Advocacy - General Information

I can think of no better time than the present to fully engage our advocacy efforts, from the youngest summer camper to our most “seasoned” volunteer; our industry needs every single ambassador proclaiming that quality parks and programs will not take a back seat in the public services offered to our citizens and communities.  Please engage your citizen committees and advisory boards through awareness, education and training. FRPA will be updating resource materials and regional trainings to assist our agencies with these efforts. If you have not utilized the IT STARTS IN PARKS messages, now is the time to strategize how these can help support your marketing efforts and issues.

Through challenge and adversity comes opportunity; in actuality, while speaking with colleagues, many have used these adverse conditions to re-organize, re-prioritize, re-distribute and re-create their agencies to align with the times. This re-positioning of our mission and profession will make us stronger; it generates passion and focused effort towards our core services. This is not necessarily a setback but we must move quickly to solidify statewide advocacy education and efforts as we approach several years of transition at the State elected official level.

Here are some preliminary areas to consider that have been making the State agency committee and legislator meeting discussions recently:

• Theme of the session will be for lobbying groups to identify efficiencies (where money can be saved) in the agencies that regulate them; identifying duplicative efforts on the parts of state agencies, especially where regulation is present; and identifying new revenue sources that do not involve increasing fees, charges, taxes.
• Currently there is no interest in increasing or creating fees/charges/taxes. The 2010 election season is fast approaching and with the state of the economy still in flux, new fees are off the agenda at this point.
• Talking in terms of economic impact is a must! If local efforts will show an impact on job creation this will be a major plus!
• State budget reduction: expect a $56-57 billion budget rather than the $70+ we have seen in the past. Where this will occur and the potential impacts are not known at this point.
• Economists are predicting Florida is about 9 months behind the rest of the country where economic recovery is concerned.  It is expected it will be very late 2010 before Florida recovery begins.

If I can assist you in any way with issues or by providing information, please do not hesitate to contact me.