21

• Highway safety funds included

• Reserve fund funded• No specifics on high-

speed rail or new starts

?? – To be released 4/8/2013

The Connection of the Overall Budget to Transportation

What the Budgets Portend (Word of the Day!) for Transportation

The Future of the HTF – Unless Changes are Made

Why Does This Matter?: Advocacy Approaches

Success

Advocacy Approaches

• In the budget / appropriations process, you need to be clear on four things:• What you want• Who’s in charge• Who should ask• How to ask

(especially in tough economic times)

What Do You Want?

Who’s in Charge?

• Budget Blueprint• House Budget• Senate Budget• OMB

Who’s in Charge?

• Authorization / Reconciliation• House T&I, Ways and Means• Senate Banking, Finance, CST• Important for MAP-21, HTF and related

non-appropriations funds• Appropriations

• Important for high-speed rail, new starts and related appropriations funds

• More information on the Library of Congress’ Thomas appropriation chart

Who Should Ask?

• Politics is not a spectator sport!

• Grassroots advocacy (i.e., communications from citizens to their legislators) has the most impact of any form of communication

• Think broadly about what “citizen communication” means• You• Employees• Customers• Riders• Local opinion leaders• Supporters• Volunteers

Your Role: The LOCAL Story

You are the ONLY way to stress the local story

Examples

Key things to know:

How many employees?

Economic impact?

Opinion leader connections

Noteworthy events

Messages That Work: Ridership

Messages That Work: Local Support

ID

AZ

UT

MT

WY

NM

CO

AL

FL

SC

TN

KY

INOH

NC

SD

KS

NE

MN

WI

IA

IL

MO

AR

MS

OK

ND

OR

CA NV

WA

PA

ME

VA

NY

CT

WV

MDNJ

VT

NH

MA

DE

RI

LA

MI

GA

TX

LEGEND

2012 Transit Measures

December Measures

Total Measures: 62States: 18Approval Rate: 78.3%

Messages That Work: Budget Savings (Personal and National)

Most Important?

The Message is NOT One Size Fits All!

In other words – understand THEIR interests

Wrapping it Up: A Checklist for Budget Planning

• What do you want?• Background research

What economic benefits do you bring to the community? What will you / can you do with funds? What have you spend funds on? What projects could you not complete without funds?

• Who can you approach? Who are your legislators? Are they on key committees?

• How can you approach them?• Grassroots?• Direct Lobbying?• Don’t forget APTA resources

• Where are you on the timeline?• What are your other options?