This week my job has brought me to the State Capitol where I was able to observe the hearing on the bill for state employee compensation.
Having never ever been to the capitol during legislative session, and having never observed any part of the process, it was interesting to see how business is conducted here for each bill.
This particular bill asks for a 5% pay increase for each year for the next two years as well as funding for equity and market increases for state employees.
There was no one opposed to the bill.
I was able to see how public relations plays a big part in this process since all who spoke in favor of the bill represented various agencies and were in effect just giving a public plug for the bill and their agency. The news crew was there, so it not only gave them public exposure for the bill, but for the work they are doing for their agencies. So they were not only publicizing their agencies, but also their own job, i.e. See? Look! I'm doing my job for you!
I can see why this type of promotion is very important for both the agency and the future of the bill. Even if there was no opposition to the bill, if no one came to speak in support, the committee could very well think that this must not be very important to the agencies it was affecting and perhaps next time around they just won't worry about working so hard in their behalf.
Politics in general is one big public relations event after another. There are times I think it's so much a big spectacle with not much action coming from all the fluff. But I can see why it's necessary.
The public needs to feel they have a say and a part in the process. To facilitate that, they need to know what's going on. This means the need for lots and lots of communication and press releases. And since the politicians want them to support their ideas, they need to do a lot of PR to convince them it's a good idea.
So technically the politicians are really making all the big plans and to be successful, they just have to be really good at getting the proper PR spin out to help their public think it was their idea first!
As it happens, my purpose in being here at the capitol is a public relations event in itself. I am displaying and representing the Medical Transcription program along with our colleagues from the horticulture program for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) exhibit this week. And of course, the whole point of being here, sitting answering questions, and schmoozing with the legislators and other visitors is to promote our programs, raise awareness of our school, and demonstrate that the money that the legislators provide CTE, and by extension us, is going to good use.
Hopefully they agree.
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I bet it was interesting getting to sit in on the hearings. I was glad to hear there was no opposition to the 5 percent raise and other incentives for state employees. It does surprise me though. It seems there is always someone making comments about state employees and raises, etc.
ReplyDeleteIn my position I work with CTE grant money and know how much we depend on that funding. When we do get cuts it is hard. We have to figure out where we are going to cut and how to replace that lost funding.
It is great that your state has the opportunity to consider giving your state employees a 5% pay increase. In contrast the State of Florida is using the media to spin another tale. They are lobbying for support of reductions to state universities, pay and hiring freezes along with cutting some state funded programs. For my state the PR practitioners are working overtime to try to make the case for eliminating funding and creating new taxes to offset the huge loses in real estate revenues.
ReplyDeletePR specialists have to be versed in adding positive messages as well as finding the appropriate way to deliver the bad news so that it just doesn’t seem so bad.
I wonder where organizations, universities and schools in DC go to make their case heard? The White House?
I really enjoyed reading your blog and thought that it was great that you can bring your own life experience to this class. I never thought of politics as public relations, but you explain very well how public relations play a huge part in politics. The whole point of public relations is to inform the public and that is exactly what politicians do or should do every day.
ReplyDeleteI thought the point you made about how important the promotion of the bill is for the agency and the future of the bill was interesting and so true. I think that the bill is a great idea and great for the agencies and all the employees. A bill that should be fought for and it seems that the agencies did just that.
Good luck with representing the Medical Transcription program.
This was an interesting blog. Im sure it was an experience that you will never forget. The way you explained how public relations is with in the politics, is kind of how I would have always imagined it to be. Public relations is a lot to deal with the public, I mean it is part of the term, and keeping the public informed. I think that it is so cool for you to be able to represent the Medical Transcription program, and to even be able to be sitting in the hearing.
ReplyDeleteI like what you said about people supporting the bill. If no one came in to support it, even if there were no one to oppose, it would not look very well. I understand what you are saying totally because if no one showed up at all then that would mean the bill wasn't important to anyone, even the people that wanted the bill to be passed. So it was very important that some of the supporters showed up to make it clear that the bill was going to help someone.
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