Promoting Public Services

Promoting Public Service

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Promoting Public Services

As we move through this legislative session, do we have the public on our side? How about the media? or the politicians? Would it be helpful to have the public and others on our side? That’s what this presentation is about: using new research, strategies and tools to move people to support public services.

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At the 2006 AFSCME Convention, part of the 21st Century resolution, was commitment to project a bold new image for our union. At the 2008 Convention, we continued to build our “We Fight, We Win!” campaign by introducing this “promoting public service” education that will help us get the public on our side. We’re going to start out today with a question.

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GOVERNMENT

What is the first thing that comes to mind when I say this word? Responses are often negative. And that’s in a room where all of us have jobs that are supported by government funding. And guess what? The reaction you had is shared by most people.

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Interviews conducted for the “Talking about Government” project of Public Works: the Dēmos Center for the Public Sector.

These interviews were part of a research process undertaken by an organization called Dēmos to understand HOW Americans THINK ABOUT government. We’ll talk more about what they learned in a few minutes. After smiles, laughter, loss of words, people responded with these comments: “They do what they do.” “They need improvement.” “It’s probably just a lot of red tape.” “It is what it is.” “It’s pathetic.” “I feel pretty helpless.” “There’s a lot we don’t know.” “it seems like it’s such a mess now - I don’t know - I just don’t give it much thought.” “I stay out of the politics; I do my job; I collect my pay check; and stay out of the mess.”

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“More Americans can name the Three Stooges than the three branches of government…”

“…That's because the Three Stooges are more likely to get something done.” - David Letterman

The bottom line is that for decades, the public has been losing faith in government. Here’s a joke that demonstrates one reaction to the word government: laughter. “More Americans can name The Three Stooges than the three branches of government…” [Click] “That’s because The Three Stooges are more likely to get something done.” There are lots of reasons for this loss faith in government. And while the administration in DC is working to change public opinion, we are in the middle of an historic battle for our members and we are fighting to be heard over what has been a steady drum-beat of anti-government rhetoric ….

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Anti-Government Rhetoric

“We don’t want to feed the monster. We want to feed the private sector and starve the public sector.” Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sacramento Bee, January 19, 2005

We all know who this is. His agenda is summarized by the quote above: Starve public services and the workers who provide them…meaning all of us. In our own state, during this budget crisis, the governor and some legislators are going after out contracts, our rights, and our jobs. There has been an organized, anti-government movement for at least the last 40 years. And we didn’t do a very good job of responding to it. But let’s face it. The problem is much bigger than the politicians who oppose public services. It’s them - but it’s also the American public. --- And it’s US. We just saw that many of us in this room – and I include myself – often react negatively when we hear the word “government”.

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Why does it matter?

Why does it matter what people think and feel about government? Is the prevailing attitude toward government a problem for you? In my experience, it matters a whole lot what people think AND feel about government… because that affects what the decisionmakers do when negotiating our contracts or voting on budgets. Everyone in this room has one thing in common: we all provide government services.

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Become Advocates for Government and Public Services

If the stories and attitudes about government are overwhelmingly negative, then the services we provide – and our jobs – are vulnerable. So the goal here today is to help you be an effective advocate for government. Because if we are not advocates for government and the services it provides, who will be? So - we ‘re going to talk about HOW to do this. We’re going to identify a better way to talk about government - a way that gets the public to come over to our side. And we will also look at examples of how we unintentionally play into anti-government attitudes and contribute to the problem.

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“Have I got a deal for you!”

Does that mean we’re here to learn how to “sell” government? No way. This is not about … Convincing people to like government as it currently exists. Or promoting satisfaction with government. Or “spinning” the role of government.

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The value of Government…

and the role it plays.

We are going to look at a way to focus on the value of government and the role it plays in our country, and we’ll talk more about that in a few minutes.

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Communications is Storytelling Chicken Little

The Little Engine That Could This slide is used with permission of the FrameWorks Institute.

This is about changing hearts and minds. We have to DO MORE than play with words – we must overcome some deeply held negative attitudes. We have to tell an inspired story about the value of the work we do and what it means to the public. So let’s talk about stories. [Click to bring up Chicken Little image.] Here’s a picture from the children’s story Chicken Little. What kind of story is this? It’s a story about crisis – the sky is falling! [Click to bring up the Little Engine image.] Now what kind of story is this? It’s a story about aspiration - it’s a story about belief - not desperation.

