If there’s a lesson to be learned from getting skunked on state
funding for local highway projects it’s this: Hollister and San
Benito County need help playing the political game in
Sacramento.
If there’s a lesson to be learned from getting skunked on state funding for local highway projects it’s this: Hollister and San Benito County need help playing the political game in Sacramento.
Like it not, state politics in California is a competitive, high-stakes affair. The money pie is only so big, and if we want even a small piece we have to speak up loud and clear in order to convince the powers that be that we ought to have it. What is clear is that we haven’t done an effective enough job selling the value of our community or explaining our particular needs to those who are cutting up that pie.
What we need is a professional lobbyist who can effectively make our case in the state capital. A good lobbyist won’t come cheap, but the cost of losing out over and over again is much greater.
During Assemblywoman Anna Caballero’s visit to Hollister on Friday, she told the Board of Supervisors she wanted to know what she could do for San Benito County. “It comes down to money,” Supervisor Anthony Botelho answered. “We’ve got to fight those battles and win some of those battles and get some of those resources into rural California.”
We agree wholeheartedly. And the best way to get on the winning side is to hire a lobbyist who understands the nature and needs of our community and has the contacts and the know-how to help us win those money battles in Sacramento.
A good lobbyist will help local government entities set goals, establish priorities and put together needs packages for our lawmakers. The lobbyist also helps shepherd local-interest legislation through staff meetings, committee hearings and the rest of the many-layered process of consideration, alerting local officials to opportunities and problems. A lobbyist can also help rural communities like ours build partnerships and coalitions in the capital.
We were hoping to get some of $4.5 billion in Proposition 1B funding allocated recently for transportation projects statewide. But most all of that pot of money was divided up among projects in cities and counties that waged effective, long-term lobbying campaigns not only with state lawmakers but also with the bureaucrats and commission members who guided and ultimately made the spending decisions.
And there is more than just transportation dollars at stake. Hollister and San Benito County need the state’s help to deal with gang violence, economic development, housing affordability and a host of other issues that will either limit or expand growth and quality of life here.
In a highly competitive political world, it’s essential that we effectively promote our small community and make our needs and priorities clearly known to those whose political decisions will shape our future.