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Building Support for Government & Public Services

PRINCIPLES

1. Speak to the public interest – not our self-interest 2. Talk about values 3. Highlight the unique role of public services

I’m going to make the case for telling our stories and creating our messages using these three principles. •Speak to the the public interest, not our self interest. •Talk about values. •And highlight the unique role of public services in promoting the common good. After I explain where we got these principles, I will share A process for developing effective messages based on them. So where do we get these principles? We didn’t pull them out of thin air. They come from the “TALING ABOUT GOVERNMENT” project of an organization called Dēmos. Dēmos is a think tank and action center that works on issues like expanding our democracy, creating shared prosperity and buildling support for public services. They conducted a year and a half of research into public attitudes toward government. The next part of this presentation is based on the research they did and what they found. Let’s look at some highlights.

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Two Dominant Images - Both Problematic • Vivid images of bickering politicians • Blurry images of everything else, including what we do

One of the things the researchers were trying to uncover was the dominant image that is called up when we talk to people about government or public services. What they found can be best visualized using this image of an iceberg. There’s what people see “above the surface” – there’s 10% that’s vivid and highly visible. And then there’s the larger part of govenment that is only dimly perceived. [Click] What people see above the surface is bickering politicians. And they’re disgusted with it. It’s political theatre and they are mere spectators. They understand that we need elected officials, but they feel has nothing to do with them. [Click] BELOW THE SURFACE is a vast, bureaucratic blob. They can’t really describe what it does, but they believe it’s wasteful and inefficient. As a result of this belief, they’re susceptible to messages such as “government can’t do anything right, it wastes our hard earned tax dollars, the private sector can do it better.” Sound familiar to anyone here?

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Our Job: Sharpen the Focus

Public Structures and systems we have built

But the research also showed that people do have other images of government – of the public parks where they hike, fish and play, or the school their kids attend, but these are often secondary, submerged beneath the negative images. We know that the 90% of the iceberg that’s beneath the surface is not a blob. After all, it’s us! It is a complex and important structure that includes all of the public services we provide. In this country, we have built these public structures over many years – structures such as public safety, assistance to vulnerable populations, consumer protection, roads and transit, and set aside public areas that we can all enjoy. And when we paint a concrete picture of these structures and services, we build support for government and the work we do. So our job is to make what is below the surface more visible – to bring it into focus. Based on the research that Dēmos did, the iceberg represents two challenges we face. People have two dominant images of government : bickering politicians and a vast bureaucratic blob. These dominant images block out anything positive. 15

Thinking Like a

Consumer: • What’s in it for me? • What’s it going to cost me?

Now let’s turn to the third challenge that emerged from the research. That

challenge is the “consumer mind set”.

We are a consumer-driven society. Buying and consuming is what we do. Researchers say that we are increasingly viewing our interactions with all institutions and even with each other through a “what’s in it for me” lens. If I am looking at government from a consumer perspective, I am likely to feel that it… •Takes my money and gives it to others through taxes. • It’s a drag on the economy and business. • And it provides services that are for someone else, not me. When we think about government as a consumer, we forget about the broader public good and our collective responsibility for it.

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Thinking Like a Citizen Government: • is people coming together for the common good • does the things we can’t do as individuals

But a hopeful finding from the research is that people are also capable of thinking like citizens. It’s not our first instinct, but it is in our civic DNA. When people are thinking like citizens, they see government as something that … Brings people together for the common good. • Does the things we can’t do as individuals. • Creates opportunity. • Protects and empowers people and communities. • And is a tool for solving problems. We all have both of these mindsets within us: the consumer mindset and the citizen mindset. It is our job to make sure that we are talking about public services in ways that brings “citizenthinking” to the fore – as a balance to consumer thinking. This is good news, because it means that we don’t have to change people’s minds – we just have to tap into values and ways of thinking that everyone has within them.

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PRINCIPLES

1. Speak to the public interest 2. Talk about values 3. Highlight the unique role of public services

So now we’re back to our three principles. Can you remember what they were? [Click to bring in the three principles.] These principles will help us get past the obstacles we’ve just talked about: •The consumer mindset, •The dominant image of bickering politicians, •And the confusion about the vast bureaucratic blob.

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PRINCIPLE

#1

Speak to the public interest, not self-interest

Principle #1 is to speak to the public interest, not our self interest. When we’re in a fight like a contract or budget campaign, we’re used to talking about ourselves and what we have to gain or lose. Public Interest rises above and apart from private interests. So what is the public interest in the services we provide? How does our work benefit the community? The stories we tell cannot just be the story of the great things we do as workers. They have to be about the great things our work does for the community.

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PRINCIPLE

#2

Talk about values

Principle #2 is to talk about values. What do I mean by values? I’m talking about the core beliefs - those beliefs that guide us in the world. So for me, it’s a belief that we are all connected and that we have a shared responsibility - and at times a shared sacrifice - that we are a community that leaves no one behind. What are some of the values that you hold as a member of your community? And how do they relate to the services you provide and the people who use them? [poll the audience] Now let me ask you one more question: aren’t we as state workers integral to building and sustaining communities based on these values? Our work really is about the communities we serve and live in and the values we share. And we have to make these values explicit in our messages, because values are very influential in shaping opinions and reactions. People see the world through the lens of their values, so if we can start with shared values, our message will be more likely to reach people – to speak to their heads and their hearts. The Dēmos research showed that when people remember the values that underpin government and public services, they are more supportive. That’s why we want to talk about values when we talk about public services. And it’s a lot harder to contract out values than services.

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PRINCIPLE

#3

Highlight the unique role of public services in promoting the common good.

Principle #3 is to highlight the unique role of public services in promoting the common good. This is a big deal. We have to do more than talk about why the services we provide are so important. We also have to talk about why they need be performed by government. Why is what you do - or the service you provide - a uniquely public role? Why should it be a government service? Government does things we can’t do for ourselves - In our communities we may know people who cannot care for themselves, we may be experiencing growth and need a fair process to make decisions about roads and utilities, and we need public safety nets that protect our families and our environment. This is how we pool our resources. And the process established to accomplish this is a democratic process - one that allows for public involvement, shared leadership and respect for all.

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Become Advocates for Government and Public Services

So, as you carry on or begin the roles of editors and reporters for your locals, I hope you will be mindful of our need to outspoken advocates for government.

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PRINCIPLES

1. PUBLIC INTEREST: How does our work benefit the community? 1. VALUES: What values does our work support? 3. UNIQUE ROLE: What’s the unique role that these public services play in promoting the common good?

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Example: Funding Schools What we usually say: • We should make sure our schools are well-funded – after all, it’s cheaper to build a new school than a new jail.

A better message: • When people get the education they need, we have a stronger economy and a better community to raise a family. That’s what public schools are for.

So let’s look at an example using these principles. On the left side of this slide is a perfectly reasonable message – one that I might have written myself. What’s wrong with this message, based on what we just covered? How can we break out of the consumer mindset? How can we incorporate our values? How can we point out the need for education to be a public service, not a private one? So let’s look at a better message. [Click to bring in the right column.] Why is this more likely to succeed? [Note that presenters may want to replace this or supplement this with a sector-specific example.] 24

Example: Privatization Efforts Keep Public Employees Operating Akron’s Sewer System • Giving college scholarships to students graduating from Akron high schools is a good idea. But selling the city sewer system out from under the members of Local 1360 to pay for it is a bad idea. We need to stop this selling off of the city’s facilities and services — and the jobs that go with them. • Those who favor water privatization argue that switching from publicly owned and operated utilities to private sector firms will lead to greater economic efficiency, stabilized rates, reduced public debt and improved budgetary management. • But there is little evidence to support these claims. Privatization schemes throughout the country have a track record of skyrocketing prices, deteriorating service and a loss of local control. • Our roads and bridges are falling apart. It is time to increase the funding and staffing of these departments.

Here’s another example. This is a tougher one, because it’s about cuts to our benefits. I find that it is harder to stick to the three principles when someone is coming after us directly. On the left side of this slide is a perfectly reasonable message about cuts to health care benefits – again, one I might have written myself. What’s wrong with this message, based on what we just covered? [Wait for response] How can we make this message more effective? So let’s look at a better message. [Click to bring in the right column.] Why is this more likely to succeed? [Wait for response] This is an example of taking the opportunity to talk about what everyone deserves – not just what we deserve.

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Example: Privatization Efforts Keep the Public In Charge - and Akron’s Sewer System Accountable

• For generations, Akron has built and maintained a public sewer system that has served our community well by protecting the public’s health & the environment. Public ownership is necessary to provide the long range commitment that keeps the citizens of Akron in charge of this important public service, its operation and its costs. • Each and every day we rely on our public structures to ensure that safe drinking water is here for our communities today and far into the future. • This essential resource that we all depend on must be managed and protected for the common good. This is not an appropriate public asset for the private sector to control. • Our communities, businesses and families succeed when we have roads and bridges we can count on. This is why it is so important to provide adequate support for our transportation and public works departments.

Here’s another example. This is a tougher one, because it’s about cuts to our benefits. I find that it is harder to stick to the three principles when someone is coming after us directly. On the left side of this slide is a perfectly reasonable message about cuts to health care benefits – again, one I might have written myself. What’s wrong with this message, based on what we just covered? [Wait for response] How can we make this message more effective? So let’s look at a better message. [Click to bring in the right column.] Why is this more likely to succeed? [Wait for response] This is an example of taking the opportunity to talk about what everyone deserves – not just what we deserve.

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Funding Yakima Valley School • Public Interest - vulnerable populations, our sense of shared responsibility. • Values - opportunity, quality of life, • Unique Role - No refusal, experienced care and resources

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